My DD has just made the freshman softball team as a 7th grader. She has never worn metal cleats but most of the girls on the team are. She is still hesitant with sliding so we are not sure about going to metal. A little more info on her, she is 12 (13 in two months) 5'7" and 160 lbs. She has played in molded since she was 5 and is not known for speed or sliding but is a powerful hitter. Any advice on cleat issue would be welcome.
metal or molded for 12 yr. old
- Thread starter penobaby
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My 13 yr old wears them for travel ball but they're not allowed to wear them at the middle school, only the boys... She prefers them for pitching. If they're allowed to wear them I would say go for metal. As a side note, I wish my kid would figure out the powerful hitting thing. At 6 ft tall you would expect her to knock it over the fence every time.
Yes she is still growing. She wears a size 13 shoe in women's and we could not find any for her online or locally in that size or color, so we are getting her men's. She is playing with a 14u TB team this year. I guess I can get two pairs, molded for TB and metal for HS team. Then if she doesn't like the metal she will have a molded pair to fall back on. My husband ( 6'5" 300lbs) played football and neither of us know a thing about softball, so we have to ask around a lot.
Thank you for the advice. As for the power hitting, she sees a batting coach twice a week since she was 9. She was always a natural hitter but since working with the batting coach she is a lot more confident and accurate. Lol....on a side note, she told the coach of the high school team that she is not very fast and he said ," If you hit like that and can get to first, I it doesn't matter 
Thank you for the advice. As for the power hitting, she sees a batting coach twice a week since she was 9. She was always a natural hitter but since working with the batting coach she is a lot more confident and accurate. Lol....on a side note, she told the coach of the high school team that she is not very fast and he said ," If you hit like that and can get to first, I it doesn't matter
Smart strategy, lol. Mine isn't very fast either, kind of like a newborn giraffe.
- Feb 7, 2013
- 3,188
- 48
Sliding is a non factor. If the rules allow metal cleats, wear them. She will not want to go back to molded after wearing metal cleats.
Personally I would not want her to go back and forth.
Once she is allowed to wear medal all the time go to them and figure it out she will love them.
Once she is allowed to wear medal all the time go to them and figure it out she will love them.
I always wore metal. I was disappointed when they changed little girls to toy cleats.
She won't want to go back to molded, if she switches back to 12u.
She won't want to go back to molded, if she switches back to 12u.
