Quick Take
Swing weight—not drop weight or stated ounces—most accurately predicts how a bat will feel and perform in a hitter’s hands. While traditional size charts rely on stated weights, understanding swing weight allows players to find a bat that optimizes swing speed, control, and power, making it a crucial factor in choosing the right equipment.
We’ve measured most USA swing weights for the last decade. You can get access to them here.
Generally, USA bat swing weights measure how difficult it is to swing a bat. Bat’s with the same stated weight (like all 30/20s) do not feel the same.
Three factors control the degree of strength to swing a bat: its balance point, pendulum period, and total weight. Those three factors can calculate a swing weight for you.
It turns out that since a bat size chart only reports total stated weights and drops of bats, it isn’t the be-all and end-all of what bat is the right size for a hitter.
USA Swing Weight Examples
Here is an example of swing weights from the 2020 USA swing weights we captured.
Drops are Almost Pointless
We’ve measured swing weights for some time and found the drops on bats to be, at best, suggestions. Drop 10s swing like drop 8’s, and any drop-ten-bat could be a good 10 to 15% heavier or lighter than another drop 10.
Drop weights—although an industry standard to categorize bats–feel pointless. Even still, bat companies continue to publish drops, and certification bodies continue to require bats fit in a particular category.
Get USA Swing Weights We Only Send To Our Email Subscribers
We can measure the difficulty required to swing a bat. The swing weight is a function of the bat’s balance point, total weight, and a physics principle called the pendulum period.
Swing weights are the most determining factor in predicting exit speeds. More critical than barrel performance, model, or brand, the swing weight allows players to get the most mass to the ball at the right time. If the swing weight isn’t right, the player is leaving distance on the table or too late to make any impact.
The trick to successful bat buying is to find the bat with the right swing weight. The good news is that many bats have roughly the same swing weight. You can find the bats in the same grouping of on our swing weight charts.
Q: How Do You Measure Swing Weight?
It’s not very simple, unfortunately.
Ultimately, you need to find a bat’s balance point, pendulum period, and scale weight. Then, you use a physics formula to calculate the swing weight.
Q: Is Swing Weight the Weight of a Bat?
No.
Swing weight is a physics measurement that determines how difficult a bat is to swing around its knob. This depends on the bat’s total scale weight but more so on the distribution of that weight within the bat. Bats with very similar scale weights can have very different swing weights because one might have the weight focused around the knob while the other has it in the end cap.
Q: If I Don’t Know My Ideal Swing Weight, How do I Decide?
If you are unsure of the bat that fits your swing best (therefore making the swing weight charts unhelpful), we suggest you start in the middle. Find a bat in the middle third (we call these balanced). You’ll need to try it out—borrow a friend, buy a cheap one, or use a testing program. Once you have a feel for the type of bat you like, you’ll be much more equipped to dial in the perfect swing weight for you.
