Get Your Mass Into The Swing

F=MA

For those of you that remember your middle school science class this formula will ring a bell. For the rest of us here is a quick refresher...

Force Equals Mass Times Acceleration.

In baseball we interchange the term "force" with "power".

If a player wants to hit with more power he either has to increase the "mass" value (without negatively affecting his bat speed..."acceleration") or increase the "acceleration" value (without negatively affecting his ability to hit the ball on the "sweet spot") of his swing.

Check out this video for clarification....

Parents frequently ask me what is the right bat for their player. We can use the formula F=MA to choose a bat.

Or you can always go with the kids' (and manufacturers') method of choosing a bat...Base your decision on the coolest graphics or newest color combinations.

Here is how it works...

If you have a player that is very good at centering the ball on the sweet spot then I would recommend a bat that has a smaller barrel to maximize bat speed.

A good small barrel bat will have much of the weight distributed closer towards the barrel to place the "mass"near the sweet spot. These bats may have a greater weight differential -12 but may feel as heavy as a -10 or -8 because they are top end loaded.

On the other hand if your player would benefit from a slightly larger hitting surface (to maximize "Mass") then I would recommend forfeiting bat speed in order to make better contact. In this case you should opt for a big barrel bat and work on swing mechanics and overall strength to add power (through increasing "acceleration") to their swing.

Over the past ten years or so the big barrel bat has been great for hitters. Because it has offered the best of both worlds...a huge hitting surface with an extremely light weight.

However, recently the dangers associated with a light weight, big barrel bat has prompted leagues and manufacturers to rethink the standards for big barrel bats.

BBCOR is a new designation relating to the exit speed of the ball off of the bat. It stands for  Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution...Will stick with BBCOR for now.

When it comes to buying a bat, parents tend to get the biggest bat they can for their kid and hope they grow into it. When bats are north of $200, I understand why parents try to get several years out of a bat.

Certainly, if your kid needs the big barrel bat then I would recommend it for them. However, if you have a kid that is pretty good at making solid contact you may want to consider some of the newer "small barrel" (2 1/4 inch barrel) bats.

Not only will the kid generate more bat speed ("acceleration"), his barrel accuracy will continue to improve.

Many high school leagues use wood bats in the summer. Wood bats require hitters to be very accurate with the barrel to hit the ball on the sweet spot. Wood bats are much less forgiving than the metal bats. Swinging a small barrel bat will make the transition to wood easier for players.

Hopefully, these pointers will give you some confidence the next time you are in the market for a new youth baseball bat.

Please comment with any questions or remarks you have about choosing the right bat for you.

Thanks!

Brandon