Expert: Dennis Girardi - 8/9/2010

Question
Good Afternoon. I have 2 questions: 1) my son is 9 3/4 years old, 5' tall, 87 lbs.  We are looking for a new glove and a new bat for little league Fall Season.  His current glove is very small (a 9 i believe) and we need to move up.  Also the bat prices are all over hte board so I could use some guidance.  Which brings me to my 2nd question:  He is fairly tall for his age, strong and althetic however he doesn't have  much power in his batting strength.  What Can I do to help him?  if it matters he's a left handed batter (throw right though).  As a mom I am lacking in the knoweldge deparmtent about equipment and how to "coach" him to hit better. Any help si appreciated! (web sites, books, etc...!) thank you!

Answer
Hey  Kim,

It's a bit tricky getting a youth baseball glove.  Too small and they will quickly grow out of it.  Too big and they won't be able to handle it. Does it have to be leather? What brand? Hopefully this article can answer these questions.

Youth Baseball Gloves and Little League Baseball Gloves
A good glove for youth baseball must be made of 100% leather!  Otherwise, the child will be frustrated with balls popping out since synthetic gloves do not form the natural "pocket" that leather does as it stretches.  You should be able to purchase a single baseball glove that will work for youth and little league play.  A good size is 11.5". If your child is planning on playing beyond Little League, they can get a larger glove if needed in their last year of Little League. The brand/size we went with was Mizuno 11.5" Power Close (shown below) since this was recommended by two different sales people at two different sport shops.  It's a great glove, is only about $30 in price (as compared to $100 or more for some), and it should work well for a typical 8-12 yr old.


There is a whole series out there on youtube to hit with more power.
Start here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGH8a5fChjM
Good Luck.
Dennis