How do I measure my child for a baseball bat?
Measure height and weight at home and read the length off the chart; no tape on the arm is needed. Then check it with the bat in hand: stand it on its end beside your player, arm hanging, and the knob should reach about the middle of the palm.
Knob to palm
Stand the bat on its end beside the player, arm hanging: the knob should reach about the middle of the palm. Well past the wrist = too long; short of the palm = too short. Axe's variant: bat held against the center of the chest pointing out, fingertips should reach the knob.
The hold test
Hold the bat by the knob, one hand, arm straight out from the shoulder, for 10 to 20 seconds. If the barrel dips or the arm shakes, the bat is too heavy: go one drop lighter at the same length, or one inch shorter at the same drop. Passing the test does not mean your player can go heavier.
Where this comes from
- derived Any: Dick's Sporting Goods - Baseball Bat Buying Guide
- secondary No sensor; checking length with the bat in hand: Smash It Sports - Youth bat sizing guide 2026 (knob-to-palm, hip test)
- secondary No sensor; checking weight with the bat in hand: PlaySportsTV - Choosing the right bat
Every rule, with its source, is on How the fit works.
More in bat guides
- What size bat for a 7-year-old?A 7-year-old usually swings a −13 to −12 bat.
- What size bat for an 8-year-old?An 8-year-old usually swings a −12 to −10 bat.
- What size bat for a 9-year-old?A 9-year-old usually swings a −12 to −10 bat.
- What size bat for a 10-year-old?A 10-year-old usually swings a −12 to −10 bat.
- What size bat for an 11-year-old?An 11-year-old usually swings a −12 to −10 bat, or −8 for a bigger, stronger player.
- What size bat for a 12-year-old?A 12-year-old usually swings a −12 to −10 bat, or −8 for a bigger, stronger player.
- What size bat for a 13-year-old?A 13-year-old usually swings a −5 bat.
- What size bat for tee ball?A tee-ball bat is 24 to 26 in long with a 2-1/4 in barrel, at a drop of −14 to −10.5, and carries the USA Baseball tee-ball mark: it is only for use with approved tee balls.