Expert: Rick Bundy - 4/4/2009

Question
My son is a second year t-ball player. He is 3'11" and 52lbs.  What size of bat should he be using, he currently uses a 25in. 12.5oz bat. He is hitting the ball well right now but often complains of his hands stinging. What size of bat does he need or should we stick with the one he is used to?

Answer
Jamie:  Thank you for your question.

If your son is complaining that his hands are stinging, you might want to check his bat for a crack.  Hitting a stationary ball shouldn't cause his hands to sting, so it may be a problem with the condition of his bat.  Tee ball bats are thin walled.

From a physical standpoint, it is possible he is contacting the ball on the end of the bat, which might cause some vibration.

As to size, if he is able to swing it through the ball on a level plane, not having to reload his hands and drag the barrel through, I would say he is ok with his current bat.

Hopefully you can locate the source of the stinging hands.  It isn't fun to hit when your hands are ringing.

Should the bat be sound, you might look at whether he is striding on line, that is straight back at the mound.  If not, and he is stepping off line, that is the old "step in the bucket", his stride will cause his hands to drop and will pull him away from the tee, thus leaving only the end of the bat to contact the ball.

Good luck as you go forward.  He is at a great age and you are both are sharing the beginnings of an exciting journey for you both.

Yours in baseball,

Rick