It seems that for such a simple, single-purpose object like a baseball bat, it would be easy to buy one for your athletic son or daughter. But the truth is, there are all kinds of baseball bats. Fear not, the following basics will guide you in the right direction to getting the sure-shot baseball bat your son or daughter desire.

In official leagues, youth baseball bats are sometimes traditional and wooden but more often than not, they are aluminum. Aluminum bats weren't truly introduced until the 1970's and these youth baseball bats are smaller, lighter, but a lot more powerful, than their wooden counterparts. So when shopping for your child's baseball bat, first investigate what kind of bat is required for their league and then determine what length and width is preferable. From then on, it's mostly about body composition and the way the bat interacts with the body during swinging motion.

Longer bats have a better chance of hitting that ball, but the lighter the bat, the more powerful a batter's swing and the faster and farther the ball will go! Also, a thick barrel on a baseball bat can mean a more powerful hit, but at the same time it will also weigh down the bat. It all comes down to your preferred batting style.

For the best prices out there, compare youth baseball bats on the web with those of your local sports equipment stores - you can usually save a lot of money online. Also, since you are not allowed to swing a baseball bat around at a store, sometimes practicing with different bats at a batting range is a good way to pick out the prefect baseball bat.