Demarini -11s

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If you were willing to spend it... which would you choose?

  • cf6 ~$225

    Votes: 6 31.6%
  • f7 ~ $225

    Votes: 1 5.3%
  • cf8 ~ $320

    Votes: 4 21.1%
  • Use current cf5 ~free

    Votes: 8 42.1%
  • Change everything ~Probably emptying my bank account

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    19
Apr 8, 2014
29
0
I've been agonizing over a decision for awhile now. Some may wish to use the word 'obsessed'- we've even resorted & broke down & bought a Zepp. ;) I'd really appreciate any and all help.

DD will be turning 12 in June. 5'4" & maybe around 115ish pounds? This summer- she'll be playing a rec season, 4 tournaments with a travel team, and hopefully another allstar season.

And I've been wanting to do something about her bat for awhile now.

Last year at 10u... she used a 30/19 demarini cf5 for most of the season. And she had some really great results- plenty of triples & home runs.

We were starting to feel pretty confident in her hitting abilities. One year later- she grew- & her 30/19 cf5 broke- she's now moving from the 11in ball to 12... so we've tried & even bought some different bats- different swing rates. One was end loaded. And more. Anything else we've tried so far has been a complete waste of time & money. The most we've been able to change- after all that- was to just take her up one size in the cf5 to a 31/20.

But..her hitting certainly isn't as remarkable as it was last year. I'd say maybe 'average-ish' hits so far.

But>>>>> at least she looks comfortable. Has confidence at the plate. Very consistently makes contact- almost always. So after all of that- I guess we're still just sticking with a -11 demarini for now.

The last agonizing decision I have is whether or not a newer Demarini -11 would keep her just as happy & successful (& not change anything for her), but maybe the newer composite material of the cf6, cf7 or cf8 could add even the slightest bit more pop for her. ? Otherwise we save our $ & stick with her current cf5. ?

Curious. In my situation... and if you were willing to spend any of the amounts below... which would you choose?

1) cf6 ~$225
2) cf7 ~ $225
3) cf8 ~ $320
4) Use current cf5 ~free
5) Abandon Demarini ~Prob emptying my bank account again. Trying to change everything all over again
 
Last edited by a moderator:
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
Stick with the CF5. Focus on improving swing mechanics, confidence, and bat-ball connection.

That said, my 5'-nothing 10yo swings a 31", and my 5'-3" 16yo swings a 32". If you go with a new bat, you might consider a size adjustment.
 
Last edited:

redhotcoach

Out on good behavior
May 8, 2009
4,706
38
We have one girl that keeps buying -11 cf's. Third or forth one now I believe. It's a pattern. They get super hot then split. Tuesday practice the ball was coming off her bat as hard as any of the girls and she is one of our smallest. It took on a new tone to the sound also. I told dd after practice that I bet her bat dosen't make it through the weekend.

Demarini, just my theory, but I don't think there is anything structurally different in the last 4 years.

Piggy back question, does anyone know how a manufacturer achieves different weight bats in the same length? Like a 33 in a -10/ -9 / -8. Just our new -9 lxt seems like it's taking awhile to break in, just by distance I would say balls are averaging 50 feet shorter than the '14 that it replaced and like...oh man...maybe 70 feet less than a rockettech of the same weight. I am just wondering if the walls are a bit thicker to make the extra ounce weight.
 
Apr 8, 2014
29
0
Thank you both. redhotcoach- would you say the 'super hot then split' phenomenon is specific to only the cf5 series? Or have you seen it with 6 or 7 etc as well? That caught my eye- almost certain that was our experience exactly too. It was the offseason & my husband was just raving and raving about her batting practice workouts one minute- then in the very next.. he brought it home split wide open. Certainly not near as much excitement about anything we've seen from her since the new bat took over. Hmmm. That may be all that it is.

But I guess that does mean that there is a silver lining there too, that there will probably be a super hot stretch yet to come at some point with this year's bat as well. I think the question now is when.

And Eric F-THANKS! I'm def going to start thinking about size adjustment. I agree with you- thanks
 
Last edited:

redhotcoach

Out on good behavior
May 8, 2009
4,706
38
01 I think the phenomenon is with just the -11 cf....and like I said, I think all demarinis. Cf4-8 are the same bat, except for the useless spider web looking thing on the handle and the caps. Again, just an uneducated guess.
Oh and IMO -8 through -10 demarini seem to hold up like a tank.
 
Jul 29, 2013
6,782
113
North Carolina
My 4'11" 13 yo DD uses a 32/22 LTX. At 5'4" and 115 lbs I'd seriously consider either a -10 CF or LTX. Both are light swinging bats. Last year she used a 31/21 CF6, it was a great bat. Thinking a 31/21 would be a good size for your DD.
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
I voted current bat too soon.

I would move her to a CF6 -10, probably a 32.

(Ask Redhotcoach if he has any more bats to sell. DD's CF6 came from him and is still going strong.)
 
Mar 22, 2015
52
8
My DD is the exactly the same size and only a few months older. She just moved up from a Vendetta 32, -12 to a CF7 32, -10. She says that she doesn't really notice the weight increase. DD seems to swing the new stick pretty well and is putting up decent bat speed numbers on the Zepp. So, I suggest thinking about moving up from a 19oz which seems light for your DD's size.

DD went through a couple months of transitioning to 12u with the bigger ball and better pitching. I think it can affect them mentally a little. If she did well last year, I predict your DD'll get up to speed in 12u pretty quickly.
 

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