Best Bat For My 10 Year Old Daughter

[TAZBOM]

My daughter is 10 years old. She will play this season in our local rec league 10u division. Last year she played in that same division using a 30-17 bat. She was in front of everything...total pull hitter. She has very good bat speed. When she hits the ball it is usually hard, though there are some swings and misses too. She is 4' 7 1/2" tall and weighs 71 pounds - average size.

Can anyone give me a good idea of what size bat I should get her as well as what model? Should she have an end-loaded bat or balanced? How much weight drop does she need? Where is the best place to purchase one? My price range is under $160 and I would love it if the bat could last 2 seasons. Are there any good research resources?

All knowledgeable answers are much appreciated!!!

 

[Eric F]

Welcome to DFP!

Is there a problem with the bat she has now? Using my own DD for comparison (9yo, 4'-9"), a 30" bat is probably the right length. Some people say that bats shouldn't ever be lighter than a -10, but that opinion varies widely. As for being a pull hitter, this is more of a function of her swing mechanics than her bat choice.

Want a bat to last 2 seasons? Get your DD to stop growing. Good luck with that. Mine has grown about an inch in the last 3 months (no exaggeration)

Sorry, but I can't offer any specific bats to consider. I'm on a hunt for a new bat, too.

Sources: eBay, closeoutbats.com, softballsavings.com, amazon...

 

[TAZBOM]

She didn't have a bat last year. She borrowed one.

Last season was her first real season of fastpitch. I have coached baseball for close to 20 years, but softball is new to me. Her mechanics are not perfect, but she is early mainly for two other reasons. One, her bat speed is very quick. Two, she has trouble adjusting her timing to a slower pitcher. She had no trouble whatsoever handling the 30-17, but she is another year older, bigger, and stronger. I was thinking of going with a 30-20, but am unsure.

If this was a Little Leaguer I would have the answer easily. Thanks!

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I just had a student move to TB, that is a young 10. Her current bat was a -11. I would say that she is normal sized. I moved her to a balanced, -10 composite. She found an Easton on-line for $199.00 and they had a $25.00 coupon. I think it might have been from Dicks.

 

[smddad]

The 30/20 sounds about right to me. I know I wouldn't have her using a -13.

 

[MarkLin]

My daughter is 10 years old. She will play this season in our local rec league 10u division. Last year she played in that same division using a 30-17 bat. She was in front of everything...total pull hitter. She has very good bat speed. When she hits the ball it is usually hard, though there are some swings and misses too. She is 4' 7 1/2" tall and weighs 71 pounds - average size.

Can anyone give me a good idea of what size bat I should get her as well as what model? Should she have an end-loaded bat or balanced? How much weight drop does she need? Where is the best place to purchase one? My price range is under $160 and I would love it if the bat could last 2 seasons. Are there any good research resources?

All knowledgeable answers are much appreciated!!!

Personally I like Louisville TPS bats

My daughter also plays U10 softball. We wanted her to get the bat shown in the link but she wanted one that was a different color (girls will be like that).

I would recommend a bat that is -10. That means 10 ounces less than inches the bat is long. For example at 28" and an 18 ounce. Depending on your daughter's size, if she is small for her age, you might want to get a 26/16 or if she is big for her age, maybe a 29/19.

You can actually feel the difference in just a few ounces in a bat. I would recommend going to a store and letting her hold and swing the bats before deciding. Then, if you don't need the bat right away, you could wait for a deal.

Once she gets a bat, she'll want a bat bag too, so be prepared. I hope this helps.

 

[CatchTheFever]

: Where is the best place to purchase one? My price range is under $160 and I would love it if the bat could last 2 seasons. Are there any good research resources?

All knowledgeable answers are much appreciated!!![/QUOTE

Closeout bats from CloseoutBats.com has the Easton FS series for $99 - $120 right now. These are high end bats for a great (reduced) price! They will need some break in to really get going but Easton bats are known for their durability. My DD is 10 and she swings the 31/21 FS2 and loves it. She is 5'1" though so the 30/20 would probably be a decent fit for your daughter

 

[CoreSoftball20]

The best bat is the bat she feels the best swinging. Sounds broad, but nobody here knows what bat would be best for your daughter especially since nobody has seen her. Some people are gonna like Demars, some Louisville, Worth...whatever. And to be honest, some will say whatever bat their daughter has is the best...haha. Actually feeling is the best way. Go to a place that has the bats and feel them (you can buy elsewhere) or try other girl's bats. But please do not just buy the bat from a chain store, you will more than likely way overpay (even though you may get a coupon, its usually way more than you can find elsewhere) as they don't monitor bat prices nor do they really keep track of the going rates. They also usually don't have any manager around that knows anything about the products. Bats just aren't their main concern.

A lot on online stores get stuck with older bats and have to clear stock (closeout and other stores). So you can get a good deal if you are fine with the bat not being the new line. A lot of people go this route because their daughter is gonna go thru many bats as she grows. An older bat doesn't mean its not as good, just means its not the manufacturers newest.

I am mainly a slowpitch bat dealer, but carry some fastpitch bats. I only carry the new lines as I make sure not to get stuck with older bats so I don't have to clear stock like other stores. I have Louisville FP bats right now...and I beat any dealer on prices for as long as I have them. If you are ever in need (Louisville/Combat/Worth/Miken) or have any questions, you can hit me up.

 

[SCDad]

I sounds as though you are behind the curve as her swing can probably use a heavier bat.

It is impossible to predict at this point what she can handle. But if she is ahead of the ball, many times it is better to just get her a heavier bat, and see how it helps before trying to coach it out of her.

Try a 30 drop 11. See how she does.

I spent a bunch of money on bats for DD. Always evaluating how quick her swing was and adjusting bat size, since we were already happy with her swing.

She always carried two bats in her bag. Her "regular" bat, and her "slow pitcher" bat. Each an ounce apart apart. Mixing in a longer bat when it was time. Almost every season her "regular" bat became too light, and she started using the heavier bat. I immediately bought her the next size up, and again have the new bat become her "slow pitcher" bat.

So my advice (I know it is expensive) is to give her 2 bats, with one being used to "grow into" for slower pitchers.

I am agreement with others in that a drop 10 bat seems to be the size the big girls play with. So aim to get to that. Power hitters like drop 9's.

The sweet spot is larger with the drop 10, than a drop 13, in my opinion and becomes more important at the higher levels when the pitchers hardly ever pitch directly over the plate.

 

[coach james]

Stay balanced with a drop 10
I saw the Miken Freak on EBay for $99 (msrp $300)
Get a 30/20 and she should be good for a couple seasons. Unless she has a growth spurt.