- 1). Check with the league if you're choosing baseball bats for a team. Some leagues have rules about what type of bat you can use. For example, some teams do not allow players to use aluminum bats.
- 2). Decide which bat material is right for your players. The materials available are aluminum, wood, and graphite- or titanium-lined bats. Each material has its own features. Aluminum bats are light, durable and easy to handle--they cost more than wood bats but are almost unbreakable while providing more distance. Wood bats come in more shapes and sizes than metal bats, and graphite- or titanium-lined bats are light and strong. Wood bats are heavier and may not be the best choice for very young players. Aluminum bats' durability make them a popular choice for many youth leagues.
- 3). Figure out which type of bat is right for your players--this largely depends on their age. For very young children, up to age 7, tee-ball bats work well. Players from ages 7 to 12 can play with Little League bats, and those between 10 and 13 can use Senior League bats. High school-aged students should play with high school or college bats, which are longer and slightly wider.
- 4). Choose the right length, depending on the average height of your players (which can roughly be determined by age). Bats start at a length of 24 inches, and 24 to 26 inches is appropriate for players up to age 7. Generally, add one to two inches to each range as the age groups move from 8 to 9; 10; 11 to 12; 13 to 14, 15 to 16 and 17 and older--which would require a 34-inch bat. Notice that 10-year-olds are in their own age range.
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