Posted by: Torque (toddfoster67@gmail.com) on Mon Aug 30 17:44:41 2010

> In trying to figure out the optimum bat length and weight most all articles say go as long and as heavy as you can while still maintaining correct swing mechanics and bat speed. I don't see any article which lists what the average or the optimum bad speeds are by age group. We went to a purchase a bat and they had a device in the batting cage to measure bat speed and I could see a 1-2 mph drop as we changed to different length and weight bats but I don't know at what point we say the bat speed is too slow without seeing him swing at actual pitched balls.

The weight doesnt matter that much in swing speed and hit quality. Long bats are harder to hit with and generally produce lower quality hits. So pick the correct bat length first then increase the weight to a drop 8 or drop 10 for a nine year old. There are charts on the Internet that will help you get the right length. You don't want the kid swinging the really light bats on the market suchas drop 12 to drop 16. I've done as much testing on youth bats as anyone. The best test is to take a tee and a bucket of balls. Take some bats and see which one the kid hits furthest with. Good luck.
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> For a 10 year old playing minors (46' to mound), what is the minimum in mph you would want for bat speed?
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> I think the pitches range from 45mph to 60mph.