aluminum bat handle sizes?

Question
Coach

That is the ,most appreciable answer I  have ever received, Thank you very much!  It was a mess last night , our kids are just getting started,Wisconsin, (cold) , I wish we had games in number like yours, don't do that many all year in our area.  Yes I will lok at that site, thank you, if you would be so kind to send, [email protected] , i don't know if any part of the email  address name you recognize, there is a story, If i could send you a cd of my grandson could you evaluate, shortstop was my game, mechanics on pitching i learn from watching the bigs

My daughter has just decided to hire an instructor for some sessions for him to get him on track, i know what he's doing wrong, but someone else is smater than i.

if my address doesn't work, i'll email you on my regular one, wisconsin pitching will be the subject line"
thanks
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Followup To
Question -
thanks

will do,

if subject change is appropriate, how much throwing time a week does it take to get accuracy down?  this one gtandoson is lht, and does some pitching but they haven't had enough ganes yet, and none of the pitchers are accurate, my grand son tries to short arm it, and i keep telling  him reach back and up, eye on target and follow throw, but he isn't throwing enough, he's a hard thrower, mechanics are not consistent?
thanks
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Followup To
Question -
Hi,

I  have 4 grandsons in ll ball , the one is 13 and does not like the thin handled aluminum bat handle.  How can i properly wrap to make it thicker- bigger if that is possible?  They all seem to be 28 0r 29/32.   He vaties from a -5 to -8, 2 3/4 now 30 -31 inch.  He is strong and can really pop it, safety screen saved me from the morgue last night.
Thanks

wood handles i know about, alums i can't find differences?
Answer -
Dan,

Thanks for the question.  Bat size, weight and grip are very important for hitters.  Most of the experts will recommend that you utilize the lightest bat possible.  At 13, I recommend that -8 or -9 bat which is the lightest they can swing.  My 13 year old, also a strong kid, is presently swinging the new TPX Dynasty bat which is 32 inches long and weighs only 23 oz.  The lighter weight allows more batspeed which results in more power.  Check out the website batspeed.com for some great hitting information.

As for the grip,  the grips are made that size for a reason.  The reason is the manufacturers assume smaller hands and fingers.  The bat should be down in the fingers instead of the palms of the hands.  This allows for bat control.  If your grandson feels the need to thicken the handle, just try some athletic tape and then use some pine tar for tackiness.  I have 2 boys on my select team who are very good hitters who have done this.  There are also some padded grip tapes that increase the size of the handle.

I feel that the handle size is more of a personal preference.  It is the swing mechanics that is the key.  If your grandson has good mechanics, he will be successful and the grip size is more personal.  If he thinks that the grip size is working, it will.  Talk to him and suggest the athletic tape and pine tar idea, he may think that this is really cool and it may improve his hitting even more.

If you have any more questions, let me know.

Play Ball!

Coach Boss
Answer -
Dan,

You have driven right up my alley now.  Pitching is my baby.  I have worked very hard and still study daily on pitching mechanics and technique.  We have had the opportunity to study and work with several collegiate pitching coaches and one very good major league pitching coach.  Just like the swing, mechanics are key. The difference is, to be a successful pitcher, even at a young age, pitching mechanics must be more precise than hitting.

You should start working now on proper mechanics in order to build them to last.  I recommend going to pitchingmaster.com.  You can download an ebook and have great instruction and illustrations at your fingertips.

As far as how much to throw, it depends. If he is throwing with good mechanics, I recommend throwing up to 4 days per week, depending on how many gamedays he has and how many pitches he is throwing.  I count my pitchers pitches and keep them on a strict count.  Over-throwing at this age can cause problems.  We throw bullpen sessions 3 days per week which consists of 35-55 pitches thrown.  This will depend on what we are trying to work on.  I can email you our bullpen routines, which are designed to improve control.  The idea is to train the pitcher to throw to the glove, or a spot on the corners of the plate.  Regardless of the velocity of the pitch, you do not want to ever throw a fastball right down the middle of the plate.  Even weak hitters can "get lucky" on a fat fastball.  We work the corners low and up, out and in.  

This has worked very well for our team.  So far this season in 26 games, our pitching staff has struck out 154 batters and walked only 81.  The walks are still a bit high for me.  Conversely, we have only struck out 123 times but walked 124.  We have walked 43 more times than we have given up walks.  That helps win ballgames.

As the kids move up, they are going to get hit.  It is the pitcher that can get the most out of his control and pitches that will win games.  My son has pitched 50 innings so far this season and struck out 70 batters. He has almost 2 strikeouts to every walk. Again, I feel the walks are still a bit high, but that is why we continue to work on it.  

I also recommend throwing long toss on at least once per week.  This helps strengthen the arm and keep it loose. Even while you are playing long toss, he should work on his accuracy. This in turn will help him in the field.

I would be more than happy to email you the attachment on our bullpen sessions, and a few other related items.  I cannot do that through this site, but if you will send me your email address, I will forward them to you.  My email is [email protected].  

I commend you on your effort to help him improve.  Baseball is a wonderful game that can help build strong relationships.  I am very tough on my son, but this has brought us very close and built a bond that will never be broken. Regardless of the situation, we do always have baseball to talk about, which in turn opens the door for conversations about many life issues.

Enjoy your baseball and time with your grandson.  But make sure he is learning proper technique and practicing it.  Practicing bad mechanics does not lead to success. Practicing good ones does. And who knows, we may see your boy and mine playing together in the BIGS someday.

Play ball!

Coach Boss

Answer
Dan,

Again, I am appreciative of you doing what you are doing to help your grandson and other kids improve their skills and love baseball doing it.  I am in Boerne, Texas which is just outside of San Antonio. We are lucky enough to play year round with our weather.  We started practice on January 8 and will end our spring season tomorrow.  We will then play tournament ball this summer and fall season and tournaments up until the week before Thanksgiving.  It is a bit much for some, but we have 11 very dedicated young men. We will likely get in about 60-70 games this year.  It is great!!!

I am glad to hear about the instruction from outside coach.  My son had another hitting lesson last night.  The funny thing is, his hitting coach worked on several things I have been telling him, but he doesn't hear them from me.  He is 13 and it is the age.  He accepts the instruction, praise and criticism from this coach wonderfully and really likes him.  He applies the information immediately and he is going from being a good hitting to a really great hitter with a lot of power.  All because he will listen to someone else tell him the same things I tell him.  Now I will admit that this instructor is really good and has ways to explain and apply methods that are much easier than what I was doing, but the whole process is helping my son and me.  

Afterwards, my son smiled and told me that I might know more than we think.  I have a feeling that once your boy starts his lessons, you will hear a similar confession.

You know that familiarity breeds contempt.  What I mean is that because he knows you and spends a lot of time with you, he knows your faults and weaknesses and also takes you for granted.  It is not necessarily wrong, we all do it.  What will happen is he will get a fresh face telling him the same or similar things in a different way and he will respond.  

I will get that file to you.  It will come under [email protected] with subject baseball info.  Stay in touch and let me know how he is doing.  Feel free to contact me directly through my email address.

God Bless

Mike Boss