"short and heavy" vs "long and light"???

phxsoftballdad · Apr 30, 2016

So my 7th grade DD is short and not very strong and has been using a drop 13 bat. I realize by high school she should be entering the realm of drop 10 or heavier bats. I know their are sizing charts for length, and drop weight should be a matter of comfort. But wanting to be on track for high school ball, this got me wondering whether to go "short and heavy" or "long and light". For conversation purposes, I am considering the following for her next bat: A 31" 18 ounce bat, or a 29" 19 ounce bat. Sizing charts say she should be swinging a 31" bat, but an 18 ounce bat doesn't send the ball flying very fast or far. Any advise?

JAD · Apr 30, 2016

I would get a used 32/22 and let her start using it for BP. She may surprise you!

vdubya · Apr 30, 2016

JAD said:
I would get a used 32/22 and let her start using it for BP. She may surprise you!

This ^^^^^. 31/21 or 32/22. Drop ten and never look back.

To answer your other related thread: Trust everyone and just buy from Core!

quincy · May 1, 2016

DD was pretty small and swung a 30/20 first year of MS, coach told her she needed a bigger bat. Personally I think they lost track how small she was.

If your DD can hit they will more or less leave her alone.

Demarini are know for selling light bats. I would look at an older CF6 or new CF8.

A hate the sound of -13.

murphdog · May 1, 2016

I'd go with a DeMarini or a LXT 31/21 or 32/22 but I'd have her swing them first and see what she likes.

DD had a Demarini 31/20 and went to a Xeno 31/21 then a LXT 32/22 and now swings a Xeno 33/23. She's a whopping 110 lbs and 5'4"

Swim Coach · May 1, 2016

DD had been in the long light camp until this year. Charts say she should firmly be a 31". We got a used LXT 31/21 and then a CF6 Hope 31/21. She hated the LXT but gave it an honest try. When the Hope came in she loved it and she has been hitting pretty well ever since.

We wanted to get to the -10 level ASAP. Don't forget to check the bat weight database.

mudrunner · May 2, 2016

DD is a 6th grader that weighs about 70 lbs. For reference she swings a 31/21 LXT and transitioned from a 30/18 without an issues at all. Most normal sized 7th and 8th graders on her middle school team were swinging 32" and 33" bats.

Eric F · May 2, 2016

phxsoftballdad said:
So my 7th grade DD is short and not very strong and has been using a drop 13 bat. I realize by high school she should be entering the realm of drop 10 or heavier bats. I know their are sizing charts for length, and drop weight should be a matter of comfort. But wanting to be on track for high school ball, this got me wondering whether to go "short and heavy" or "long and light". For conversation purposes, I am considering the following for her next bat: A 31" 18 ounce bat, or a 29" 19 ounce bat. Sizing charts say she should be swinging a 31" bat, but an 18 ounce bat doesn't send the ball flying very fast or far. Any advise?

If her current -13 bat is a Demarini Bustos, you may be surprised to find that its actual weight is not -13. Although Demarini bats tend to run on-target or slightly under, the Bustos tends to weight 1-1.5 oz over sticker weight.

If 31" is an appropriate length for her height, a -11 might be a good fit, with a target of getting to a -10 in the next year.

FWIW, my DD's 12U TB team are all swinging 31-32" bats, mostly -10s, with the 3 smallest girls using -11s.

BrianTx01 · Jul 17, 2016

mudrunner said:
DD is a 6th grader that weighs about 70 lbs. For reference she swings a 31/21 LXT and transitioned from a 30/18 without an issues at all. Most normal sized 7th and 8th graders on her middle school team were swinging 32" and 33" bats.

My 7 year weighs 70#... probably a little more now. I couldn't imagine her swinging a bat that big....but she doesn't have near that much experexperience. I am trying to move her from a 28 to a 29" bat.

BrianTx01 · Jul 17, 2016

I think the best approach is to try and get them the longest heaviest bat that they can swing well. I use a tee and some slow motion video to evaluate my daughter's swing. With my daughter and the younger kids I coach a single ounce or inch can make a huge difference.

"short and heavy" vs "long and light"???

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