My eight year old was playing baseball this fall on a coach
pitched team. It was the perfect situation for the fall with only one practice
every Sunday afternoon from 2:00-3:30. It was a great experience, one in which
he learned a lot and he had a great time with the other kids on the team. We
were also playing flag football this fall, so we didn't have a lot of time for
extended fall ball, plus he is only 8 so I wasn't interested in him being
involved with a team that was going to play games every week. (I'm not a big
proponent of playing year round baseball, but I'll save that for another
article.)
The coaches decided they would try to play a couple of games
and put into action what they had been teaching during the Sunday practices. We
traveled about 45 minutes away on a nice Saturday during the middle of the fall
to play a double header with another eight year old team. It was a good experience
but I was shocked when I watched the other team hit. Yes, they beat us in both
games 20-8 and 17-9, but that wasn't what shocked me, it was the bats they were
using, Big Barrel Baseball
Let me back up a little bit first. My eight year old is our
youngest. My oldest is 26 (I was 40 when our youngest was born) and we have
already went through Little League, Babe Ruth, Summer Ball, etc, with our
oldest. Also, as a high school baseball coach I host youth camps every summer
and thought I was in tune with what was happening in youth baseball. But the
bats I saw the other eight year old team using that day caught me by complete
surprise. Every player on the other team was using a big barrel baseball bat
(2-5/8 inch) even though they were only eight years old.
The big barrel baseball bat is designed for senior league
play, which is typically 13-15 year olds. I did a little investigation and
found that all the manufacturers (Easton, DeMarini, Louisville, etc)
specifically advertise these big barrel baseball bats are not approved for
younger youth league teams. This was reinforced more when I found out that most
youth leagues (Cal Ripen, Little League, Pony, etc.,.) did not allow players to
use the larger barrel bats. However, I did find it odd that the manufacturers
are making -10 to -13 drop bats (the unit distinction between the length and
the weight of the bat, such as 27 inches long and 17 ounces in weight). It's
obvious that the sale of these ultra-light, big barrel baseball bats are
targeted at youth league players.
Youth league (ages 6-12) aluminum bats are typically 2
inches in diameter at the sweet spot and usually have a -8 in drop. The idea is
to work up as they get older and eventually get to the -3 drop bat that is
required in high school.
The problem with using big barrel baseball bats at such a
young age is that it doesn't reinforce hitting mechanics. When a young hitter
swings and misses the sweet spot, this reinforces the fact they need to use
their hands to hit instead of their arms. The sweet spot is typically 4-7
inches from the barrel end of the bat, located between the bat's trademark and
the end of the bat. With aluminum (or composite bats) when the player misses
the sweet spot the bat jars in their hands. With a wood bat (which I think all
young players should spend time learning to hit with) if the sweet spot is
missed the ball doesn't travel very far, maybe a ground ball to second or
short. Anyway, it reinforces the need to rotate the hips and use the hands and
forearms to get the barrel of the bat on the ball.
With much practice a player can become good at making
consistent contact on the sweet spot of the bat. Using the hands correctly will
strengthen the hands as they get older and allow them to progress in their
mechanics as a hitter. Many players struggle with hitting on high school
freshman or JV teams (and middle school teams) because they drag the bat head
with the -3 bats that are required by the National Federation rules. They have
been swinging the -8 or -5 with their arms and the -3 is heavier for them to
swing. They have not yet developed good strong hands or forearms from hitting
properly.
Another problem with the big barrel baseball bats is the
extended hitting zones. The player can have a long swing (one that disconnects
with the arms getting away from the body) hitting the ball on the area below
the sweet spot near the trademark and still get a solid base hit into the
outfield. This was what I witnessed that Saturday this fall during the eight
year old coached-pitched game. Most of the hitters in the on the opposing team
used more arms than hands to hit but they still had solid shots into the
outfield. In fact, when they did make solid contact the ball was sent like a
laser to the outfield fences. Several times our players were hit with the ball
(one in the head on a line drive to center field) and the opposing coach was
also hit by a hot line drive back to the mound. It was a little scary and these
young players were not ready to be swinging these bats.
During my research I also found this was a common practice
for travel league teams. Most travel tournament sponsors do not have
regulations against using these larger barrel bats for youth league ages. With
the manufacture warnings clearly listed on these bats this could be a serious
point for litigation. The travel tournament sponsors and teams that allow these
bats against the manufacture warnings are exposing themselves to potential
lawsuits.
From a hitting stand point players will never understand their
hitting flaws. It's like the weekend golfer that uses a monster head driver,
one that can correct the flight of the ball if the swing is not perfect. As
long as you make contact anywhere on the face of the club you are in good
shape. (I got one in my golf bag) The same is true for the large barrel bats
for youth leagues. See, hitting a baseball is difficult and comes with much
failure. A good big league player that hits around .300 will fail 7 out of 10
times. With young hitters the failure is what makes them better. Missing the
sweet spot on the bat reinforces the idea to use your hands and get the barrel
on the ball.
If you're serious about your child being a better hitter
make them use the 2 inch barrel in youth league. They can also work with a wood
bat in practices and scrimmage games. (or summer/fall league play). Use bamboo
when they are young moving to maple by the time they are 11 or 12. Both of
these bats are extremely durable and hard to break. By the time they are 15-16
they can graduate to a nice Ash bat. Most big leaguers use either Ash or Maple.
All of our high school players have a wood bat in their bag and train with it
regularly.
Mike Posey
Expert baseball tips from a championship coach's experience
and perspective offering creative insight to helping others learn the game of
baseball.http://www.expert-baseball-tips.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment