Balanced vs End Loaded

[fastpitch79]

I have 2 DD playing travel ball. My oldest DD has a Demarini and my youngest DD (9 yrs old) has a Easton Crystal. My youngest DD has been swinging a Miken Rain and she loves it. The problem and my question is for my oldest daughter, Is the Rain a balanced bat? My oldest daughter seems
to be dragging "end loaded" bats through the hitting zone. Wondering if switching to balanced bat would help.

 

[ifubuildit]

Personal preference.

Speaking from my experience with my own DD. She used the Miken OKC for about a year and it was an end loaded bat. I do not know about the Rain but a few years ago Miken was known for end loading their bats.

My daughters personal preference for end loaded was the TPS catalyst which at the time was a very hot bat.

What this really boils down to is how your daughter feels with the bat in her hand. Does it feel good when shes swings it and does she feel she can increase or maintain her current bat speed with it.

My preference is a balanced bat. I just like the way that feels in my hands and when I swing. Easton is probably the brand I like the most when it comes to balanced weighted bats.

I have a number of students who love the new demarini. Good Pop. But to a person with the exception of one they have had to return them because of issues with the design of the handle. They keep breaking or splintering on them. Demarini has now redesigned the handle to fix the problem according to discussions with my students parents.

Good luck with your choice.

Dana.

 

[SBFAMILY]

We tested many bats with a hitting instructor that both Dana and I know. For reasons posted on another tread Easton was and will not be one of them. Dana ( my dd's name) just felt better with a balanced bat and due to the cold weather we play up in Ohio , Dana remember?. We went with the Rip It Force. It is good down to 50 degrees. I know many colleges up here have switched to the CF3 and 4.

 

[Greenmonsters]

SBF - why did they "switch" to the Demarini CF3 and 4 - because they prefer them overall or because they're good specifically in cold weather? For cold weather, are there other composite options than the Elite? Are their any cold weather non-composites options (other than the Rocketech - DD thinks its too heavy in her preferred 33 length)?

Thanks - Greenmonsters

 

[ifubuildit]

Sbf

Uh Dan. Whats cold weather?

 

[SBFAMILY]

Dana Funny. Now that you live in Texas and can ignore Ohio weather. Nothing like playing in the snow in March. At Least we no longer use white balls! By bat warranty. Most bats show 60 degrees. The Rip It shows 50 degrees. If you swing a composite bat when it cold out, they will snap. Rt's tend to dent. The switch to CF# and 4 was based on 2008 bats and what seemed to be hot. Now they are all toned down, if you read the impact of what they are doing to the new bats. As Dana now posted it doesn't matter now, it is what the dd feels most comfrontable with. Unless you have a good hand path and work with a hitting coach, I do not recommend you use an end loaded bat. See way too many kids drop the hands and cannot handle the weight .

Here is a quote from someone that Dana and I respect and may be one of the best in the business.

The difference between the two bats is the way that the 30-oz is distributed along the bat length. The balance points (indicated by the yellow lines in the photo) are more than 4-inches apart, with the balance point of the Easton graphite bat being closer to the handle than that of the Louisville Slugger aluminum bat. Moving the balance point closer to the handle causes the bat to have a much lower swing weight, and the bat feels much lighter and is much easier to swing.
Dr. Russell from Kettering University has a lot of information such as the following in my opinion....
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I cannot post the pictures but it should give you and idea of how the move the weight inside the bat to effect the swing weight.

 

[krd005]

so is the C4 blanaced or end loaded?

 

[SBFAMILY]

A list of the end loaded bats.
A few more to add to this list....... these are 2010 bats and all are -8 so for you end loaded fans, a little more selection There are more, but you can get a balanced or an end loaded bat in the same brand. -10 nornally means balanced.

Combat Virus Morphed
Combat Farnandez
DeMarini cf4
DeMarini DX42M
louisville Slugger H2
Mizuno Frenzy 2

in Terms of knowing which CF4 is what. Look at the handle. The -8 has a black handle. The -10 is , I think its Silver, but anyway its a different color. Same with the Triton's Each handle has a different color pattern. They have three. Balanced, End Loaded and the new Handle loaded.

 

[Irishelite]

I always prefer a balanced bat for a few reasons. To me end loaded bats are much less forgiving if you are fooled on the pitch or slightly off. I feel balanced bats are easier to drive the other way if you are late on a faster pitcher. I also am able to get on top of a rise a bit easier. If I knew that the competition was average speed and no movement end loaded would be my choice but if you expect speed and movement I think you are better going balanced.

 

[Hitter]

I have 2 DD playing travel ball. My oldest DD has a Demarini and my youngest DD (9 yrs old) has a Easton Crystal. My youngest DD has been swinging a Miken Rain and she loves it. The problem and my question is for my oldest daughter, Is the Rain a balanced bat? My oldest daughter seems
to be dragging "end loaded" bats through the hitting zone. Wondering if switching to balanced bat would help.

Try a of couple experiments with your daughters and do it one at a time so the other one can not learn from the first....you want them to do what they normally would do.

Get a piece of rope and knot it at one end and the knotted end will be the knob of the bat. Have her get into her stance, load, toe touch (notice if she even separates her hands rearward however do not say anything) you will be standing behind her back as if it was the umpire holding the other end of the rope and after toe touch put a little tension on the rope to provide a little resistance and then ask her to slowly start her swing. Just observe and notice what direction her hands moved. Did they go over the plate? Inside the path of the ball? Did her front shoulder open? Did her back elbow clear her body or did the elbow stay in near her the hip or ribs?

Feel blessed if the hands moved rearward (separation) and feel blessed if the hands went forward inside the path of the ball and the elbow did not touch the ribs or hip area.

Now try it with the other daughter and compare notes. USUALLY the ones with a better hand path will and can handle an end load bat. Those that can not will USUALLY struggle with an end loaded bat mainly because their hand path is not consistent and they have little to no momentum. When converting a right to left handed hitter we find this useful also. Some argue to get the elbow in close to the body and we say it MUST clear the body. While doing the rope have them clear the body and pull and then move the elbow closer and ask which position feels stronger? Especially for the girls with larger breasts or the girls that are thicker the hands must be started a little further away and some more than others.

Now try one more experiment please...take a 2x4 and turn it so the narrow side is up (this allows the nail to go deeper into the wood and provides resistance) and clamp it in a vise or secure safely. Now start a 16 penny nail at least a half inch. If you have safety glasses I would have her wear them as the nail could come flying out if not struck properly. Again just observe.

Record it on video so you can enjoy the moment because it will be funny! Ask her to drive the nail into the wood. Some thoughts while she is doing this...is she balanced, how is she holding the hammer, is she choking up on the hammer, where is her other hand, is she trying to use her entire arm to swing, how much elbow movement verses wrist or mainly her wrist, is she just tapping the nail or trying to hit it hard?

There is eye hand coordination taking place and she will and can feel the release of the hammer head once she figures out the grip she is using too successfully hit the nail should be the same grip she is using on the bat. The top hand in my opinion should not have the thumb over the index finger and the hammer handle should be at or in front of the index finger pad and not be held in the back of the hand. I have seen some girls come up on their tip toes and hold the other hand out to their side as they attempt to hit the nail and that is funny is too funny. Then ask them to try it with the other hand. Then after this is done get an old bat and hold it horizontally and explain this is a nail while pointing to the knob of the bat (point out it is really the ball we want to nail) and gently hit it and observe the hand path she uses when only using the top hand and how she grips the hammer handle. Then repeat using the bottom hand. In the bottom hand we want them to grip the hammer differently. We lay the hammer (bat handle) exactly where the fingers join at the palm of the hand. Look at how and where the lead elbow moves to get to the knob of the bat.

Invest in a $7 dollar hammer at the dollar store and get a ball peen hammer verses a claw hammer as it is safer. I have even mounted a ball peen hammer head to an aluminum bat handle for better effect because of the regular oval design most hammers have.

After she learns how to use the hammer then look at investing in a new bat. However the old bat may become new when she learns how her wrist, elbows and grip play a part in her swing which she probably has never felt before in my opinion. It is a neuro muscular activity most girls are never exposed to and I wished I had done it when I first started working with the girls.

Please let us know how it went