Finally, one place that helps with all of it, at no cost to you.
Your kid’s gear and development, handled. Find the bat, glove, cleats and batting gloves that fit, and the training that suits your player’s age and needs. Every product keeps the maker’s facts, Pat’s grade and what buyers report apart, so you always know which one you are reading.
It is free to use, and there is no sign-up. Nothing about your player is kept unless you save it.
Find what fits your player
Size a bat, a glove or cleats, or match training to what your player needs to get better at. A few short steps give what fits, with where each answer comes from.
Shop by department
End-loaded does not equal more power.
Power is how hard the ball comes off the bat, and it comes from your player’s swing, not from where the bat carries its weight. An end-loaded bat puts extra weight toward the end of the barrel, so it swings heavier than its number. For some players that gives a better feel for where the barrel is; whether it suits yours depends on how consistently they deliver the barrel.
Balanced
The weight is spread evenly.
End-loaded
Extra weight sits toward the end of the barrel.
Bats are chosen based on a player’s mechanics, physical size, athleticism and bat speed. Getting an end-loaded bat versus a balanced bat depends on the individual and their ability to deliver the barrel consistently. For some players, an end-loaded bat gives them a better feel for where the barrel is. Others might use the knob or handle to deliver the barrel, so the weight needs to be more balanced or down toward their hands.
Three things you will see on every product page, never mixed
Facts, from the maker
Wood, drop, barrel and handle sizes, warranty and lead time, as the maker's own page states them, with the date we read it.
Pat's Grade
One person's opinion after swinging it, graded by line, with the reason written out. Ungraded means not yet graded, never a low grade.
Evidence
Public reviews with counts and links, and break reports from players on this site. Nothing negative is stated as a fact.
Start with your player's age
The mark and the drop are decided by age and league before anything else. Pick the band and the fit takes it from there; the length comes from height and weight, never from age alone.
Start with the stamp your league requires
Everything else about a bat comes after this: a game bat without the mark your league requires is turned away at the plate. Solid one-piece wood needs no mark.
