Baseball Bat Drop Meaning Explained - Weight By Ages

MLB Bat Drop is defined as the length-to-weight ratio calculated by deducting the measured length from the weight. It is represented by a negative number.

The weight is measured in ounces, while the length is calculated in inches. Every bat will have their bat drop number in the barrel, with a negative integer.

For example, if you bought a bat that has a weight of 30 ounces and a length of 35 inches, then the final output is calculated as:

Bat Drop = Weight - Length

               = 30 ounces - 35 inches = - 5

The -5 or drop 5 is the bat drop for your newly purchased bat. It should be noted that the bigger the number, the bat is lighter, while the lesser figure suggests a heavier bat.

The bats are classified in a rating of -3 to -13 in the baseball spectrum.

Every baseball bat manufacturer, like Louisville Slugger, DeMarini, and Marucci, produces a variety of bats with different drop numbers. So, customers have an easy assortment for their preferences. 

Depending on their style, strength, and comfort, people may prefer any sort of bat. A coach might desire a heavier one since they can create a controlled swing with the bat's weight bringing down the batter.

Importance Of Bat Drop In Baseball

Bat Drop gives you a better idea about the batting mechanism you can utilize in your style. 

If you want free control of your swings and do not have exceptional hand or body strength, then getting a lighter bat with a positive number is optimal. However, you can choose the negative numbered bat to have control and good arm strength.  

A hitter with great upper body strength can go for a -5 or even -7 for superior controlled and powerful swings. However, thinner people can take frame advantage with speed through a -2 numbered bat. 

Perfect batting has many elements behind it, and a baseball bat's length and weight is one of the crucial factors in determining the outcome. People may ignore the bat for their sheer belief; however, understanding the drop weights assists in a better performance. 

It is a smart thing to understand the batting mechanism and the science behind your weight distribution and its hitting power. You can experiment with different numbered bats during tryouts and see which number brings consistent output.

Body Weight Distribution And The Bat Drop

Moment of inertia is the factor that determines the effectiveness of batting in correlation to weight distribution. 

The scientific explanation of Moment of Inertia, aka MOI, is that it is hard to change the rotational velocity of any object being rotated at the pivot point. The greater the MOI figure, the harder it becomes to alter the velocity.

Similarly, MOI also depends on the body weight's distribution around the pivot.

Baseball bat producers can design different sorts of bats, like the end-loaded or balanced versions, that every consumer needs to comprehend. These companies can shift the bat's weight more toward the barrel area, leading to an end-loaded variant. 

Meanwhile, another company can shift its bat's weight more toward the handle, creating a balanced bat with a better MOI. A kid will have a good time swinging this balanced variant since it is easier to rotate and change the velocity.

Both these bat types can share the same drop weight with the ounces and inches, like -1 or -5. 

Bat drop by age range from -12 in the Youth League to -3 at the College level.

The most common drop weights witnessed in baseball are -3, -5, -8, -9, -10, and -12. The more you progress in age and level, the drop number starts to decrease, so the players have to accommodate a heavier version every time they jump further in the leagues.

In the Youth League, players use drop 12 on average, and some power hitters can play with drop 10 bats. Similarly, in the Senior league, players will utilize the -10 numbered bats on average. Once you reach the collegiate level, the players can also use a drop weight of -3. 

There are regulations in place for drop sizes in many US baseball associations. For instance, the high school and college baseball leagues tell that the maximum drop weight is -3. Meanwhile, the USSSA and USA Baseball has variable weight limit per age group.

Bat Drop for 8 Year Old

Bat Drop for an 8-year-old player is -11 in the USA and USSSA leagues. 

The popular bat size for these youngsters is 26 - 28 inches in length and 18 ounces in weight. Some use 29 inches, but some youths have a 19-ounce bat. The majority of these players feel good in the drop 11, which keeps them lighter in their swings. 

An extensive study was done by BatDigest.com, and it showed that the players in this age group also prefer a combination of 29-19 inches-ounces and a 28-17 one. However, a 27-17 was declared "too light," while the 30-20 inches-ounces have a "too heavy" rating. 

Drop Number for 10 Year Old

The drop weight for a 10-year-old athlete is -10 in the USA and USSSA leagues. 

The optimal bat size for a 10-year youngster is a bat length of 19 or 30 inches. They also have popularity for the 19-ounce weight of their bats. Likewise, these youth consider a drop of 11 or 10 the best. 

These young batters also gave an optimal rating for a 30-20 inches-ounces bat. However, only a few took interest in the 30-18 and the 19-21 variants.

Drop Number for 12 Year Old

The 12-year-old baseballer has to use a drop 10 in their USSSA and USA baseball leagues.

The best rating this age group prefers per Bat Digest is 30 inches in length and 20 ounces in weight. The players also had a positive outlook toward the 31-21 inches-ounces bat. Furthermore, drop 10 is also the best weight for them. 

However, there were variants like the 31-26 one, which was considered too heavy, alongside 30-25 and 32-27. Meanwhile, the 31-20 and 29-19 were considered too light. 

Drop Number for 14 Year Old

The 14-year-old baseball player has to use a drop 5 in the USSSA and USA baseball leagues. 

This age group considered their optimum bat length 32 inches while weighing 29 ounces. Moreover, they also considered it good to swing a 31-28 and a 30-27 bat in the games. 

However, the majority of 12-year-olds stated their distaste for bats with 33 inches of length and weight of 30 ounces, stating that these were too heavy for them. 

Softball bat drop is the subtracted number of the length of the bat from the bat weight. 

It is the same concept as in baseball, where the formula is: Softball Bat dop = Weight - Length. 

So, if a softballer is using a -6 bat, it could mean that the weight of their softball bat is 25 ounces and the length is 21 inches. 

Softball players have their own preference for the drop weights. The fastpitch players aged 14 to 16 prefer to utilize a drop 10 bat, while the 16 years old players find it comfortable at drop 9. 

Moreover, people should know that the barrel's printed drop weights are inaccurate and can be off by about 0.3 to 3 ounces due to many factors like manufacturing variation and the addition of grip tapes.