Competitive beta-hydrogen abstraction of ''mixed'' dialkylzirconocenes and kinetic measurements of decomposition of methyl(alkyl)zirconocenes reveal unexpected relative reactivity of alkyl groups as beta-hydrogen donors, such as s-Bu > t-Bu greater-than-or-equal-to Et > n-Bu > i-Bu, which correlate well in most cases with the reactivity order of: beta-methyl > beta-methylene > beta-methine. Some mechanistically crucial features of the reaction are also discussed.