Bat Size: When Does My Child Need To Move Up?

How Do I Know When my Child is Ready to Move Up a Size?

Moving up to a larger baseball bat is completely and 100% dependent on the child and his or her unique needs and preferences. It also helps to understand how the swing feels and reacts to an individual’s swing. About every couple of years, check your child's measurements to be sure they're still within range of correct bat sizes using easily accessible guidelines as a reference. If they're out of range, it's time to move up, and it should not be a decision that is given too much time as using the wrong bat can greatly hinder a player’s play and as a result, their confidence. Of course, every child matures at a different rate so the “rules” companies lay out for reference may not be a one-size-fits-all situation.

Age

By about age 11 or 12, a child may be moving out of their ordinary youth bat and may be ready to wield an adult, -3 model, the likes of which will carry them to through until high school or college. The barrel will of course be a little bigger, 2-1/2 inches, up from 2-1/4 inches in the youth models. The length-to-weight ratio will go up from -10 to -8, then to -5, which is all a preparation for a seamless transition to a professional series bat at a -3 weight or above. A few years down the road, at age 13 is usually the standard, the child should be swinging a pro series baseball bat. BBCOR will be the series they are using when they get older. All high school leagues use this. 

Bat Length by Age

5-7 years 24" - 26"

8-9 years 26" - 28"

10 years 28" - 29"

11-12 years 30" - 31"

13-14 years 31" - 32"

15-16 years 32" - 33"

17+ years 32-34”