Youth Wood

[Three A's baseball]

Does anyone make a better wood bat for the 7-9 yr old other then dbat?

[BatSpinner]

There are a lot of options out there. If you are looking for anything under
30", they only offer it in ash.

Other companies will give you other wood options to choose from as well as more model options.

[3and0]

Why are you using wood for 7 to 9 year olds? really?

[glovemedic]

Why are you using wood for 7 to 9 year olds? really?

Kids like to hit with wood bats. I was listening to the Ripkens the other day and they said how important it is to mix things up with kids and let them play with new and different stuff, whether it is new "pearl" balls, another glove, or wood bats. It keeps things interesting and makes baseball fun. We sometimes hit the small 8.5" balls in the cage, swing the corkball stick at the really little balls, play catch with the 1919 replica gloves. It is more about playing ball and having fun than it is about "practice-work" and taking the game to the next level. Play the game often, have fun, and the skill development will take care of itself.

Have fun and play hard!

[Three A's baseball]

Why are you using wood for 7 to 9 year olds? really?

our rec league is switching to wood.

[Drill]

I remember buying a Louisville slugger in the discount barrel for $7.50. That was a lot of money for a kid back in 1962, yes I was 12 than.

[glovemedic]

I remember buying a Louisville slugger in the discount barrel for $7.50. That was a lot of money for a kid back in 1962, yes I was 12 than.

Mine was a Mickey Mantle signature model in 1964, I was 10 then. How about those horrible carboard ear protectors? I don't think we had a helmet on the team then.

[BallCoach06]

Why are you using wood for 7 to 9 year olds? really?


I really like this. I have a few HS kids that have used nothing but wood since about 8-9 years old (practice and games). They have done this completely by choice.

Now they use wood in practice and BP and metal in games. It really shows now in their HS days. They have no problem getting the barrel to the ball quickly and the ball jumps off the metal bat.

[Three A's baseball]

I wish I could say I am pushing my son to use wood for that reason but the town is making the switch and not allowing metal.

It is nice to see however it will have it's benefits.

[BatSpinner]

Good on the town.

[WoodButGood]

I really like this. I have a few HS kids that have used nothing but wood since about 8-9 years old (practice and games). They have done this completely by choice.

Now they use wood in practice and BP and metal in games. It really shows now in their HS days. They have no problem getting the barrel to the ball quickly and the ball jumps off the metal bat.

Just joined Baseball Fever...mostly out of interest in wood bats. My 16-year-old has played all summer with wood and has a meeting set up with his high school coach to discuss only using wood in league games next spring -- regardless of the fact that everyone else is using metal. My 12-year-old is following suit for our '08 community league. Both are able to even think about this because they are two of the better hitters in their leagues.

I'm wondering if any other kids out there are making such a statement.

It also seems to me that Fall Baseball leagues should just make wood the standard. Up here in the Northeast, half the games are played below 60 degrees anyway. Playing with metal when it's cold is not a fun experience and can seriously damage a bat.

[glovemedic]

Just joined Baseball Fever...mostly out of interest in wood bats. .... It also seems to me that Fall Baseball leagues should just make wood the standard.

Glad to have you aboard. Lot of folks with knowledge and interest in wood bat baseball here. I agree with you the Fall league is all about getting ready for next year and dvelopment so why not use wood exclusively. Our kids will transition to wood for their indoor BP anyway so have fun and play some games too.

[CanadianKid]

My league made us start using wood last year, when we turned 16. It was tough adjusting but I notice the difference especially when we go to the States. It's also much different as a pitcher, the routine flys I was getting against hitters with wood ended up being HR's or doubles off the fence with metal.

[freddy]

Just joined Baseball Fever...mostly out of interest in wood bats. My 16-year-old has played all summer with wood and has a meeting set up with his high school coach to discuss only using wood in league games next spring -- regardless of the fact that everyone else is using metal. My 12-year-old is following suit for our '08 community league. Both are able to even think about this because they are two of the better hitters in their leagues.

I'm wondering if any other kids out there are making such a statement.

It also seems to me that Fall Baseball leagues should just make wood the standard. Up here in the Northeast, half the games are played below 60 degrees anyway. Playing with metal when it's cold is not a fun experience and can seriously damage a bat.

Being a wood bat manufacturer I like to hear folks talking about going back to wood. That being said, make sure to find him a bat that he is to his liking.
Length, WEIGHT, balance. Coming off aluminum im guessing he used a big barrel. I would try to steer him away from that as those bats are harder to find and are more expensive. If price isn't an object then buy him the best all the time!!

[WoodButGood]

Being a wood bat manufacturer I like to hear folks talking about going back to wood. That being said, make sure to find him a bat that he is to his liking.
Length, WEIGHT, balance. Coming off aluminum im guessing he used a big barrel. I would try to steer him away from that as those bats are harder to find and are more expensive. If price isn't an object then buy him the best all the time!!

The whole thing about finding the right bat is such a great experience with your kid -- or anyone's kid, really. I am familiar in fact with Zinger and a lot of other smaller bat companies. My kids sometimes surf the web checking out bat manufacturers. I've written a bit about the small companies. I intend to write more. Most parents don't realize the choices out there. And once you find a bat you like, then the fun begins trying to figure out, like you said, Freddy, weight, barrel size, length, balance, finish, wood type, etc. As I recall, Zinger lets people sort of customize their own bats, right? I guess I should check out your site more carefully.

[WoodButGood]

My league made us start using wood last year, when we turned 16. It was tough adjusting but I notice the difference especially when we go to the States. It's also much different as a pitcher, the routine flys I was getting against hitters with wood ended up being HR's or doubles off the fence with metal.

Good that your league is pushing you all in the right direction. I was at a wood bat tournament a few weeks ago and it was interesting to see the metal bat approach to hitting when kids used wood. A lot of hand speed. Not much torque, legs, and hips. Some kids were reduced to just trying to place the ball rather than really trying to drive it.

It must be so different being a pitcher facing wood. I mean, just different in the sense that you know you can relax a bit and feel a bit more like you can count on your team to back you up. Against good hitting metal teams you'd think that your first and only thought as a pitcher would be "don't let them hit it." I suppose that most pitchers think like that anyway, but still, with wood there has to be the option of knowing you just need to make them put it in play to your teammates.

[WoodButGood]

Glad to have you aboard. Lot of folks with knowledge and interest in wood bat baseball here. I agree with you the Fall league is all about getting ready for next year and dvelopment so why not use wood exclusively. Our kids will transition to wood for their indoor BP anyway so have fun and play some games too.

Very good idea on the indoor stuff. You're right, of course. It's a perfect time for kids to start working with wood -- phasing in with Tee work, soft toss, etc. I will pass this along to our clinic organizers.

[CanadianKid]

It must be so different being a pitcher facing wood. I mean, just different in the sense that you know you can relax a bit and feel a bit more like you can count on your team to back you up. Against good hitting metal teams you'd think that your first and only thought as a pitcher would be "don't let them hit it." I suppose that most pitchers think like that anyway, but still, with wood there has to be the option of knowing you just need to make them put it in play to your teammates.

Ya the approach is very different. With hitters using wood I could jam them inside and break their bats or force a pop up, with metal the same pitch ended up being a hit to the outfield. 1 of the HR's I gave up when we went to Ohio was an outside pitch and the hitter just stuck his bat out pretty much a half swing, and hit it over the fence. The fence was 290 and I'd say it landed 20-30ft past the fence so it was no big deal, 310-320 with metal is nothing big. Even the doubles off the fence with metal would have been fly outs with wood.

We also noticed a lot of the hitters had an uppercut swing, so do some of our hitters who wanted to hit HR's when switching back to metal, instead of a level swing.

I also would not have a scar above my right eye if we were playing with wood down in Ohio. That linedrive hit back at me would have been slower and I'd have had more to time react to it.

[WoodButGood]

Ya the approach is very different. With hitters using wood I could jam them inside and break their bats or force a pop up, with metal the same pitch ended up being a hit to the outfield.

I also would not have a scar above my right eye if we were playing with wood down in Ohio. That linedrive hit back at me would have been slower and I'd have had more to time react to it.

Ouch! I'm glad you're okay and still playing. Did that happen pre-2003?

You know, I've been watching the Little League World Series and pretty much all of the homers so far have been big pop flies or liners just clearing the fence by inches. In the Maryland-Ohio game last night a kid hit a bloop 3-run homer to tie the game not even swinging through and connecting on the top third of the barrel.

I hear, by the way, that a lot of the bats those kids are swinging aren't even available on the market yet...

[CanadianKid]

It happened this year.

[WoodButGood]

Just realized that if you were in Ohio then you were far from home. Any family with you? Must have been a mess. Concussion? Do you remember it happening? I took a ball in the chest maybe 8 years ago pitching BP and had seams tattooed on my chest for two years after. I remember every inch of that ball's flight toward me. That was the year I learned that I was now an old coach and that L-screens were my friend.

[SAM I AM]

Three A's, I bought a bat from Brett Bros. last year. It was a 30/24. My 9 yr old wanted a wood bat badly. I think I paid $30-$40. Black and made out of bamboo. We used it when messing around in the cage off of the T and for Front toss and soft toss. First couple of times he swung it were very awkward and I'm sure it felt like a log. Now, it is hard for me to get one by him when we are doing front toss. We don't use it all the time and we have never used it in a game, however, the bat has held up in the cage. I wouldn't be real concerned about what the best bat is for a nine year old. I would be concerned about the drop and finding something that they can half way get around on. I don't know how big your sons are but while my oldest can swing the -6, the younger who is 8yrs. old looks pretty humorous trying to get around with that thing.

Sam

[3and0]

I remember buying a Louisville slugger in the discount barrel for $7.50. That was a lot of money for a kid back in 1962, yes I was 12 than.
holy cow you're as old as my dad.