Thread: 8U bat dilemma

Researching new bats for my daughter who just joined a tournament team. She will be 8 in December, and she is about 4'2 65lbs. I am looking for a -11 bat, so the options for a decent bat are somewhat limited. She borrowed a teammates CF5 (28/17) at a tourney this weekend and hit it well. Before she was hitting a Mayhem 27/16. I want to avoid the lighter bats (-12) as much as possible, while also not dropping $300 at this age.

After hours of looking online at bats I am basically down to the 2012 CF5 and the Anderson Ignite. The biggest difference here is composite vs metal. I know the higher end Anderson bats get raves, but there is not much out there on the Ignite. It may all be preference, but is there a big performance difference between metal and composite, especially at this age? Also, anyone have any info/stories on the Ignite?

On a side note, just found this site last night and the info and feedback on here is pretty top notch.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by homer316tx

Researching new bats for my daughter who just joined a tournament team. She will be 8 in December, and she is about 4'2 65lbs. I am looking for a -11 bat, so the options for a decent bat are somewhat limited. She borrowed a teammates CF5 (28/17) at a tourney this weekend and hit it well. Before she was hitting a Mayhem 27/16. I want to avoid the lighter bats (-12) as much as possible, while also not dropping $300 at this age.

After hours of looking online at bats I am basically down to the 2012 CF5 and the Anderson Ignite. The biggest difference here is composite vs metal. I know the higher end Anderson bats get raves, but there is not much out there on the Ignite. It may all be preference, but is there a big performance difference between metal and composite, especially at this age? Also, anyone have any info/stories on the Ignite?

On a side note, just found this site last night and the info and feedback on here is pretty top notch.

Thanks!

Welcome to the site. I think you're gonna like it here...





















(Don't worry - I'll be back to handle this one later)

Are they using a normal compression ball, or a squishier ball?

At 8, I would buy her the one that comes in a color she likes. Save your money for ice cream after the games.

My DD has both an Anderson Rocketech and a CF5 Insane. She uses the RT almost exclusively. Neither manufacturer recommends using the bats below 60 degrees but she has used her RT in much colder weather without issue as opposed to other composite bats which she has literally blown apart on occasion in the same weather conditions. At 8, you shouldn't see an appreciable difference in performance between either one of those bats but the longevity of the Anderson verses a CF5 would make it the front-runner for me if I were in the market.

I would keep a 7yo with her current Mayhem 27/16. Get her a hitting coach and then, see what he/she suggests for a bat, after he sees her swing. Good luck and have fun.

Originally Posted by redhotcoach

Are they using a normal compression ball, or a squishier ball?

They use normal compression balls.

Thanks for The replies so far. I am looking for lessons currently as she is off for August given how hot it is in TX. Hope to find something soon in North Dallas area.

My 7yo son swings a 27/16. He has a nanotek. Only because it was like 75% off.

At 8U, I would suggest looking for a used bat on Ebay. Your DD is going to outgrow her bat every 6-9 months at that age, so dropping a lot of money on a bat is not a wise investment.

Since you're looking to spend but also spend wisely, get her 3 favorite colors. You should be in for about $60-70.

You can do it all over again next year - when she'll be bigger and may have new favorite colors - and then that 6-bat bag she's getting for her birthday will be fully loaded, which is a must for 8u TB.