Used GXS101

DD is 9 and needs a catcher's mitt. This last season, she used a 1B mitt (because her favorite position other than C is 1B). While she did ok, I'm a firm believer in getting the right equipment for the job if you can afford to do so. Went to Play It Again Sports yesterday to see what BF deals if any they had and I came across a GXS101 for $20 that the owner said he'd hold for 48 hours for me to do my research. I think the general consensus is that it's a mid-level quality mitt that lasts roughly 2 - 3 seasons at the rec level and 1......maaaaaaaaaaybe 2 at the TB level. Brand new, they are around $60 locally. Other than being a little worn, it felt like the brand new one to me, granted I probably don't know what to feel for. The thumb and pad area felt just as thick as the new one. What else should I be looking for?

This was DD's first mitt. It was adequate for a 10U catcher. Small hand stall and works well with the 11" ball. It has virtually no padding in the palm, but the pitchers weren't throwing hard enough to matter. She used it for three TB seasons (we played a lot of games back then) and it was trashed. I think I paid $40 for NIW on eBay. DD is now a Vinci girl.

i'm sure the GXS101 is fine for your dd's needs, however there are catchers, even at the collegiate level, that use 1B mitts instead of catchers mitts.

For $20 how wrong can you go? Sounds like a great entry level catchers mitt and if your DD decides catching is her passion you can always upgrade in a year or two.

The GXS101 is not "mid-level". It is the bottom of the Miz catcher lineup. For young (8U-10U) rec catchers who aren't handling much velocity, it will get the job done for a little while, but expecting more than 1 season of decent use is probably a bit optimistic. If you need something to get you by, and you need it right now, $20 might be worth it.

If you're willing to buy something new, for a smaller player, I would recommend...
- All-Star CMW1010BT ($70)
- Wilson A600 ($65)
- Vinci Fortus (talk to casedawg or chazbz for the best pricing)

Eric F said:

The GXS101 is not "mid-level". It is the bottom of the Miz catcher lineup. For young (8U-10U) rec catchers who aren't handling much velocity, it will get the job done for a little while, but expecting more than 1 season of decent use is probably a bit optimistic. If you need something to get you by, and you need it right now, $20 might be worth it.

If you're willing to buy something new, for a smaller player, I would recommend...
- All-Star CMW1010BT ($70)
- Wilson A600 ($65)
- Vinci Fortus (talk to casedawg or chazbz for the best pricing)

Click to expand...

The A600 I see online is a fielder's glove.
The CMW101BT felt a little uncomfortable for her. This is for rec and possibly select in the summer. So I'm thinking it will probably do the job for the time being. If needed, I can upgrade for the summer select team at that time.

dadofadirtlover said:

The A600 I see online is a fielder's glove.
The CMW101BT felt a little uncomfortable for her. This is for rec and possibly select in the summer. So I'm thinking it will probably do the job for the time being. If needed, I can upgrade for the summer select team at that time.

Click to expand...

Wilson A600 Fastpitch Series: A0600FPCM33 Catcher's Mitt

If the pitchers she is handling aren't throwing very hard, she can get away with the GXS101 for a little while. IME, the 101 breaks down very quickly and the structure at the outer edge of the fingers starts to get soft, which can lead to a lot of pitches not being caught. I've seen it happen with the 101 multiple times.

Another recommendation...Easton. Any of them are going to be more durable than the 101.

That said, for $20 and a right-now solution, the used 101 isn't the worst move you can make.

Is 38 - 42 considered very hard? I'm assuming no.

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dadofadirtlover said:

Is 38 - 42 considered very hard? I'm assuming no.

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Click to expand...

I wouldn't consider it "very hard", but for 10U rec, that's decent speed, and enough that your DD might get stung pretty good on balls that are mis-caught. Especially with the 101, I would also recommend adding some thumb joint protection like the EvoSheild Thub Guard.

My experience with a similar situation...

When my DD was 9, playing her first season of 10U rec ball, her pitcher was one of the harder throwers in our league (regularly in the low-40s). Warming up before the first game of the season, my DD took a pitch off the heel of her thumb that bruised the joint pretty badly. She wasn't able to get behind the plate again for 2 weeks. Her glove was a 101, and she forgot to use her thumb protector. That was the last time she used the 101.