Bat recommendation for 11 year old

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

Oct 22, 2019
36
8
I am looking for advice on bats. My daughter is turning 12 and currently swings a Vendetta 30/18. Bat size-wise, she is about ready for a 31". Debating on getting her a new bat. She got to test out several -11 bats and her swing speed and exit speed really decreased. Is this just due to the additional 2 ounces that she isn't used to yet? she needs to keep her speed higher. Would it be better to look into a 31" -12 instead of -11? Or, at what point does she truly need a longer bat? When doing the arm measurement, the 30" is just a bit shorter than her finger tips, maybe an inch. The guy at the store recommended -11's since she'd be "getting to an age when she needs to swing a -10". She is excited for a new bat but just don't want to spend money on one that isn't going to improve her hitting due to a slower swing.
 
Apr 20, 2015
961
93
I am looking for advice on bats. My daughter is turning 12 and currently swings a Vendetta 30/18. Bat size-wise, she is about ready for a 31". Debating on getting her a new bat. She got to test out several -11 bats and her swing speed and exit speed really decreased. Is this just due to the additional 2 ounces that she isn't used to yet? she needs to keep her speed higher. Would it be better to look into a 31" -12 instead of -11? Or, at what point does she truly need a longer bat? When doing the arm measurement, the 30" is just a bit shorter than her finger tips, maybe an inch. The guy at the store recommended -11's since she'd be "getting to an age when she needs to swing a -10". She is excited for a new bat but just don't want to spend money on one that isn't going to improve her hitting due to a slower swing.
How big is your daughter? How would you classify her overall strength? What is her commitment to the game? My 13.5yo is 5ft 4 and about 115 swings a 32 drop 10.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 
Oct 22, 2019
36
8
Thanks for the reply.

She is average/tall for her age, around 5', and thin, about 80-85 lbs. She has always had a very quick swing. She is more of a contact hitter than a power hitter, and is a fast base runner. She is in her 3rd year of travel, 11U team.
 
Apr 6, 2017
328
28
Mines 13 yo 5ft 5 /130lbs. Swings a xeno 32 -10. Sounds like you want
to move her towards that -10. I think your right.. I'd look for a light -11.
She might speed back up after she practices.
Did she try a Zen?
 
Oct 22, 2019
36
8
Thanks for replying. She tried the Xeno, LXT, Ghost, and Prism. She didn't like the Xeno when she just started hitting off the tee. Then ironically she hat the fastest exit speed off the Xeno. Xeno and Prism were her favorites. Her high exit speed on the Xeno was 50, Prism 49, Ghost 48, and LXT 45. Then her swing speeds went down, but she had taken at least 50 swings in a short time so I think she was tiring out. Last week with her Vendetta she topped out in the mid 50's for exit speed, and had hit the high 50's for swing.
 
Apr 20, 2015
961
93
Thanks for replying. She tried the Xeno, LXT, Ghost, and Prism. She didn't like the Xeno when she just started hitting off the tee. Then ironically she hat the fastest exit speed off the Xeno. Xeno and Prism were her favorites. Her high exit speed on the Xeno was 50, Prism 49, Ghost 48, and LXT 45. Then her swing speeds went down, but she had taken at least 50 swings in a short time so I think she was tiring out. Last week with her Vendetta she topped out in the mid 50's for exit speed, and had hit the high 50's for swing.
Smaller players usually like the CF series. It will swing the lightest of anything you mentioned and more reasonable than the prism in cost. Xeno is a heavy swinging bat geared more toward power hitters. I would do a 31 drop 11 in the CF line or consider the power carbon as well if she didn't like the lxt

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 
Oct 5, 2018
148
28
it sounds like a 31 drop 11 in a CF or Prism is the next logical step. Dicks has only that size 2019 on sale for $220. Decent deal...
2019 Demarini CF (-11)

And if just not ready for that 31, try to find a used 30 CF (-11). Could be a short bridge to transition to that 31. Any of them would suffice, should be able to find one for about $100 and will get most of your money back when you sell it assuming it doesn't break.
 
Last edited:

CoreSoftball20

Wilson = Evil Empire
DFP Vendor
Dec 27, 2012
6,215
113
Kunkletown, PA
Also, please watch exit speeds...look for consistency. You can get a very high exit speed off a heavier
bat because of the mass behind it when you square it up. But if the bat is too heavy,
its not going to be good for her overall "real" hitting. Prob why those bats were 48-50 and her 30/18
was mid 50s exit. Tells me she isnt ready for the sizes and bats you had her using. She needs
to stay closer to her 30/18 than jumping up too fast. Maybe drop11, but stay with a balanced bat
like a CF or Power Carbon. Also because a lot of those other bats have small barrels in the smaller sizes.
Those 2 bats still have bigger barrels. Sounds like she isnt a very strong girl, so dont go too heavy
just because of what folks say "the book" says she should be swinging. Each girl is diff and each has her
perfect size.
 
Jul 29, 2013
6,782
113
North Carolina
Adding inches makes more of a difference than ounces, she sounds to me like she should stay with a true balanced bat. At almost 12, I’d stay with a 30” bat......a truly balanced 30/20 bat. Move her away from the -12 & -13 bats! She’ll thank you later!
 
Feb 10, 2016
77
18
Illinois
It's all depends on the kid. My daughter just turned 13, is a competitive swimmer with strong upper body strength, 5'6, 130 lbs, swings a 33/23 Ghost. I have a bat buying problem and have probably owned just about everything out there before finding out that the Ghost was her personal preference. While proper fit and weight are first and foremost important, its what your daughter feels is best, is the next most important. There were other bats that my daughter had faster exit speeds with, but with her Ghost the average was around 68mph with the highs hitting 70/71, but it was the sound and just feeling most comfortable with the bat, that sold her. The mental component plays such a big part of the batters success. Go with what allows them to maintain good mechanics and something they feel they can have success with.. Try as many bats as you can, find what works for her now. As she develops and grows, her opinions and needs may change.
 

Latest posts

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
42,830
Messages
679,468
Members
21,443
Latest member
sstop28
Top