At What Age Do Bats Make a Discernable Difference?

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CoreSoftball20

Wilson = Evil Empire
DFP Vendor
Dec 27, 2012
6,215
113
Kunkletown, PA
Like some have said, once you leave the RIF balls and move to real softballs, that's when the bats will improve performance. With that said,
will it improve a 9 year old enough to warrant a 350 buck bat...that's your call. But you can also buy used as well, save some coin. Kids will
grow out of the small composites fast and get resold.

But its a fact that the good bats will outperform the cheapies on good balls.
 
Jul 29, 2013
6,782
113
North Carolina
At the OP's DD's age, I definitely saw a difference on mishits, but the biggest difference to me was ground ball shots through the infield defense that they probably could get to with a cheap aluminum bat.
 
Jun 29, 2013
589
18
I have always bought DD 2 a composite, but the quality improved over time. I had older DD as a model and even with the RIF balls the cheap composite was a better bat than the aluminum models. this spring (1st year 12U) we moved to the better quality Xeno over the entry level bats (Easton Stealth, Combat, Demarini's entry level, the one they sold at Big 5 a few years ago). And the Xeno was obviously an upgrade over the others. DD has a good swing and usually gets solid contact, but the ball does travel further (and jump off the bat faster) with the better quality bats.
 
Dec 11, 2010
4,713
113
I agree with Core that $350 for a new bat is tough to swallow at that age.

Facebook marketplace is loaded with used bats right now in my area. I’d search there, search Craigslist and find the exact size bat you need. Resist the urge to settle for a bigger bat just because it’s available.

Keep in mind that most 10u size bats aren’t taking a ton of abuse. Used at that age makes a lot of sense for that reason alone. Check it for cracks, go to a local sporting goods store and let her pick out a new Lizard Skin to put on it and roll with it.
 
May 16, 2016
946
93
So I'm an analytic and an overthinker. My daughter is 9, turns 10 in January. She's played rec and all star tournament ball, and is now starting travel ball. Throughout the seasons, I have had her try different bats that teammates' parents spent a lot of money for and I haven't seen much if any difference in how far she hits with a $350 LS LXT (and other similarly priced bats) vs. the $120 DeMarini Bustos she wields now.

Am I blind? Or do the girls have to gain enough muscle mass through age before I see this difference?

Assuming you are already in a league using standard 11in balls.

Comparing individual at bats is really pointless... as there are too many other variables that impact the results, to really compare the bat performance with individual at bats.

But, if you were to chart out 100 hits, you would probably see around a ~10% increase in using composite over aluminum. That doesn't sound like a lot, but that could be difference between a grounder that is an easy out at first, vs a grounder that scoots through the infield for a base hit.

My personal experience. When my oldest DD was 10, we purchased a CF8 to replace her Bustos. She hit well with her Bustos, and hit many balls that struck the fence in the air for a double or triple. Her first at bat in a game with the CF8 went OVER the fence by about 10 feet (her first over the fence HR). I went out and bought younger DD in 8u a 29" CF8 later that week. :)

I am a believer.
 
Last edited:
Oct 4, 2018
4,611
113
We saw about a 5 yard increase in line drive distance when we went from aluminum to composite (Easton Stealth) in our 9 year old. That means a few more hits every season at the least. She even jacked one over the short fences at an all-star tournament that only cleared by a few inches and wouldn't have been a home run without that bat.

Seeing your daughter hit one out is worth a few extra bucks. :)
 
Sep 19, 2018
928
93
I am new to travel. My 9 year old is playing 10U for the first time this fall. the balls are 11's with a 47 core. The fields we are playing on are the same fields used by the big girls (13U boys at times as well), with 250' fences. The farthest hit balls are 10-20 feet into the grass. What fields are your girls playing on?
 

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