How to Tell the Size of Louisville Slugger Bats
Louisville Slugger bats are the most popular brand of baseball bats on the market. The majority of professionals use its wooden bats, and its metal and composite bats are very popular at the high school level. Louisville Slugger makes bats of many sizes and the user should know which is the best size to buy.
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Instructions
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Identify your bat by the number on the bottom of the knob. If you pick up any bat made by Louisville Slugger, you will see a number on the bottom. A "7" on the bottom of the bat tells the buyer that the bat is 27 inches long, an 8 means 28 inches long, and so on. The markings proceed on like that up to "3," which would mean 33 inches long. There are bats that are shorter than 27 inches long and longer than 33, but those bats are rare and they are marked with the full number. So if a batter was using a 35-inch Louisville Slugger, a "35" would normally be marked on the bottom of the knob.
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Make your decision to purchase a bat contingent on a number of factors. One of those factors should be weight. The weight is not printed on the Louisville Slugger the way the length is, but you will be able to judge the weight as you compare it to other bats. A 30-inch wooden bat normally weighs 30 oz., but you can also find 29 oz. and 31 oz. models. The difference in weight should be obvious as you pick the bats up in succession.
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Realize that metal or composite bats weigh less than wooden ones. A 30-inch metal bat will likely weigh 27 or 28 oz. and give the batter more ability to drive the ball than wooden bats. Metal bats became popular in the 1980s when youth leagues, high schools and colleges realized that they were spending a lot of money on wooden backs that would break. Metal bats last much longer and rarely suffer any cracks.
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Understand that the bat handle size is also important. Older players who are fully grown know whether they are contact hitters or power hitters. Contact hitters may want a bat handle that is a bit thicker because they can still get a base hit if the ball hits that part of the bat. However, power hitters want a Louisville Slugger with a bigger barrel so they can drive the ball farther and get more long hits. This size of the bat handle is not marked on the bat. It must be picked up and you must determine by feel if you like the size of the bat's grip.
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Use smaller bats for younger players. Don't buy a big bat for an 11-year-old player thinking he will grow into it at age 12, 13 or 14. The young player should be able to hold the bat easily in one hand with the arm extended. If he struggles to hold it up or his arm wobbles, get a smaller Louisiville Slugger for him.
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Tips & Warnings
Wipe excess dirt and mud off your bat after every game. Take good care of your bat.
