Ages:
There are rules and regulations to when you can use big barrel bats. You cannot use them on the smaller field that is played on in the majors level and below in little league. Kids are usually 12 to 13 when they move from the majors field to the bigger field. Therefore, ages 12 to 14 should look into getting big barrel bats. From 15 on, kids should really make the next transition to -3 adult bats. It is not good for kids to get to high school and just begin to use -3 adult bats.
Big barrel bats:
Big barrel bats are specially made for kids going from little league level majors to the regulation size baseball field adults play on. This transition can be overwhelming for some kids especially those who haven’t developed as much. Big barrel bats help kids transition to the bigger field. The bats used on the smaller fields have a lot smaller barrel diameter but is lighter. These smaller diameter bats are also referred to as youth bats that have the numbers -13.5 to -9 to describe them. These numbers are the weight, in ounces, of the bat when you subtract the –number given from the length. So a 32 inch -11 bat would weigh 21oz. Big barrel bats are usually around -10 to -5. These bats are referred to as Senior bats. Kids who have hit puberty early make better transitions to the bigger field more so than later bloomers. These kids who have developed could skip the -8.5 and go to -3 bats that the will use in high school and in college. However, big barrel bats do help make the transition easier for other kids not yet ready for the heavier -3 adult bats.
