bat size

[dogg0]

I'm 5'7" about 155 lbs. I'm gonna buy a new aluminum baseball bat today, I want something that will give me pretty good bat speed. Any suggestions on a good size?

[Sephroth57]

about as big as my wang

[dogg0]

thank you

[Clonedsheep]

LOL that was funny. Anyways, based on your size you might want to go with a 34. It is like middle of the road. A 36 is if you want a bit of a heavier bat. A 32 it a bit light but you can whip it around fast. Take a feel of all 3 and try them.

[Stingray]

about as big as my wang

One like this then?

-S

[missioncontrol]

it's not the size of the bat that counts......

it's how you make it connect..........

[pointdablame]

it's not the size of the bat that counts......

it's how you make it connect..........

yeah.. that's what that little wind up bear/dog/thing is saying too 

It's ok Mission..... you keep believing that

[missioncontrol]

hey.... well the wife doesn't complain 

[Stingray]

Swing... and a miss!

-S

[ChadTower]

I played baseball for 15 years and have coached for half of those.

The bat isn't nearly as important as the mechanics of hitting.  Basically,  work on the intelligence of hitting and the proper swing mechanics, and the bat will become irrelevant as you'll be choosing your bat based on the situation and pitcher, not based on anything you do.

[dogg0]

yea, i am going to try to be hitting every day for the rest of the summer, but all my bats are really broken as i havent bought one in ??... I just read manny ramireuses a 34" 32oz bat, I will probably get one smaller than that

[ChadTower]

Uh, yeah, considering he's about 4x your size.

Honestly, if you insist on trying to learn to hit based on your bat and not based on the situation, I'd suggest something like the lightest 32" you can find.  A lot of poor hitters just go for the longer bat and say "well, I can reach the outside of the plate better."  Those are the idiots who strike out swinging at breaking balls 8" outside the strike zone.

When I played, I was 5-10 about 180, and I used to range from a 31" to a 33" of varying weights depending on who was pitching and where I wanted to put the ball (which itself depended on the men on base, inning, score, outs, and the pitcher).

[Sephroth57]

yeah i just kinda swing and hope it goes far...

[Jessica Simpson]

I like baseball bats.

[Clonedsheep]

and baseball bats like you.

[DrewKaree]

about as big as my wang

 

It doesn't look very big.

[dogg0]

ok got a 32/30, took some bp, it went alright  it's not like i've never played before, but I would like to get into some kind of organized league next year

[ChadTower]

I hate aluminum bats.

[dogg0]

chad - do you play in a league or organized games right now?

[ChadTower]

No, I stopped playing a few years ago.  The leagues were all full of 35 year old guys complaining that their equipment was holding them back, swearing and throwing helmets when they struck out, getting into fights and crap.  Basically, I couldn't deal with the frustrated moron factor.

Now I coach 5-6 year old baseball.  It's a lot more fun.

[Stingray]

So now you have to deal with frustrated moron dads who are trying to live vicariously through their five year old kids.

-S

[ChadTower]

Nope.  At the 5-6 level, we don't have scores, lineups, or positions.  Every kid hits every inning.  We usually play two innings, the rest of the time is practice time where the two teams share the field but practice on separate halves.  There aren't defined positions, we have the kids line up across the infield in what could be called the tight double play level.  We're concerned with the very basics like throwing, putting the glove on well, picking up ground balls, holding the bat.  Most of the kids have never played before and many of them aren't even sure if they're righty or lefty yet.

I teach at this level purposely to avoid the whole frustrated parents yelling thing.  Without the pressure of playing time or winning, I can really focus on teaching and more importantly making sure the kids are always having fun.  The second they stop having fun they stop learning.

[dogg0]

just an update on my baseball progress:

I got about 6 guys together last night and we played for about 2 hours!! MAN, am I sore today, first I got beaned with a fastball on my inner thigh, and my arm feels like i threw about 15 innings. I must admit though, i made some pretty sweet plays in the outfield. 2 things I've noticed after really practicing for the first time in a while...

1)I really need to work on my hitting mechanics
2)The same goes for throwing

anyone have any advice/books/systems for practicing?

[ChadTower]

I like to use one of these with my kids (my own and my team members).  It really is good for helping develop consistency of swing.  It won't teach you proper mechanics, but it will teach you consistency, which is nearly as important.  Don't forget to move it up and down every once in a while to vary your practice.

I would also recommend The Science of Hitting by Ted Williams... I've read most books on hitting and this one is far and away the best.