Coach Steve CS monogramCoach SteveLong Island Hitting Coach
Coach Steve measuring a hitter's swing during a tee lesson

BAT SPEED BY AGE · 9–16U

WHAT I SEE.BY AGE. BY BAT.

These are the bat speed ranges I typically see in my lessons, ages 9 to 16. Not a national chart and not a number every kid has to hit. A reference point, so you know where your hitter stands.

Book Initial AssessmentSee the Ranges

01 / THE RANGES

WHAT I TYPICALLYSEE.

Session average, not his best swing. One big swing tells you what he can do once. The average tells you what he does.

Bat speed ranges Coach Steve typically sees, by age and bat
AgeBatUsual range
9–10UYouth bat39–44 mph
11–12UDrop 8 or drop 1050–55 mph
11–12UDrop 340–45 mph
13–14UDrop 3The move to the big field48–52 mph
15–16UDrop 350–55 mph

Ranges as of October 2026. Bat speed in mph, measured with a Blast Motion sensor.

02 / WHERE DOES MY HITTER STAND?

CHECK HISNUMBER.

Use his session average from a recent lesson or practice, not his best swing of the day. Under, inside, or above. That's all this tells you.

Pick his age and bat, then enter his session average.

03 / THE DROP 3 MOVE

WHY THE NUMBERDROPS WITH ADROP 3.

Look at 11–12U. With a drop 8 or drop 10, I usually see 50–55. Put a drop 3 in the same hitter's hands and it's usually 40–45.

Same hitter. Heavier bat. The number drops because the bat got heavier, not because he lost his swing. When he makes that switch, compare him to the drop 3 range, not to his old number.

By 13–14, on the big field with a drop 3, I usually see 48–52. At 15–16, 50–55.

Same hitter. Heavier bat. Different number.

04 / THE TWO NUMBERS

BAT SPEED IS NOTEXIT VELO.

  • Bat speed

    How fast the sweet spot of the bat is moving at contact, in mph. It's what the hitter brings to the ball.

  • Exit velo

    How fast the ball comes off the bat. It depends on bat speed, but also on how squarely he hits it and the pitch he hits.

05 / THE 50/50 SYSTEM

A NUMBER ISN'TA HITTER.

Bat speed is one piece of the neck-down half: the physical side. The other 50% is neck up: seeing the pitch, knowing the count, and deciding when to attack.

A fast swing at the wrong pitch is still an out. A fast swing that's late is still late. The number matters when it shows up in games.

See the 50/50 System

50% neck up. 50% neck down.

06 / HOW I USE THE NUMBER

THE NUMBER STARTSTHE PLAN.

  1. 01

    Assessment

    See the swing, measure it, and watch how he hits.

  2. 02

    Define the goal

    What does he need to do better in games?

  3. 03

    Find what's in the way

    Identify what's keeping him from that goal.

  4. 04

    Build the plan

    The work, in the order it needs to happen.

  5. 05

    Train consistently

    Reps with a purpose, week after week.

  6. 06

    Track the transfer

    Is it showing up in games? That's the real test.

WHERE DOES YOUR HITTER STAND?

FIND OUT WHEREHE STANDS. THENBUILD THE PLAN.

ASSESS

Measure the swing and watch him hit

PLAN

Work on what's keeping him from his goal

GAME DAY

Track whether it shows up in games

Start with an assessment to see where he stands and what comes next.

Book Initial Assessment