Fastpitch softball bat size chart: length by height, drop by age

The quick answer by age

These are the bands this site's picks fall into, derived from the height-and-weight table below and the drops the makers sell at each level (Easton's beginner line runs -13, -12, -11 and -10; its Ghost Advanced runs -11 to -8). Age is the worst of the three inputs; a tall 8-year-old and a small 10-year-old can be the same bat.

Length by height and weight

The table BaseballMonkey publishes on its fastpitch bat sizing page, reproduced for the youth range. Read across for height, down for weight; the cell is the length in inches. A dash means the retailer gives no figure for that combination.

Two notes on reading it. The table starts at 27 in; a 5-year-old under 3'5" is below its range, and tee ball bats run 24–26 in. And the table is a retailer's, not a governing body's: it is a sensible starting point, and the tests below are the check.

Drop weight by age

Drop is length minus weight: a 28 in, 16 oz bat is a -12. Youth fastpitch drops run from -13 to -10, lighter than the baseball equivalents at the same age, because the swing rewards bat speed. The makers' own lines tell you the bands: Easton sells its beginner Diamond Gem bats at -13 (Crystal), -12 (Sapphire), -11 (Amethyst) and -10 (Topaz), its Ghost Youth at -11, its Fire Fly at -12, and its Ghost Advanced from -11 down to -8 with a note that the -11 is not approved for college play. The rule this site uses: start at -12 for 8U, -11 for 10U, -10 for a strong 12U, and go lighter if the 20-second test below fails. A bat that is too light costs a little distance; a bat that is too heavy costs the whole season of contact.

Three tests in the store

BaseballMonkey describes three, and all three can be done in the aisle with the wrapper on:

1. Chest to fingertips. “Extend your arm horizontally so it is parallel to the ground. After doing so, measure from the center of your chest to your fingertips.” That distance in inches is a starting length.
2. Knob in the palm. Stand the bat beside her; with the knob in her palm and her arm hanging, “the bat's head should be able to rest on the floor.” Too short and she is stooping; too long and the knob is above her wrist.
3. Knob on the chest. “Put the knob of the bat at the center of the chest and extend the bat in front of your chest. If you can grab the barrel of the bat, it is an appropriate length.”

For the weight, add the site's 20-second test: she holds the bat straight out by the knob with one hand. If the barrel stays level for 20 seconds, the drop is fine; if it dips, go a drop lighter or an inch shorter.

The rule

One pick per age band