youth bat selection

Question
My 7 yr. old son is 49 in. and weighs 57 lbs. He is currently using a 27 in., 14.5 oz., 2-1/4 bat. He does well with this bat. Would there be any advantage/disadvantage in trying a performance bat, such as a Easton Stealth 2 piece, 2-5/8 barrel, 17 oz.  that is end loaded? Will PONY allow a 2-5/8 barrel?

Answer
Sante,

My answer would tend to be....if it's isn't broke, don't fix it! If he's successful with his current bat, I wouldn't change a thing. The Easton bat you mentioned does have a larger "sweet spot", but it is also significantly heavier. The weight different could jeopardize his bat speed, which is something you definitely do not want to do unless he can handle the heavier bat. I recommend going to the cages with him, and have him rent one of the bats they have there that would be similar in length & weight to see how he does. Not sure if Pony allows that big of a barrell, but naturally you should check the rule book to be sure before paying all that money for the bat.

Mike Fortunato