Is a Blast bat sensor worth it?
Under 11, do not buy a sensor for sizing; the charts and the league rule are enough. From 11 up, when the drop steps from −10 toward −8, −5 and −3, ten swings on a borrowed sensor at a team practice is enough for the engine, and a wrong step costs a season.
Why a bat sensor matters, and when it does not
Without a sensor we size from the league rule and the published height-and-weight charts, which give a range (28 in, −11 or −12), not a point. A bat sensor clips to the knob and measures bat speed, attack angle, on-plane efficiency and time to contact on every swing. With those numbers the engine can say where a player sits in their age band (Blast's 8 to 10 band is 30 to 45 mph, 11 to 12 is 40 to 52), whether they can move up a size and still swing it, and, under 14, whether a heavier bat is making them cast or drag the barrel (time to contact up by more than 0.02 s, or rotational acceleration dropping), which a parent cannot see from the stands and faster pitching will expose. The Blast Baseball sensor is $149.95 to $174.99 in our catalog, about the price of a youth bat.
What it measures
Bat speed (sweet spot, 6 in from tip), attack angle, on-plane efficiency, time to contact, rotational acceleration, hand speed, vertical bat angle, power.
Where this comes from
- published Definitions: Blast Motion support - What Do Blast Baseball's Swing Metrics Mean?
- Our explainer: Why a bat sensor matters, and when it does not
Every rule, with its source, is on How the fit works.
More in training guides
- What is a good bat speed by age?By Blast's bands: 30 to 45 mph at 8 to 10, 40 to 52 mph at 11 to 12, 46 to 62 mph at 13 to 14, 55 to 65 mph at 15 to 16, 60 to 70 mph at 17 to 18, 65 to 75 mph in college.
- How do I set up a batting cage at home?Measure the space first: a cage is usually 14 ft wide, pre-made nets are usually 12 ft high, 70 ft is the most common length, and softball and Little League cages are often 50 ft long.