Coach says it is time for a longer bat

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Apr 30, 2018
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Dd's coach is recommending we get her a longer bat. DD is 4'2" and 68 lbs currently swinging a 29 -11 LXT. I don't want to make the same mistake I made last time and go too big and screw up her mechanics. She tried a friends 30" -12 DeMarini Vendetta and didn't have any issues swinging it. She said it really didn't feel any different. Have seen others commenting on here that they recommend not going any lighter than a -10. Dd is strong, but short for her age and with a December birthday will always be one of the youngest so it is a double whammy. In other words she is not a power hitter. Looking for some recommendations on what criteria you use to help select the right weight/length bat. Is it better to stay short and go heavier, go as long as she can handle and stay light, or stay more balanced.

Edit: Her current bat is a 28" -11 LXT.

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Last edited:
Apr 30, 2018
349
43
This is 'coachspeak' for she is not covering the plate when she swings. Her mechanics probably need some work. A bat wont fix that.
Lol, coach did say that. I feel like she is just standing too far back from the plate. My brain couldn't seem to make sense of how a 1" longer bat would turn a missed outside pitch into a hit with a 3.5" diameter ball.

DD has had a couple of growth spurts some since we got her the 29" -11 so it might be time to try a bigger bat too.

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Sep 17, 2009
1,637
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My preference is -10 (which IS balanced) so the 'ball doesn't beat the bat' at contact. Don't go up in length until she is ready. She's not yet at that size. When I coached 10U travel a lifetime ago we had two relatively cheap Jessica Mendoza composite bats, 28-18 and 29-19 which were good for most girls and let parents get away from spending big money on a bat.

Want proof that a shorter bat is ok -- look at prime-career Barry Bonds, relatively small bat plus he choked up an inch.
 
Dec 2, 2013
3,410
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Texas
Swing the biggest bat that she can control is the simplest way to look at it. Have her try other bats on the team that are longer/heavier, and let her give the feedback by what she feela and what the ball does coming off the bat.
 
May 12, 2016
4,338
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My preference is -10 (which IS balanced) so the 'ball doesn't beat the bat' at contact. Don't go up in length until she is ready. She's not yet at that size. When I coached 10U travel a lifetime ago we had two relatively cheap Jessica Mendoza composite bats, 28-18 and 29-19 which were good for most girls and let parents get away from spending big money on a bat.

Want proof that a shorter bat is ok -- look at prime-career Barry Bonds, relatively small bat plus he choked up an inch.
I don't understand what this means.. DD swings a -11 at age 14, she also swings a -10.. ball doesn't beat the bat.. she hits more bombs with the -11. With today's technology you will not be at any disadvantage swinging a drop 11. I agree with all your other comments.
 
Sep 17, 2009
1,637
83
I don't understand what this means.. DD swings a -11 at age 14, she also swings a -10.. ball doesn't beat the bat.. she hits more bombs with the -11. With today's technology you will not be at any disadvantage swinging a drop 11. I agree with all your other comments.

More mass. It's why they make -8s.
 
May 12, 2016
4,338
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More mass. It's why they make -8s.
Yes I understand more mass. Played slo pitch after my fastpitch game was done. We had a couple different bats, 34/32, 35/33 etc, HR bat was a 34/27. There are players that were better suited for 34/22, oddly enough those were hitters with less bat speed. Those who had very good bat speed hit the ball further with the lighter bat.

FYI, can't remember the exact lenghts and weights.. but this illustrates my point, lighter bat was the go to bat for most people. Some people just prefer heavier bat, or end loaded bat, or balanced bat... hitter has to find their bat... heavier doesn't always mean further
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
Yes I understand more mass. Played slo pitch after my fastpitch game was done. We had a couple different bats, 34/32, 35/33 etc, HR bat was a 34/27. There are players that were better suited for 34/22, oddly enough those were hitters with less bat speed. Those who had very good bat speed hit the ball further with the lighter bat.

FYI, can't remember the exact lenghts and weights.. but this illustrates my point, lighter bat was the go to bat for most people. Some people just prefer heavier bat, or end loaded bat, or balanced bat... hitter has to find their bat... heavier doesn't always mean further
As you know with the same bat speed, the bat with the bigger mass will result in a higher ball speed if the ball is contacted at the same point. That said some players may not be able to generate the same bat speed with a heavier bat or may not be able to produce a swing which barrels up a ball with a heavier bat, etc. It is definitely something which a player has to work out for themselves.
 
May 12, 2016
4,338
113
As you know with the same bat speed, the bat with the bigger mass will result in a higher ball speed if the ball is contacted at the same point. That said some players may not be able to generate the same bat speed with a heavier bat or may not be able to produce a swing which barrels up a ball with a heavier bat, etc. It is definitely something which a player has to work out for themselves.
In a controlled environment with that same pitch speed and trajectory and same bat speed, same launch angle, hitting off the same part of the bat that is true.. however when a hitter picks up a bat and takes a dry swing they might be able to produce the same bat speed with a heavier bat... but can they control that bat the same way as the lighter bat? That's the key, so much more goes into hitting a ball than bat speed. When giving a choice between heavier and lighter, I choose lighter because with today's tech you still hit a ball a very long way with a drop 11 balanced bat
 

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