GXS101 vs Vinci Fortus

[North River]

My 9 year old joined a 10u travel team last fall. Mainly as a catcher but some 3rd base mixed in. We bought her a GXS101 based on reviews here on DFP. She caught 9 games in the fall,and attends twice weekly pitcher/catcher clinics.

Its been a fine mitt,but I don't see it lasting through the end of next falls tournaments. I'd like to get her something more substantial and get it broken in before games begin again in March.

Based again on reviews here at DFP,the Vinci looks like it'll be the one. She loves the red/black (matches her teams colors)

The GXS and Fortus are both listed at 32.5". For those that have handled both gloves,are they similar in size? I know one manufacturers 32.5 could be anothers 33.5

I'd love to find one locally,but quality fastpitch gear is hard to come by.

 

[ScottyDont]

Vinci catchers' mitts seem to run on the small side from my experience. They explain that the circumference is a little smaller than most, but the deeper pocket makes up for it. Not sure that that is the case, both of my daughters' 33" Vincis seem to be quite a bit smaller than average. Not to say they're bad mitts, my girls love them. But they definitely look and fit smaller than most.

 

[quincy]

If she is responsible and takes care of her Mitt it will last a long time. DD’s last couple gloves have been purchased on the Internet, we have not had any problems.

I have read on here that it tskes forevery to break in the C glove.

 

[ANNASDAD]

Take a look at the All Star CMW4000, its a 33" mitt. It's cowhide, not Maruhashi leather like the 3000 model. Definitely easier to break in. If you're looking at Vinci, skip the Fortus and get a JCV-22 and start breaking it in now.

 

[North River]

If she is responsible and takes care of her Mitt it will last a long time. DD’s last couple gloves have been purchased on the Internet, we have not had any problems.

I have read on here that it tskes forevery to break in the C glove.

My daughter takes pride in making sure her gear is cared for. The other catcher not so much. Her gear gets thrown in the dugout and kicked around on the ground.

 

[Addy's Dad]

I'm in the same boat. My 10yo DD's Mizuno GXS 101 is starting to break down after a year and a half. Our TB pitchers are throwing in the low to mid 40's, but she also catches occasionally for a 12U team that is now throwing in the low 50's. I'm looking for a step up in quality but also don't want to get her something that will be too big or heavy.

I was ready to buy the Vinci Fortus but now I am not sure. How does the Vinci Fortus compare with the JCV-22 or JCV-PC? And how does this compare to her existing GXS101?

I've read on line "just ball gloves" that the All Star CMW4000 may be a little too much glove for a 10yo, not sure if this is true.

I'm OK with getting her the "right size" glove now and upgrading her in a couple years if the All Star or JCV is substantially heavier or bigger than what she is using now.

 

[quincy]

There are a few Vinci reps on this board. 2 are chazbz1 and casedawg51.

Apologize, I know there are some others.

Send them a PM.

 

[Eric F]

I'm in the same boat. My 10yo DD's Mizuno GXS 101 is starting to break down after a year and a half. Our TB pitchers are throwing in the low to mid 40's, but she also catches occasionally for a 12U team that is now throwing in the low 50's. I'm looking for a step up in quality but also don't want to get her something that will be too big or heavy.

I was ready to buy the Vinci Fortus but now I am not sure. How does the Vinci Fortus compare with the JCV-22 or JCV-PC? And how does this compare to her existing GXS101?

I've read on line "just ball gloves" that the All Star CMW4000 may be a little too much glove for a 10yo, not sure if this is true.

I'm OK with getting her the "right size" glove now and upgrading her in a couple years if the All Star or JCV is substantially heavier or bigger than what she is using now.

IMO, the "expert advice" on justballgloves is often pretty poor. In the case of a 10yo, it's going to depend a lot on what that 10yo can handle. In my experience, 10yos come in a wide range of sizes and strength levels. What is too big/heavy for one might be perfect for another. Generally speaking, All-Star gloves and mitts tend to be fairly light, and very good quality.

I haven't seen the Fortus in person yet, but my understanding is that it is a step below the JCV-22. That said, being a Vinci, I would expect the Fortus to be a good step up from the Miz 101.

At 9yo, my DD (not a big girl - a little tall, but pretty lean) went from the Miz 101 to a JCV-22. The size of the JCV-22 is a little bigger than the 101, but not significantly. The JCV-22 is also a bit heavier due to the significant palm padding. For my DD, the size and weight of the JCV-22 were not an issue. Expect a much longer break-in time than a typical mid-low end mitt.

 

[Addy's Dad]

IMO, the "expert advice" on justballgloves is often pretty poor. In the case of a 10yo, it's going to depend a lot on what that 10yo can handle. In my experience, 10yos come in a wide range of sizes and strength levels. What is too big/heavy for one might be perfect for another. Generally speaking, All-Star gloves and mitts tend to be fairly light, and very good quality.

I haven't seen the Fortus in person yet, but my understanding is that it is a step below the JCV-22. That said, being a Vinci, I would expect the Fortus to be a good step up from the Miz 101.

At 9yo, my DD (not a big girl - a little tall, but pretty lean) went from the Miz 101 to a JCV-22. The size of the JCV-22 is a little bigger than the 101, but not significantly. The JCV-22 is also a bit heavier due to the significant palm padding. For my DD, the size and weight of the JCV-22 were not an issue. Expect a much longer break-in time than a typical mid-low end mitt.

Eric, thanks for the feedback. I agree with you on the "expert advice" on just ball gloves. My DD is medium size for age but one of the stronger girls on the team (years of gymnastics).
I did PM casedawg51 and he mention that I might want to look at the JCV series.

My concern was that the limited number of 33" mitts I've been able to actually go see local have all seemed quite a bit bigger and heavier than the Miz 101. My DD hates change and would keep her mitt until it was in pieces so I didn't want to get her something that was a big step up in size and weight and have her complain that the mitt was affecting her catching.

 

[Eric F]

Eric, thanks for the feedback. I agree with you on the "expert advice" on just ball gloves. My DD is medium size for age but one of the stronger girls on the team (years of gymnastics).
I did PM casedawg51 and he mention that I might want to look at the JCV series.

My concern was that the limited number of 33" mitts I've been able to actually go see local have all seemed quite a bit bigger and heavier than the Miz 101. My DD hates change and would keep her mitt until it was in pieces so I didn't want to get her something that was a big step up in size and weight and have her complain that the mitt was affecting her catching.

Any decent mitt capable of handling the increasing pitching speeds she's seeing is going to be heavier than the 101. The 101 really an entry-level mitt, and not built for pitching over 40mph (IMO). As soon as the structure in the finger-side edge of the 101 starts breaking down, you will typically see the number of un-caught pitches start to climb, as well.

If your DD is average (or above) in strength, adapting to a slightly heavier mitt won't take long at all. At 10yo, my DD also spent some time using a Miz GXS92, which is a 34" mid-level mitt. She did very well with it.

Getting your DD excited about a new mitt might take some creativity on your part. This is not an issue my DD has. She's a gear-slut like me.