Choosing correct bat weight?

hlevy · Mar 30, 2017

DD has been using her bat from last year which is a 29" 19oz Easton FS200. We got her that bat because she only played rec ball and didn't know whether she was going to keep up with the sport. Needless to say after a couple of practices with it this year, it now has a large dent in it. While we were practicing at home she picked up my husband's old baseball bat 33" 29oz and LOVED it. She's a scrawny little thing....about 4'8 and 68 lbs. Now while bat shopping she wants a heavier bat because it feels more comfortable to her. **** She had no problem swinging and handling her dad's bat, but I don't want her to develop any habits with a bat that might be too heavy****

What would you guys suggest we get?

Mr T · Mar 31, 2017

Tough to say as every hitter is different. There are no rules really given height and weight of person. It's really swing the heaviest bat you can successfully I think. I am on the side of using heavier bats. If your DD can rake embrace the weight. Of course the trick is to not go overboard. Swing can look good and still have velocity but barrel accuracy will suffer first and that's hard to learn until you're in the game against a good pitcher.

A higher end 31/21 is a classic size for young players getting a little more serious and playing travel ball. For big hitters can consider end loaded models of same length and weight like the Insane

lhowser · Apr 3, 2017

Mr T said:
Tough to say as every hitter is different. There are no rules really given height and weight of person. It's really swing the heaviest bat you can successfully I think. I am on the side of using heavier bats. If your DD can rake embrace the weight. Of course the trick is to not go overboard. Swing can look good and still have velocity but barrel accuracy will suffer first and that's hard to learn until you're in the game against a good pitcher.

A higher end 31/21 is a classic size for young players getting a little more serious and playing travel ball. For big hitters can consider end loaded models of same length and weight like the Insane

Good suggestion. Most young hitters at about age 9 can handle that bat (31/21) with a good swing. You can get very high quality bats used on ebay etc at that size because kids grow out of them so quickly.

quincy · Apr 3, 2017

If I remember correctly DD was more or less same size as yours and swung 30/20.

From feed back on this board she got to a -10.

MS coach gave her a little bit of a hard time about how short her bat was, they might have been right IDK but she could hit.

hlevy · Apr 4, 2017

Thanks! DH went a bought two bats that are, in my opinion, too long for her. She's already been practicing with one so I can't return them both

. The one she's been using is a 33/25 Combat Maxum. She's in love with it so I have a feeling she's going to be difficult when I return the other bat for something smaller. Lol, I don't know if this is battle I should try to win.

quincy · Apr 4, 2017

That seems way to big to me.

I just am a coach and parent so my sample size is relatively small, lose that bat.

BrianTx01 · Apr 5, 2017

At her size I would think she is still in -11/-10 territory. She is liking the heavy bat because it vibrates less, and even though she looks like she can swing a 29 ounce bat I would bet a slow motion video would quickly reveal flaws. The other issue I am sure that is either a baseball or a slow pitch baseball bat. The biggest bat that is legal for Fastpitch is a 34/28, and that is for fully grown sluggers.

The number one mistake parents make is buying a bat that is too big for their kids. My recommendation is to post a video of her swinging her current bat.

hlevy · Apr 5, 2017

BrianTx01 said:
The other issue I am sure that is either a baseball or a slow pitch baseball bat. The biggest bat that is legal for Fastpitch is a 34/28, and that is for fully grown sluggers.

Yeah, after her softball bat dented she didn't want to stop hitting so she was using my husband's baseball bat. He went and bought her a 33/25 combat maxum, but it's too long. She loves it, but I don't want her developing any bad habits from it being to big. I'm trying to find the same bat just smaller.

quincy · Apr 5, 2017

Nothing beats borrowing and using someone's bat to see if they like it.

Most the website's that sell bats have a sizing quides, not perfect but IMO pretty darn close. I would not hesitate to use them.

JAD · Apr 5, 2017

My $0.02 - stick with a -10 until she gets to 34" in a couple of years. Swinging her dads old bat is great for hitting off a tee or front toss, but my guess is she would struggle vs. live pitching. Get her a used 31/21 and let her practice with it for awhile.

Choosing correct bat weight?

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