Affordable equipment.

[DD11]

I get asked all the time what bat someone should buy, what glove, etc. and I really dont know the right thing to say. Obviously, you can go out at buy a Xeno, etc. at $300 per, but what are the best items that are affordable.

My girls are 10u so I have a hard time recommending this expensive stuff, and frankly cannot afford it myself.
Buy daughter needs a new bat, new glove, etc.

Any recommendations?

Bat: around $100? I dont know what is the right range to look for here. Obviously $50 is a standard bat, but $300 is extreme - any ideas?
Glove: $50? $75?


Thanks for your help

 

[DD11]

Oops, sorry.. Did not realize there was an equipment forum. Please feel free to relocate if necessary.

 

[Phandle]

I would not spend too much on the glove or the bat at 10U level. You can find pretty good used bats for cheap on craigslist or at your local goodwill stores. Get a bat they are comfortable with and same goes for the gloves too. You can get a prety good one for less than 50$.

 

[DD11]

BTW, new travel ball team - not rec. C level.

 

[3bmama]

I just had the same dilemma! My DD is in her first year of 10u tb, one team she tried out for I overheard the coach say she could probably bust it out if she had a decent bat. That team had team bats, the team we ended up on does not. I ended up getting her the bustos demarini bat after much consideration. I know it isn't the best one, but I was able to get one for $75. She is tall so needs a long bat, but not strong enough to handle the weight yet. I figured if this made any difference and if she took care of it, we could move up to a more expensive bat. If you search online you can find places that sell closeout bats, the ones that come up first all are pretty reputable(at least in my research). I am having trouble with the glove thing right now, I am thinking of going with the Mizuno that runs about $50. At this age I figured a glove won't last too long and it seems pretty recommended. The girls on my daughters team have played tb for several years, their parents seem to spend money on the sport, they all still have gloves similar to what you would find at the rec ball level from what I can tell over the last couple weeks of practice.

 

[CoreSoftball20]

First of all, you should never be paying retail for bats. So you should never be thinking it costs 300 for a bat...haha

Secondly, at that young of a stage, unless you have it to spend without any problem...most people shy away from the top of the line bats at that age because the kids will grow out of them fairly fast, thus not getting the greatest amount of use for the money

 

[DD11]

Understood. I have seen many use the Bustos bat. My biggest concern is.. I dont want our girls out there using "rec league bats and gloves" Obviously, we're not going to Walmart to get outfitted, but I also know that you get what you pay for.

There are so many options that are in this price range, that if you dont know what yo're looking for - its easy to get overwhelmed.

 

[iMlearning]

bat

A $100.00 will get you a good used bat on eBay. I always buy used now hoping they are broken in know what size you want and go shopping.

 

[daddiox2]

At 10u, I would buy a used bat for the kids. Even at 12U the same thing. One thing you have to know is what association the team will be playing in. If they are playing USSSA this spring then you can only be looking for used within the last one year and maybe 2 years old for some bat models. You have to find the thumb print style stamp on the taper of the bat. You can find $300 bats used for around $100 in the 28-30 inch lengths.

For gloves, I think at the young ages what is most imporant is that they can open and close the gloves easily. My 14U DD has a nice leather glove. My first year 12U has a low end glove wilson that she has had for a couple years, and she likes it. The girls are not throwing hard enough that she needs a super thick glove. Light weight means better manueverability and easier to catch. Too heavy could make them slow or maybe they won't get the glove open and it bounces off the tip.

 

[James Smith]

I know I am not answering your question but I would be more worried about the size of the equipment, I am not a big -13 fan but if you are that is OK.

What bat should I buy? I would look for something around 30” and a -10 drop or something like that. Walmart bats are fine with me if they are about the right size.

Same with gloves, she should get a 12” Softball, not baseball, glove or whatever.

You should know the retail stores around you or point them to your favorite website(s) or you can help them shop a little bit.

(At this age I would look for previous year models but other people can do what they want with their money)