Mitt upgrade on a budget

DD has been catching with a Mizuno GXS101 for about a year-and-a-half and is now reporting that she needs something with a bit more padding. My 'just catch everything in the web' suggestion didn't go over too well. I haven't noticed any problems catching the 12" ball with the 32.5" mitt, but it seems logical to move up to 33" or 34".

I'd like to stay under $150, if possible. Most of her gloves have been Mizuno, but we've got no brand loyalty in that department.

Any suggestions?

I recently relaced my dd's gloves. Also added padding to the palm part of the gloves. Carpet padding worked great. Saved me a few bucks. I probably wont get her a new glove till she moves up to 14U (unless current glove breaks)

My DD moved up to a Mizuno GXS-92 when she went from 10U and the 11" ball to 12U and the 12". She's been really happy with the Mizuno, but her pitchers are starting to hurt her a bit--she's headed to 14U now. So we're trying to look at new gloves too. We stopped at a sporting goods store this morning and she tried on a couple of gloves. One was the black Mizuno GXS-53 (34"). It fit her pretty well, but she commented that the leather was pretty stiff. The other was the Worth Century CCMX (33"). She thought it seemed a little small on her hand (she's used to the GXS-92 and it looked smaller than that) and she didn't like the way the little finger slot felt. I'm thinking the Mizuno GXS-57 might be a good option for her. I think it looks like a closer match to the GXS-92 she loves, but with better padding. I'd love to find one in town that she could try on, but we haven't found one yet. We could also get any Worth for a steep discount, but the Legit looks like the same size as the Century she already tried on...

New Mizuno GXS-92 and a XProtex Catchers Protective Glove or similar.

The GXS is good for about 2 years of heavy use and then the padding goes - and you buy a new one. You will find the new GXS will have better padding than her used one and the XProtex or similar will help protect her hand if she missed the pocket when catching.

Doing a "fastpitch catcher's mitt" on E Bay yields quite a few gloves of various sizes and stages of use for under $150. (Most are new) Please don't be put off by a stiffer leather... It makes for a better, longer lasting mitt in the long run.
-Chaz

chazbz1 said:

Doing a "fastpitch catcher's mitt" on E Bay yields quite a few gloves of various sizes and stages of use for under $150. (Most are new) Please don't be put off by a stiffer leather... It makes for a better, longer lasting mitt in the long run.
-Chaz

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Chaz, I can't seem to find the Worth Liberty mitt anymore. Has it been replaced by the Liberty Advanced now? I was thinking this looked like a good possible mitt for her, since she felt the 33" Worth mitt was too small. I'm ok with her getting a stiffer mitt, but (hopefully I won't sound like a mitt snob) if we're going to get a stiff mitt and put in the time to break it in, I'd like her to start with a mitt with really good leather and padding.

marriard said:

The GXS is good for about 2 years of heavy use and then the padding goes - and you buy a new one. You will find the new GXS will have better padding than her used one and the XProtex or similar will help protect her hand if she missed the pocket when catching.

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LOL, we are right on schedule at the 2 year mark!

DD has the GSX31 and loves it. Still and sturdy but broke in within a week and used for games within 2 weeks. Hasn't dropped a ball at home yet.

Jr10234 said:

DD has the GSX31 and loves it. Still and sturdy but broke in within a week and used for games within 2 weeks. Hasn't dropped a ball at home yet.

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The GSX31 might be a bit large for the young lady of the OP. It is a 34.5" mitt. However, you can probably get it under $150 and it is a decent mitt.

I don't think you can beat the Mizuno GSX-92 for the price. It's pretty soft when it arrives, so it may not last as long as some of the stiffer mitts. Pretty high quality mitt for $62 (on Amazon) and you'll definitely be able to get a few years out of it, anyway.