2023 meta

[FadingPhoenix]

And sound.

Great point, sound makes a huge impact.

Most of the top brand bats have similar performance, so you won't see a major difference in exit velocity or distance. The biggest difference is in weight distribution and size of the sweet spot.

Go with what your daughter likes. And most importantly, save the box and receipt in case you need to send it back for a warranty claim.

Is there an easy place to find information on size of sweet spot/forgiveness of these bats. For instance doing research on the Meta, I found sites stating huge sweet spot and others saying kinda small. There doesn't seem to be any consistency in any of these reviews.

 

[LEsoftballdad]

Sweet spot is subjective to the person swinging the bat. My daughter's teammate claimed her Mantra had a huge sweet spot, yet if you read most reviews, they claim it has a small one. I think it is more important to have a good swing.

If possible, try them at a local store. It's not perfect, but it's better than buying sight unseen.

 

[CoreSoftball20]

Great point, sound makes a huge impact.

Is there an easy place to find information on size of sweet spot/forgiveness of these bats. For instance doing research on the Meta, I found sites stating huge sweet spot and others saying kinda small. There doesn't seem to be any consistency in any of these reviews.

Anything written on SS would be pointless, I mean, whats a millimeter/centimeter or 2 difference or whatever when you're hitting.
Plus, SS's do extend the more the bat breaks in.
Feel is more the key, if the bat doesnt feel good to the hitter, SS is going to "feel" small. Doesnt matter what someone tells you the SS is.
I made the point about Suncoast bats as well, some say it rattled your hands and some said you couldnt feel anything. It comes down to
the hitter. Every bat weighs differently, balances differently.
A lot of these "numbers" are different for each hitter and how they interpret the "feel" of the bat. You love a bat, guess what? SS is huge.
You hate a bat, SS is tiny

Best way is to try a teammates bat out or someone you know. Or maybe find a demo place or a store that has a bunch of bats out to try.

Trying the bat is still the best way to see if a bat fits the hitter.