Bat Help

[Pickle]

I need to purchase a bat for my team of young players. They are 12-14 but are young compared to what your girls probably do as far as hitting the ball.

I want a bat like the CF6 Insane, but I don't know what a -10 means ? And also, I've been all over the Little League website and I can not find a list of approved fastpitch bats. I found baseball, but no fastpitch.

 

[Sweet Lou]

-10 is the difference between the bats lenght in inches and the weight in ounces. For example a 30/20 would equate to a 30" bat that weighs 20 oz. The weight is the listed "swing" weight and can vary form actual weight by +/- a few oz depending on manufaturer.

 

[David Carter]

Most 12-14 yr old should be bringing their own bat, the league if it is LL should also be giving you a bag with catchers gears, balls and a few bats.

Unless the league is giving you some kind of allowance I would not go spend $300 on a team bat.

All that said depends what you are trying do you want the most bang for your buck or do you want something, looking for power, probably mostly contact hitters, do you have a budget? just need a little more info.

 

[Pickle]

Very excited. A former employer of my husband's gave us an allowance to buy two new bats. I know it isn't magic, but the girls are excited. We purchased 2 DeMarinis CF5 Insane and CF6 Hope. Justbats.com says it will be at my house today. I'm excited. This 'trampoline' effect sounds really cool.
Thanks for your replies guys !
I had been working on getting money donated, By the end of my work day, I had $120. On the way home, I received the news. Super excited. Just the momentum to keep us going- or at least me anyway. As a coach, you have days when you think "What am I doing here" I love the sport, parents just wear on me. I only have one. But I guess every team has them.

 

[Hit by the Pitch]

If you do not use a screen pitching, be careful. The balls will explode off these bats and be on you before you have a chance to react.

 

[Pickle]

We noticed that at the last game. My pitcher is normally pretty reactive and she could snag them... in the last game, they went straight up the middle between her legs. We were their lunch.
We do not have a screen.
My pitchers wear fielding masks.

What about breaking them in ? Should I start on a tee and then go to machine pitch ? Does it matter?

 

[Hit by the Pitch]

Players are on their own in games, it is the adults pitching in practice I get worried about.

Just use the bats normally to break them in.

You do not want to use the bats for machine pitch unless the machine is pitching real softballs. For example you do not want to hit the dimpled balls with these bats.

 

[Pickle]

Thanks, you probably just saved me from trashing a $300 bat.

I will save it for soft toss, the tee and normal hitting.
I will use her other bat for machine pitch.