What is the number one goal a parent should have for their young player? Again, all that matters is player development. And, you achieve this by teaching good fundamentals and solid mechanics from an early age of 7 or 8 depending on the kid.
This section is aimed mainly at the young men. Because girls can use ultra light aluminum bats all their careers in fast pitch softball. But, the boys have to use -3 bats when they get to high school. However, girls could benefit from this too because I am discussing the development of proper swing mechanics that start from the earliest age.
First, what does minus three mean? It means that the bat can only weigh 3 ounces less than its length. For example a 33 inch bat cannot weigh less than 30 ounces. Second, why does this matter? It matters because swinging an ultra light bat does not develop proper swing mechanics.
My favorite example of swinging an ultra light bat is when someone swings a wiffle ball bat. Anyone can swing one with just one hand. Try it. Which hand did you use? Unless you are an odd ball you swung it with your bottom hand. And, you took this swing without rotating your body and turning on the ball. Further, because the bat is so light the hitter extends his hands away from his body as he swings. Hitting coaches call this barring, casting, or Charlie Lau calls it full extension at contact. Sorry Charlie, but this isn't a good thing. Why, because it is a long slow swing with a -3 bat and when the kid has to move up to the high school level he won't have enough bat speed to hit average high school velocity.
With out naming any names I want to give you the best, but saddest example I've witnessed of a hitter not being able to hit with only a slight increase in the weight of the bat. Our son played with a kid who had poor swing mechanics but was extremely successful. In fact, this nameless kid was 2nd Team All-State as a junior in high school. And, even though he had a long swing and barred he hit some monster home runs that season. This kid wasn't very big, 5'11" and about 150 pounds, or very strong either. But, the next school ball year he couldn't hit at all! Why? Because the rules changed. With a -5 bat he crushed the ball and was an All State Hitter. But, when the rules changed to -3 he was a below average high school hitter. Just 2 ounces in difference turned an All-Stater into a below average hitter. Because he had poor mechanics. Mechanics he had developed swinging an ultra light bat.
Recently a good friend of mine proudly showed me the bat he had just bought his 7 year old son. I don't know the brand, but it was a -15!!! That's right. I told him to throw that piece of junk away. He looked at me like I had lost my mind. He had paid over $100 for it and it was going to help his son be one of the best hitters in his summer league. I told him who cares if your son is the best in his 7 and under coach pitch summer league. I'm sure his high school coach will be impressed when you tell him little Johnnie was the best hitter in his league when he was seven years old. That will surely impress him more than the freshman who is hitting rockets all over the park at tryouts who was just mediocre in that same league.
So What Is The Solution?
I'm going to tell you what I would do if I had a kid playing right now who was 6 years old. Because no one is manufacturing any aluminum bats for kids that are even -5 or -6 like the did when my son was that age, I would have him hit with a wood bat. The wood bat is heavier and because its heavier you can't swing it without using both hands properly. Plus you have to rotate when you swing.
A little over three years ago an acquaintance of mine asked me what I would do to help my son hit if he were 7 years old right then. I told him I would have him use a wood bat. He asked me why and I explained to him that swinging these ultra light bats didn't develop proper swing mechanics. He had his son use a wood bat for three seasons and just this year did he start using aluminum. The dad told me that his sons youth coaches insisted on him hitting with aluminum because they produced higher performance results. His kid is one of the better hitters in the area and he still uses a wood bat to practice with. The dad understands the benefits of wood, but goes against his beliefs during games to keep everyone (the youth coach) happy.
Using a wood bat all the time won't be easy.
Next Blog: Hitting- Generations of Bad Instruction. Mistakes Parents Make Part 3.
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