If you’ve ever been shopping for baseball bats and have seen a bunch of minus numbers that seemed absurd and you had no idea what they meant, this is the right place to understand what those numbers meant. Every baseball bat sales page and website mentions a “bat drop”, and if you’re new to baseball or purchasing a gift for someone else, the first thing that comes to mind is “what does baseball bat drop mean?”.
Many different names could be called a bat drop. Some may call it the “drop,” while others refer to it as the “number with the negative in front of it” or the “length-to-weight ratio.” The discrepancy between the bat’s length in inches and its weight in ounces is what this word refers to. The lighter the bat, the higher the number.
For example, the length of an average bat is 30inches, while the bat would weigh 24 ounces, the difference of the size and the weight is what is a bat drop, here 30inches – 24 ounces = -6, i.e. the bat drop is -6.
HOW DO YOU FIND THE BAT DROP –
The bat drop in most baseball bats would already be mentioned in the bat. The bat drop would also be varying depending on the company. Usually, these measurements would be noted near the barrel of the baseball bat.
IS IT IMPORTANT TO LOOK FOR BAT DROP
It is essential to know the bat’s weight to have a bat that suits the player. Every bat is made with a different weight, and the league recommends additional weight for other players. For instance, for a slow pitcher bat, the recommended bat weight would be 27-29 ounces, but the bat drop would be higher as the weight increases.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HIGH AND LOW-LEVEL BAT DROPS
The difference between a high drop and a low drop bat is simple: high drop bats need more effort to strike a ball, but they may swing at a faster rate, allowing the player to swing the bat faster. On the other hand, low drop bats are not as quick to swing as high drop bats, but they need less energy. High drop bats are best for younger players who struggle to swing a bat.
