I have a question regarding my 10yr old daughter. She is on her first non-rec. ball team. She has always played second base in rec. ball, but the coach asked me if she would consider catching. Any recommendation for a mitt? It sounds like dual hinge is the way to go. She is medium size for her age, maybe a little small. Right now she uses an 11" A440 glove made by Wilson. She likes the glove and it is broken in. We have a crop of new pitchers with little to no experience, so I was wondering if a catcher's mitt is necessary at this point (I don't think the pitchers have the speed to sting the hand yet). What is the downside of her using her mitt? I don't mind buying her a glove, but I want to make the transition as easy as possible. Plus, if she doesn't like it, I don't want to be out the $. If she needs a glove, what would you recommend? Would it be the same size as her fielder's glove. Thanks!
She is using a Mizuno GXS101 mitt ($60-ish new) with and EvoShield thumb guard and still gets stung on the palm once in a while. The thumb guard has made a big difference in her hand protection, and I highly recommend it.
I see a lot of mitts for fastpitch that are 34"...how do you know which is the best size?
DD's done growing and her coach recently told her she was built like a brick wall...DD wasn't happy at all, but he meant it as a compliment.A 34" will work for 11" or 12" balls just fine. The issue we ran into was mitt weight. I upgraded my DD to a Miz GXS92 (34"), and it turned out to be to heavy for her. That new GXS92 is now sitting on a shelf, and my DD is back to using a GXS101. I would have liked to get her a Vinci JCV-22, but needed something that I could pick up locally. I don't expect the GXS101 to last multiple seasons, so my DD may end up armed with a Vinci in the future.
Being able to maneuver the mitt effectively, and hold it in a good receiving position for a long, hot game is a concern. Because of this, I tend to suggest a slightly smaller mitt for 10U. A lot of this depends on your DD, however. Mine has been sprouting vertically, and her strength hasn't caught up with her height yet. Your DD may be able to handle a 34" just fine. Just keep weight in mind when you're making your choice.
DD's done growing and her coach recently told her she was built like a brick wall...DD wasn't happy at all, but he meant it as a compliment.