My daughter is 12 years old 5.4, 130lbs she uses a 34/25 bat, she can hit the ball about 200 ft. with it. The other day one of the parents on her travel team said she thinks the bat is too heavy for her. She said that when my daughter sees faster pitching she will not be able to get the bat around quick enough. I take my daughter to a batting cage with machines throwing 60-65 mph and she has no problem getting around on the pitches. Should she be using a lighter bat?
Is my daughters bat too heavy
- Thread starter notoday
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- Jun 3, 2010
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Yes! That bat is larger than 90% of the bats that D1 players use.
- Oct 25, 2009
- 3,331
- 48
I'm faced with this question more times than I like. I say that if a 22- or 23-oz bat will send the ball 220' why swing 24, 25, 26 oz bats?
Hitting from a tee or slow front toss or even high-speed machine-pitched balls is easy to time. Getting any weight bat in front of the ball is easily done. It's not about speed in that case, it's about timing. You just have to put the bat in the path of the ball "soon" enough, not "fast" enough. Kind of like a swinging bunt--instead of a fast attack on the ball.
What frequently happens is the player using the heavy bat will have occasional super hits and then there's no way to reason with them. The pitcher hits the bat, the ball goes over the fence, the batter thinks they did it, and the cycle starts anew. Of course, sometimes they do hit it hard on their own.
I just wish I could convince them how much better they could be with a bat they can really handle. These are usually the stronger, harder working kids so handling/manipulating a 23-oz bat would be a lot better than trying to muscle a 25-27 oz bat.
Hitting from a tee or slow front toss or even high-speed machine-pitched balls is easy to time. Getting any weight bat in front of the ball is easily done. It's not about speed in that case, it's about timing. You just have to put the bat in the path of the ball "soon" enough, not "fast" enough. Kind of like a swinging bunt--instead of a fast attack on the ball.
What frequently happens is the player using the heavy bat will have occasional super hits and then there's no way to reason with them. The pitcher hits the bat, the ball goes over the fence, the batter thinks they did it, and the cycle starts anew. Of course, sometimes they do hit it hard on their own.
I just wish I could convince them how much better they could be with a bat they can really handle. These are usually the stronger, harder working kids so handling/manipulating a 23-oz bat would be a lot better than trying to muscle a 25-27 oz bat.
- Jan 24, 2011
- 1,156
- 0
IMO , 34/25 is way too big for a girl that size.
This bat is way to heavy for most anyone playing fastpitch. Bustos maybe could swing it and a handful of others but I bit you would have a tougn time finding one player on every college team that swings a bat that heavy. For that size and weight of a kid you should be in a 31 or 32 inch bat with no less than a 9 drop in weght.
Our smallest girl is taller than your DD and most of them weigh at or above her weight too and the longest heaviest bat we use is 33/24 and I think if she actully used a lighter bad she would be a better hitter. She hits bombs, but pitchers who change speeds on her get her out.
Our smallest girl is taller than your DD and most of them weigh at or above her weight too and the longest heaviest bat we use is 33/24 and I think if she actully used a lighter bad she would be a better hitter. She hits bombs, but pitchers who change speeds on her get her out.
It is not a bat that I would buy a 12YO, but I don't know your DD. If she is hitting well, she could hit with a tree limb.
Did you ask this parent for his advice or was it unsolicited?
Many girls swing too light of bat. Tell him that.
Did you ask this parent for his advice or was it unsolicited?
Many girls swing too light of bat. Tell him that.
- Jan 24, 2011
- 1,156
- 0
I would have to strongly disagree with this point. I see MANY more girls swinging bats that are WAY TOO HEAVY than I do girls that swing too light.
I teach both boys and girls to hit. Many of my 12 yo girls are bigger than the boys the same age. The boys are swinging bats that are -8 and -3. I see no reason for 12yo girls to swing something that is -11 and -12.
- Oct 25, 2009
- 3,331
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Two wrongs don't make a right. But two Wrights made an airplane.
