How To Pick The Perfect Bat: Length, Weight and The One With The Pretty Colors (Kidding, kind of)

Your bat is one of the most important tools in softball. Just how a car mechanic needs the perfect wrench, you need a perfectly sized bat to get the most out of your swing. It can turn a groundball into a double and a pop fly into a—dare we say—homerun. That might sound a bit dramatic if you’re not familiar with the game, but believe us, it’s true.

 

Length and weight are the two most important factors when selecting the right bat. The difference between the length and weight, or drop, is also important, but every league is different and may or may not limit the amount of drop a bat can have. Check with your coaches for more information.

 

Length

Having the correct bat length helps optimize your swing. In order to find the appropriate size, place the knob at the center of your chest and extend the barrel out toward your fingertips (with your arms fully stretched out to your side). If you can touch the end of the bat with your fingertips, the bat is an appropriate size. If it extends beyond your fingertips, it may be too long, and if it only reaches your wrist, the bat is probably too short.

 

Weight

In terms of the weight of the bat, you’re looking for one you feel comfortable swinging. A perfectly weighted bat can change from person to person even if they have roughly the same body height and weight. If you’re a stronger power hitter, you’re going to use a heavier bat. On the flip side, if you’re a smaller player whose strong suit is bunts, slaps and drags, you’re going to be more comfortable with a lighter bat. Choosing a bat that’s too heavy will cause your swing to naturally drop which creates an upward angle. If you seem to be swinging more upward than not, you’re bat is probably too heavy.

 

Now that you’ve read the specifics on length and weight, check out the size chart below as a sort of “cheat sheet” to help reinforce your decision on length.

 

 

Once you’ve nailed down the measurements, you get to pick out a bat. This is the fun part. Brands like Louisville, Easton and Demarini make some of the best bats currently on the market, but we’re not going to say that one is better than the other. It’s all about finding the right one for you—and picking the best color combo is pretty important, too.