If you’re interested in playing a game of baseball, you’re going to need to get your gear first. You won’t be ready to play until you have all the right gear, and buying bats and gloves is the best place to get started. These are two of the most vital pieces of baseball gear and those which will have the greatest impact on your game overall. It depends what purpose you will be using the bat for as to what size it should be.

For the bat, the size chosen will be determined based on the age of the player. For tee-ball the bat should have a diameter of no more than 2 ¼ inches. Then there are the Little League bats which are just a little bit larger in size and weight. Little League bat lengths range from about 28 to 32 inches.

Getting even larger are the Senior League bats which have barrel diameters of 2 5/8 to 2 ¾ inches. Finally there are the high school and college bats which are the largest and heaviest, anywhere from 30 to 34 inches in length. Once you have chosen the right bat you can get started on finding a glove. Again, the size is going to be one of the most important aspects to take into consideration here.

Of the different features on a glove the webbing, pocket depth and backs are the most important to concern yourself with. The webbing can either be open or closed and this is more for comfort. The pocket depth on a glove on the other hand, should be determined based on the field position that you play. Players who will be catching fast balls and who need to catch and throw balls quickly stick with a shallow pocket, whereas those who will be sticking to the outfield will want to get a glove with a deeper pocket.

Deeper pockets are more suited for players in the outfield who are going to be catching more fly balls than fastballs. You want a glove that’s going to fit snugly onto your hand so there’s no risk of it falling off but which is also loose enough to be comfortable. Also consider your budget when shopping for gloves, bats and other baseball gear because pieces vary so much in price. Depending on the make and type of gear you get, prices can vary hugely so have at least a basic idea of what you want to spend before spending any money.