MSU Red Cedar Message Board

Get the cheapest legal bat you can get. Its maybe a one year bat unless your kid grows between now and the first pitch.

I have seen gung ho parents of kids I coach spend $100+ on a youth bat and can't figure out why the kid with a hand me down or a bat off the sale rack at Target/Meijers is a better hitter.

Chances are that a bat at Target/Meijers won't have the required "stamp" on it.

Hell, a $100 is nothing. Some youth bats go upwards of $300 these days.

Can't find that bat anywhere : )

Yep and the 2-3 companies that actually make the bats (all in China) laugh all the way to the bank. They know the bat doesn't make a lick of difference at that age and they also know there are a lot of parents out there with too much money.

My youngest is out of baseball but I almost always checked Meijers/Target when he was that age. Those places carry the lower end bats and buy enough of them to get a good price.

Next stop was always E Bay and if you are patient and have time you will find some good buys.

Buy the cheapest legal bat you can find and spend the $40 you save on these. They will last more than a season and develop a hitting eye.

Our practice drill (for both my 10 and 13 yr old boys) consists of an old wooden broom handle and those practice golf balls with the holes in them. I wrapped a piece of thin foam around the end to emulate the sweet spot on a bat. Great drill for hand/eye coordination.

I read somewhere that Cal Ripken (or someone) used to go this when he was a kid and this is where I got the idea from