baseball bat size

Question
We are getting ready to invest in a bat for our 11 yr old.  He is 4' 10' just shy of
80 lbs after Sunday dinner.  Based on his height it appears that a 30" bat is the
correct length, but we are baffled by the weight.  His league has a restriction of
-9.  Some folks say heavier is better so he gets used to it as he gets older, but I
am not sure this is beneficial for him at this point.  What do you think?

Answer
Trish,
Their are arguments to both using heavier and lighter bats.  Most importantly is getting the correct length.  As long as the bat is the correct length your son will get accustomed to the weight of the bat.  The goal is to have bat control, bat speed, and proper hitting mechanics.  My recommendation would be to get a light bat for bat speed and control.  Using a heavier bat can make for bad hitting habits at your sons age.  Weight doesn't become an issue until he gets older and uses wood bats.  As he gets older the weight ranges get smaller and smaller.  The argument for a heavier weighted bat is that it gives a greater impact force on the baseball with less bat speed.  The lighter bat is opposite with a lower impact force but higher bat speed.  In little league I believe lighter is better but use what ever is comfortable.  An example with the MLB players is David Ortiz and Alfonso Soriano.  I have both the players bats and you would think that a player like David Ortiz swings the bigger and heavier bat.  The Soriano model that I currently have is a 35 inch 33oz bat and the Ortiz bat is 34.5 inch 32 oz.  Most of the pro players that I deal with swing -2 to -1 bats.  They use what is comfortable to them and look for a bat that they can swing with speed, control, and good mechanics.

Thank You,
John Priest
Nokona Batman
Nokona Baseball Factory