Demarini CF9 or Louisville Slugger Xenon plus?

Looking for my daughter for 8U.

Most 8U girls are not going to do well with a Xeno because it is somewhat end weighted. Either the CF9 of the LXT would be a better choice. You should also note that all of the the multiple piece -11 composite bats are overweight (see the Bat Weight Database post in this section). Accordingly, I would only recommend a high end bat to a very advanced 8U hitter.

A couple of pieces of useful info. Th CF9 29/18 and the 28/17 are almost identical in weight because they have the exact same barrel. Only the handles are different. That being said the 29 will still feel heavier. The CF9 also has a longer barrel at the shorter sizes, but it stings more than the LXT. The LXT has a "Cadillac Feel" to it that many younger kids like. Rather that is good for them or not I don't know. It lets them swing with confidence but it also doesn't. It negatively reinforce poorly hit balls.

I am a big believer in the old saying that "it is the Indian and and not the arrow" (hope that is not considered racist). I would spend less on a bat and use that money for a net, tee, more practice balls etc. At that age my dd was going to hit it as far with a cheap aluminum bat as a top end composite bat. I didn't know what I was doing at that age and I let my dd get into a lot of bad habits. It has taken a lot of work for her to improve and it is still a work in progress (14 years old). If they have the softball bug at that age they will want to practice every day. I wish I had invested more money in training aids at an earlier age. Of course at that age I thought travel ball was something that only crazy parents who had to much money to spend did. After all who would choose to spend most weekends at the softball field. Amazing how time flies and your opinions change. I still think only crazy parents who spend too much money let their kids play travel ball but it looks different when you are on the same side of the fence. Enjoy the ride.

I can't really figure out why an 8 y.o. would need a composite bat, since she will outgrow it very soon anyway, and learning to hit at all is hard at that age.

I agree with softball dad 6. There are probably better ways to spend your money.

Unless money is not an issue, in which case you have some good advice.

If your DD plays in a league that uses RIF balls, any advantage that might be obtained by a top-level bat will be nullified by the softer-compression ball.

Eric F said:

If your DD plays in a league that uses RIF balls, any advantage that might be obtained by a top-level bat will be nullified by the softer-compression ball.

Click to expand...

This is exactly what I was thinking when the question was posted. We didn't start spending big money on bats until DD was in 12U, even then we bought a 2 year old (NIW) CF4. Then we were buying a new bat every year since she was growing so fast. Do you want to spend $300 every year on bats? A good starter model that we had success with in 10U was the Demarini Bustos right around $119. Good performance at 1/3 the cost.

And yes, buy a bownet, tanner tee, and a bucket of 11" balls.

I just thought of this. I found this site when I was looking for bats back in the summer of 2013!!!

Eric F said:

If your DD plays in a league that uses RIF balls, any advantage that might be obtained by a top-level bat will be nullified by the softer-compression ball.

Click to expand...

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 (basegirls ?). When using real softballs, the bat will make a difference - but I am not convinced one bat is better than another with the top ends (LXT vs CF). It's a matter of preference / feel. We are in 12U now (she is still small waiting for a growth spurt that may never come) using a CF9, and I get a kick out of the other coach bringing the outfield in and she drives it over their heads. Yes there are better ways to spend your money, but don't you want to give them the best tools for the job ?

Used ones sell pretty well, so you can recoup a decent chunk of your $$$.

My 8U DD has two LXTs...a 28/17 and a 29/18. So it would be hypocritical for me to tell you not to buy the bat. I can tell you that Stacy is bigger than most 10 year olds and she had almost a year of hitting lessons before I bought the LXT. As a parent of a current 8U player I can tell that either they don't make bats like they use to our my DD has super strength. I only bought her first LXT after she dented 3 Easton -11 Aluminum bats. That -13 Bustos might be the best thing since sliced bread, but I way going to drop $120 on it only to have her dent it in a couple of games. I can tell you I have seen a lot of players do well the Bustos. So LXTs are great for certain 8 year olds, but most of them would do better with a lighter bat.

Here is another issue....LXTs will spoil a kid. My DD is like the princess and the pea. Any discomfort and she will complain. After using the LXT she will not use anything else. We had a conversation about CF9 a while back. The CF9 definitely has more sting than the LXT. The Xeno is in between the two. Not as uncomfortable as the CF9 but no where near the comfort of the LXT.