My DD does not catch, but my son does. He uses both a Evo thumb guard and a palmgaurd glove. Looked at the Defender, but never tried it yet.
One cause of thumb injuries could be not using proper catching technique. Hopefully she is getting some instruction and not just being a ball return machine.
I think it is preference, as my DD had great success with both the CF8 & CF9 (both -11). Never once complained or noted any vibration. Swung a LXT, but bought another Demarini - she thought it felt more balanced. We now have a CFX that looks good in BP so far, we will see this weekend.
Mine too, only Demarini. Had a CF8, now a CF9. To me, it will boil down to player preference. The majority of her team swings Louisville LXT or Zeno and then we have Mikens', Demarinis' and Eastons'. To me, there is not a standout where I see one that performs better than the others.
This is for Baseball, they are going to a wood bat like performance. I have not seen or heard anything related to softball.
USABaseball.com: News: USA Baseball, member organizations announce new youth bat performance testing program
That is so true. There will always be bad calls, it is just the way it is. A few years back we did not have an ump show up for a game, so I got my 13 yo son who is a catcher to call the game. He said what if they start yelling at my calls - I told him to toss them. He laughed and called a great...
Sorry, we actually have a drop 10 - model is TCSFP210. Very balanced and true to weight (it was less than .5 oz difference than the same size CF8 drop 11). Paid less than $50, seems most of the Combat Fastpitch bats are pretty cheap right now, drop 10, 11, or 12. I am not sure I would pick one...
Check out Combat, they are pretty cheap and work well. My DD has one for backup / cold weather (-11). She kept denting Easton Alloys and I got tired of returning them. She has used it with dimple balls and cold temps, no issues.
Totally agree with this, but I am no longer a believer of "it's the indian and not the arrow". When my DD was 10U, she was using an Easton Alloy. Picked up a CF8 and it added an easy 20ft to her hits. Instead of dribblers or infield shots, she was putting the ball over the 2nd and 3rd baseman...
My 12U DD likes the CF9 (-11) and is also learning the left side. She had a CF8 last year and says the CF9 feels better. Tried out the LXT, but came back to the Demarini. She likes a balanced feel, so the Xeno was not an option.
Watching her workouts, the ball really seems to jump off the CF9...