I dont suggest weights as a ton of people have their own advice on here.
What I do however suggest when people are looking to move up, is to weigh your current bat for real weight. You never know what her current 30/19 metal Easton weighs.
Bat Size Advice
- Thread starter catmaster
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I dont suggest weights as a ton of people have their own advice on here.
What I do however suggest when people are looking to move up, is to weigh your current bat for real weight. You never know what her current 30/19 metal Easton weighs.
- Aug 20, 2013
- 265
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Very true Core, but we also don't know if that bat is already too heavy for her either.
Thats why you need to know weight. Whether is too heavy is the call of the parent and you have to take some things for facts when a thread is started. If moving up another bat, assuming she isnt struggling getting the bat around.
I honestly never liked the "book" response to these questions for exactly the reason you just mentioned. My dd is so and so height and weight, she "should" swing this weight/length bat. Dont like it. A kid should swing what fits her.
- Dec 11, 2010
- 4,730
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Couple nice rules of thumb IMHO:
Length of bat should be two times shoulder width.
An extra ounce too heavy might not be noticed by a hitter with good mechanics but an extra inch is much more likely to be a problem. Unless your kid is easily in the top 10% of her peer group, resist the urge to go that extra inch.
I don't agree that a longer bat gives you more plate coverage. Plate coverage comes from setting up on the plate correctly. The extra inch might give you a little more sweet spot. Maybe. Don't think it's that big of a deal IMHO.
If you use a practice bat to save your game bat, match them up as close as possible by length, weight and balance. DO NOT have a heavy endloaded bat for practice to "make her stronger" and then use a balanced light bat in games. Some kids are freaks of nature and can adjust but that is usually a recipe for failure. Massive, heartbreaking, frustrating failure.
Must parents go too big too soon. It's a tough call though, some kids are capable of swinging a bigger bat. Swinging a bigger bat is viewed as a badge of honor by parents for some reason. It is not, putting the right bat in the kids hands for games is what counts. It's great to brag in practice about how big of a bat your kid can swing but it will be a lot less fun if she struggles in games with a too big bat. No one will care if she hits bombs in practice but can't do it in games. I have seen this play out so many times already. Some of those kids take an early exit from softball because the parents "got a great deal" on a high end bat that is too big for their kid. Yes, she can "swing it fine" in practice. People, that is NOT a bargain if she struggles in games.
On the other hand, At that age I had one dd swinging a 30/21 rocketech and it was the right bat for her from day one. I did not understand that at the time. In fact, her batting coach at the time sent her to her first tryout with a 30/19 vendetta and she was struggling in the batting portion of the tryout until she walked over and pulled the rt out of her bag and good things happened.... Her four years older sister could not swing that rt well. She swung a lighter, more balanced bat better, especially before we started training hard.
Putting the right bat in a kids hands is a black art, it doesn't always follow logic, get close to the right size and try every bat you can until one clicks.
Length of bat should be two times shoulder width.
An extra ounce too heavy might not be noticed by a hitter with good mechanics but an extra inch is much more likely to be a problem. Unless your kid is easily in the top 10% of her peer group, resist the urge to go that extra inch.
I don't agree that a longer bat gives you more plate coverage. Plate coverage comes from setting up on the plate correctly. The extra inch might give you a little more sweet spot. Maybe. Don't think it's that big of a deal IMHO.
If you use a practice bat to save your game bat, match them up as close as possible by length, weight and balance. DO NOT have a heavy endloaded bat for practice to "make her stronger" and then use a balanced light bat in games. Some kids are freaks of nature and can adjust but that is usually a recipe for failure. Massive, heartbreaking, frustrating failure.
Must parents go too big too soon. It's a tough call though, some kids are capable of swinging a bigger bat. Swinging a bigger bat is viewed as a badge of honor by parents for some reason. It is not, putting the right bat in the kids hands for games is what counts. It's great to brag in practice about how big of a bat your kid can swing but it will be a lot less fun if she struggles in games with a too big bat. No one will care if she hits bombs in practice but can't do it in games. I have seen this play out so many times already. Some of those kids take an early exit from softball because the parents "got a great deal" on a high end bat that is too big for their kid. Yes, she can "swing it fine" in practice. People, that is NOT a bargain if she struggles in games.
On the other hand, At that age I had one dd swinging a 30/21 rocketech and it was the right bat for her from day one. I did not understand that at the time. In fact, her batting coach at the time sent her to her first tryout with a 30/19 vendetta and she was struggling in the batting portion of the tryout until she walked over and pulled the rt out of her bag and good things happened.... Her four years older sister could not swing that rt well. She swung a lighter, more balanced bat better, especially before we started training hard.
Putting the right bat in a kids hands is a black art, it doesn't always follow logic, get close to the right size and try every bat you can until one clicks.
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I haven't bought a bat yet. Still looking. She swings her Easton very well and is crushing the ball. There are girls in her league that have composite bats and she hits the ball harder then they do. The reason I was looking for a composite because I wanted her to get maximum distance on her hits. I was thinking maybe get her a 31/19 or 31/20. Thanks for all your responses.
- Dec 11, 2010
- 4,730
- 113
If it was me I would look for a used Easton composite that is identical in weight length and balance or end load. If she isn't playing u-trip, a lot of the older Easton's are hotter than the new bats, look used. It will be much hotter than what she is swinging now.
Sounds like she is swinging a bat that is close to ideal for her. If you can find someone who knows easton bats well they can tell you which bats to look for based on the her current bat model number.
Sounds like she is swinging a bat that is close to ideal for her. If you can find someone who knows easton bats well they can tell you which bats to look for based on the her current bat model number.
Thanks for your help Westwind. So moving up an inch in length will have more effect on her than going up in weight? I'm scared to venture to far from her current bat size because she hits so well. I guess I'm going to have to face the facts that softball is not cheap and I have a daughter that's going to out grow everything pretty fast.
Yes. However, compared to competitive dance or ice skating (among other things), it's a bargain.
Worth posting again. This is some VERY good advice. Pay particular attention to the bold/color section, it is spot on.
- Jan 3, 2014
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Bat size is very subjective. My baseball playing Son, though younger, is taller and heavier than his sister. At 11 years old he swings a 30/22, and he swings that much better than the same bat model in 31/21, or 30/20. DD moved from a 31/20 to 32/22 and struggled for a while. I believe it was the extra inch more than the extra two ounces.
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