Expert: John Priest - 5/11/2011

Question
My 8 year old needs a new bat, the one he has is too heavy 28"/22 (metal louisville slugger) he is 48 1/2" tall.  He swings slow.  The league he is in has a pitching machine that pitches balls at 38 mph.  I was thinking about an Easton or Louisville slugger.  There are so many. I want to get the best bat that I can get at $150 or less to improve his game.  Even with the bat he has now, he hits the ball, but it doesn't go very far.  Please help, I want to buy a new bat this week.  

Thank you for your advice!

Answer
Kayla,
Check with your league first.  Bats go by the difference between the length and weight.  The bat your son  uses has a -6 drop.  Your league will be able to tell you the maximum drop a bat can have to be legal.  After you get this information any bat made by Louisville Slugger or Easton would be good.  These two companies are the top in the business and usually the higher the price the better the quality and/or the better the alloy(S) used in making the bat.  
Although it may be the bat you should make sure he has proper mechanics while hitting.  It may be a good idea to get a hitting lesson from a qualified hitting instructor first.

Good luck,
John Priest