quote:

Originally posted by DenJake:
My son is 11 this year and is 5th grade. He will be 12 and trying out for the middle school next year. (6-8 grade team). The middle school team uses a -3 as well as the JV and Varsity teams for his school. I am certain the mandate to use a -3 is coming from the JV and Varsity coaches wanting to make sure the kids are prepared to swing the -3 when the move up. He will certainly have to swing a -3 next year if he makes the team as a 12 year old.

I think they only take 2-3 6th graders a year on the team , but he practiced with the middle school team all last year and has been invited to practic with them this year as well. He uses his little league bat in the practices for now, but will have to swing the -3 as a 12.

Next year will probally be a difficult year for him playning little league (2 1/4bat and 45-60 field) , Middle school (-3 bat and 60-90 field) and travel ball using anything bat he wants and the 50-70 field.

Do you think this will be too difficult for him to make the adjustments between the different bat and field changes? I am starting to think he should wait for 7th grade before playing for the middle school team but I know that would break his heart.

No way. if he's good enough to make it, don't make him wait. Field Changes and bat changes really don't effect much. In my honest opinion alot of the Little League games are considered practice for 8th grade ball in some kids mind. The lower skill level of most of the little leaguers is very helpful for 8th grade ball players. It was never a problem for me but some people are different. Just My opinion.

quote:

Do you think this will be too difficult for him to make the adjustments between the different bat and field changes? I am starting to think he should wait for 7th grade before playing for the middle school team but I know that would break his heart.

Absolutely not. Have him play MS if he makes the team.

My guy is turning 12 in a couple of weeks and will be playing in both a 12U and a 13U loop with a team across the border this summer.

Last year in Ontario, he was pitching from 44' and swung a 28/19.5 Omaha Sr Yth bat in City Rep ball.

This summer in the 12U loop he will use a 30/21.5 ExoGrid and pitch from 51'. In the 13U loop, he will swing a 31/28 2007 Stealth Stiff Flex. Both are 2 5/8".

My guess is that from the longer distance a batter will have about 10% more time from the hand to the point of contact. Although the swing time is relatively short in itself, the time to start the swing will probably have to start 30% sooner, as it takes longer to get the heavier bat around.

It will be tough to move between these two different scenarios from one day to the next.

At a strong 5'5" 155 lbs., he is able to control the bat through the swing. It is fatigueing but, controllable.

It is true that for most players, they do not see the ball during the entire flight (the human eye does not rotate fast enough). There are a couple of methods that it uses to approximate the contact point. For this reason, I think it will be difficult to move from one bat to another on days where the games are back-to-back.

Cheers,

D

Hmmm... The key with making baseball a long term experience for your children is to keep things age-appropriate. Putting this much thought into an 11-y/o may need reconsideration.

My youngest son swung and hit with my 34"33oz softball bat when he was less than 3yrs old. He hit the ball pretty hard too!
He swings anything from a 32" -10 to a 34" wooden cave man club while practicing now.....hits a 32" -3oz almost as far as the -10.
I think using different weights in practice gives him a better feel for timing adjustments.BTW I pitch to him from less than 30ft at about 40 to 45mph.
Rollerman