What a difference a good bat makes

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Ken Krause

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May 7, 2008
3,911
113
Mundelein, IL
Last night I was working with a 12U player named Grace on her hitting. We've been working together for a while now and she has developed a very nice, powerful swing. But it wasn't until last night that she really got to enjoy the fruits of her labors.

You see, her old composite bat has been on its last legs for the last few lessons. In fact, in the previous lesson she wasn't getting much pop on the ball at all, despite using a technically solid swing. Her dad mentioned he thought it might be cracking, and sure enough when we looked at it there was a small crack that got larger as the lesson went on. The decision was made right there for Grace to get a new bat.

And there it was last night - a brand new bat, still in the wrapper. It was an inch longer than her old bat, and I also recommended she move from a -11 to a -10, mostly because no one should use anything lighter than -10 unless they're really small or really young (in my opinion). So now in addition to having a brand new bat, she was swinging an extra couple of ounces.

The difference was immediately noticeable. On her very first swing she drove a line drive that, had we been outside instead of in a cage, would've gone into a gap in left center. She continued popping them that way - even catching me in the leg once when I didn't jump behind the protective screen right away.

There's no doubt that Grace and her dad feel like they got their money's worth in investing in this new bat. The same swing mechanics are delivering much better results.

Can a new bat deliver better results even without a good swing? Sure, sometimes. But when you combine today's technology with solid fundamentals you get the kind of hits that make it fun to go to the plate.

What about you? Do you have any new bat stories to tell? Have you ever experienced that instant upgrade in the quality of hits?


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Aug 29, 2011
2,581
83
NorCal
This reminds me of Amy's sig line - "Bad swings with a $300 bat are still and out" or something like that.

I agree a good bat can do wonders for someone with a good swing but don't put the cart before the horse, work on decent to good swing mechanics before plunking down a chunk of change on an expensive bat. Just my two cents.
 
May 7, 2008
8,506
48
Tucson
So true! "because no one should use anything lighter than -10 unless they're really small or really young (in my opinion)."

I wish that the manufacturers, didn't even make -11s and -12s.
 

Ken Krause

Administrator
Admin
May 7, 2008
3,911
113
Mundelein, IL
This reminds me of Amy's sig line - "Bad swings with a $300 bat are still and out" or something like that.

I agree a good bat can do wonders for someone with a good swing but don't put the cart before the horse, work on decent to good swing mechanics before plunking down a chunk of change on an expensive bat. Just my two cents.

Just like buying a $2,000 guitar doesn't make you Eddie Van Halen. You still have to learn how to play.

But if you have developed a good swing, like this girl has, you can get a lot more out of it with the right bat. And it sure is amazing when you see that difference happen.
 

Ken Krause

Administrator
Admin
May 7, 2008
3,911
113
Mundelein, IL
So true! "because no one should use anything lighter than -10 unless they're really small or really young (in my opinion)."

I wish that the manufacturers, didn't even make -11s and -12s.

Yeah, for sure. I see those lighter bats used as a crutch all the time. Kid can't swing a -10 because she has poor mechanics, so they buy a $300 -12. Or coaches will see a kid struggle and decide the reason is their bat is too heavy. Some will force their players to use a lighter or shorter bat than they should.

If you use good hitting mechanics you should be able to drive a -10 with plenty of batspeed. Even if you're not that strong in the upper body. Let the body power the swing and it's not an issue.
 
Feb 15, 2013
33
0
If you use good hitting mechanics you should be able to drive a -10 with plenty of batspeed. Even if you're not that strong in the upper body. Let the body power the swing and it's not an issue.

The -11 and -12 are a lot more prevalent in softball than baseball. The boys playing travel baseball are swinging -10 and -9 at age 10, -8 at age 11, -5 by 13 and -3 in HS (14/15/16). There is no reason that 10U girls can't swing a -10. I agree with the statement that -11 and -12 bats should be avoided. At ages 9-11 the girls are often bigger and stronger than the boys.
 
Dec 5, 2012
4,143
63
Mid West
DD has swung a -9 for two years and even the -9 rocketech (that's actually more like a -7)
She gets to HS and the dumb rear "coach" tells her that her 33/-9 lime green synergy is junk and too heavy for her, (the same bat she was crushing 250' bombs with in practice) and forces her to swing an old 32" -10 cf.... She has hit about 200 left side foul balls so far this season.
Great bats dont swing themselves. However with one, an OK hit looks good and good hits look great and great hits look like heaven!
 
May 22, 2012
745
16
Little DD is upgrading from a Synge to a CF6. She has taken some light swings in practice, and the difference in pop is noticeable. I can't wait to see what happens in game when she catches the first one just right :)
 

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