Does the nicer kind of bat you have help you hit the ball better?

[fortheloveofsoftball12]

Im a beginner player, and I bat with a 2004 Worth bat that I got from a sporting goods store for $30 (it's my first bat and I'm proud of it and it was a good deal) If I were to get like a Demarini for x-mas (the new ones that go for about $200) would it hit better than my bargain shoppers dream bat? Don't get me wrong I have had a lot of success with the bat I have now.

 

[mudbug]

No, it wont help you hit it better. It may help you hit it farther, it will be hotter coming off the bat which gives an edge in getting it past infielders. The sweetspot is larger so more hits are hot, but its not a magic solution to "better" hitting. 98% of hitting is in swing mechanics and how solid the contact is with the ball (practice!) in the first place.

But, nearly everone has composite bat, and you will understandably want one to feel like part of the "club". It is ridiculously overpriced for what it is too, but that doesnt stop anyone. Many are quite fragile, some are known to crack and break frequently, most arent supposed to be used in cold weather, or with machines, or rubber practice balls (but everyone does anyway) so do your research before spending that kind of $$ on a bat. A 1 yr old model of a very good proven bat can be found on ebay new (dealer clearance) sometimes for far less than retail, like 1/2 price or so.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I recently purchased a Rawlings Liquid Plasma on Ebay for a student. I paid $40.00.

It is a newer version of a bat that my DD spent $250.00 on a few years ago.

It is a great bat.

 

[fortheloveofsoftball12]

And does a different companies of bats make bats for different people? Like, I'm short (4"11) and 120 pounds and I want to be a power hitter so is their a brand that is known for good use for a power hitter but has sizes that are for smaller players?
Oh! and I've always wanted to know: what does DD stand for? I know one D is daughter right? I'm new here

 

[mudbug]

And does a different companies of bats make bats for different people? Like, I'm short (4"11) and 120 pounds and I want to be a power hitter so is their a brand that is known for good use for a power hitter but has sizes that are for smaller players?
Oh! and I've always wanted to know: what does DD stand for? I know one D is daughter right? I'm new here

Darling Daughter, Diamond Diva, etc, take your pick.

Almost all girls from 13-17 will use a 32", 22oz(-10) bat. Some lighter girls will swing a -12 (20 oz), Stronger girls may use a -9 (23 oz). College or really large girls will use 33" -9 bat. , If you are short you may prefer a 31". All mfgs make the bats in pretty much all the standard sizes, with different models for the different weights.

Try as many as you can of other peoples,etc, and find what you like.

When my daugter, (and many others) started playing at 14U (which is where everyone starts having the $$ composites), I held off buying her a $$ bat until she had borrowed and tried enough other peoples at practice that we knew she would be happy with the size and wt . It gets a little old always saying "can I borrow your bat", but lots of people do it for exactly the same reason. Girls may be a little possesive of a brand new bat at first, but they quickly get over that and will share with teammates.

If you dont know what you really want, you will probably be happy with something that says Easton on it.

 

[cshilt]

ftlos12,

A $400 bat, while engineered to have higher performance than a $40 bat, doesn't swing itself. If you are 100% satisfied with your swing, buy one. If not, your money may be better spent on hitting lessons from a reputable instructor. Call the local colleges and high school coaches and find out who they recommend if you need help finding someone.

 

[cshilt]

...you will probably be happy with something that says Easton on it.

You may not be as happy when you find out that the president of Easton abstained from voting for softball when it was dropped from the Olympics:

Olympic Softball Finds Hope in a Narrow Defeat - Los Angeles Times

 

[SBFAMILY]

For that reason Easton will never get any or our business.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I buy no Easton products and I spend lots of $$$ on softball per year.

There are great bats being made by DeMarini, Rawlings, Rip It, Worth, Nike, Anderson and others. A wise shopper can find a good bat for under $200, but like I said that Plasma bat is super hot when broken in.

A lot of reasonable bats change hands on Softballfans.com. But, you would need an adult to do the deal on there. Some guys just really like to search out a good bat for you.

 

[fortheloveofsoftball12]

For that reason Easton will never get any or our business.

!! Won't get any of my business either. I didn't know this, but I'm going to tell my teamates about it but they all have demarinis anyways..