Posted by: SS Coach () on Sun Apr 14 19:48:39 2002

Hi - I was wondering if you have some "science" in bat weight...I have a suspicion that "lighter is better" is all wrong. Part of my evidence: I took a few cuts today before practice (for my LL 11-12 year-olds), and I swung with their light bats (eg, 31", -11), and a HS bat (32", -3), and the ball just flew off the heavier bat, I mean, at least 100' further per swing - SO, if a lighter bat gives faster bat speed, and if bat speed is all that matters, then I violated the "law of baseball physics" today - Big Time.
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> Please provide some scientific evidence, that heavier is better, so long as the bat speed doesn't slow down more than enough to compensate for the additional kinetic energy (potentially) created by the heavier bat.
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> Too many guys are totally fixated on light bats, I suspect they are wrong, wrong, wrong.
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> Coach Jim
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> PS: My assistant pitched to me, from behind a screen (properly), and the kids were all at the fence, instructed to get out of the way of a screamer.


Hey Coach Jim,
I also coach an 11 year old team here in Texas.
I think most of the advocates of the superlight bats are also the big "Quick hands/ Throw you hands at the ball types."
One of the things I have found is that with the linear swing you generally promote a lightweight bat.

My son uses a 30 inch 22 oz bat and he is hovering just under 78 pounds. He has fantastic batspeed using Jacks rotational techniques.
In my opinion the hands are just along for the ride so you can get away with a heavier bat. By the way... When these kids with the ultralight bats get to HS with the -3's thats when you will separate the real hitters from the pretenders.
All of this is just my opinion though, so take it for what its worth.
SS Coach