The barrel is the end part of the bat used to hit the bal with.
Bats shorter than 30 inch usually have a thin/standard barrel. These bats are very good for all ages up to 12/13.
Starting at 30 inch, some models are available with a big barrel. These bats have the same kind of barrel as an adult bat but are much lighter and therefore excellent for youth.
Bats like these are often used by 13/16 year-olds. These bats usually come only in 30, 31, and 32 inch.
Big barrel youth bats cannot be used in the adult leagues.
It can be difficult to choose the right youth bat for someone else. The best way is to have him/her feel the bat and to make a few swings to see if the bat has the right length/weight/feel for him/her. If that is not possible, one should try to figure out which lengths/weights are used at practice.
However, it is very important that you do not focus on one particular length or weight. After all, 1 inch is only 2,5cm and one ounce is only 30 grams.
Other important things to consider are whether or not he/she is about to go up to another age group, or perhaps he/she is about to start growing a lot.
Also, it is very common to buy a bat that is 1 inch too long. It is very easy to "shorten" the bat while holding it in the beginning.
If you have any questions or if you would like more advice, please do not hestitate to contact us.
