Is my daughters bat too heavy

[D.G. OutLaws 16u]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I bought her two bats a 33/20, and a 33/22. Now the trick is getting her to use them she likes the heavy bat.

"The trick is getting her to use them"?? Let me tell you that a 2oz difference is huge.
IMO this has the potential for messing up a swing entirely. She should learn to master 1 bat size. When your DD gets into a slump(just a matter of time) she could mentally go nuts trying to figure out whats wrong....going back and forth betweeen the two hoping one will work. 2oz's WILL make her timing different, ask anyone who knows batting. Please take that 33/20 away from her, since you can't return it keep it for yourself to use when you 2 play/practice in the park.
I;ve been coaching 10yrs now, seen every type of body build, never ever have I seen a high level TB player use anything heavier than a drop 9. Most use drop 10's and the tiniest girls use drop 11. Get the machoism thing off the table where bigger is better. Sure your DD can blast those 12u speed fastballs dropping in over the plate.....enjoy that fun! Soon she will be facing a whole new level of play where her 'longball' hitting style will fade a bit. What worries me here is whats happening to her mechanics right now if she's instinctively swinging for the fences jumping out of her shoes every at bat.....and probably has an uppercut swing. Since your DD's a power hitter please have her focus on linedrives(a hitting coach wouldn't hurt)....homeruns will come. This will make her future transition more enjoyable for the both of you.

 

[D.G. OutLaws 16u]

Question....isn't drop 8 (-8) the heaviest allowed in fastpitch? drop 7 or less is for slowpitch exclusively? And isn't drop 13.5 the lightest in fastpitch?

At 13 I bought my dd a 34/28 and she could have gone bigger. She's 15 now and I am thinking about going 34/30. As a sophomore on her High School Varsity team she hit a home run over a 8 foot high fence 250 feet from home plate.

34/28...drop 6 and your considering a 34/30 ...drop 4
I'm prety sure your getting away with using ineligable bats

 

[notoday]

Thanks mom that's the exact size she used yesterday (32/22) and hit one out.

 

[Greenmonsters]

Question....isn't drop 8 (-8) the heaviest allowed in fastpitch? drop 7 or less is for slowpitch exclusively? And isn't drop 13.5 the lightest in fastpitch?



34/28...drop 6 and your considering a 34/30 ...drop 4
I'm prety sure your getting away with using ineligable bats

The bats are approved/certified by the associations (ASA, USSSA etc) for SOFTBALL use, not just FP or just SP (i.e., A SP bat can be used in FP and a FP bat can be used in SP). Some of the big college bombdroppers swing SP bats for the endload or extra weight.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Yes, to what Greenmonsters, said. There are no specific slow pitch bats, just because of weight. There are many men finding out how hot some of the so-called FP bats are at 34,24 and they are swinging them. Their opponents gripe at them and tell them that they need to swing a man's bat. Truth be told, the instances of shaved bats in SP is so prevalent, that not many men are swinging a 26 ounce bat, anyway.

Weigh your DDs bat. You may be surprised what it really weighs.

 

[softballphreak]

Thanks mom that's the exact size she used yesterday (32/22) and hit one out.

There we go. The proof is in the pudding.

As Outlaw said 2 oz is a huge difference. Sell the 20 oz.

If you decide to change later consider the 33/23 oz.

 

[01mom]

Thanks mom that's the exact size she used yesterday (32/22) and hit one out.

That's GREAT!!! I bet she was really excited to see she could do it w/out the tree branch !!!

 

[D.G. OutLaws 16u]

Monsters and Amy....
Thanks for that tidbit of info, I really had no idea SP and FP could intermingle. As a 10yr vet you'd think I should allready know this!
No such thing as a stupid question around here.....another reason why this forum rocks!!

 

[dbias]

I am amazed at the sp and fp bat thing! who'da thunk it? Alot different from bb where half our teams bats were illegal this year over the bbcor thing. My DD uses an Easton 33/24 and a xeno 33/25 and loves them both. She is 5'7'' and 150. She has a Demarini insane 33/23 but complains its to light and "soft".... says it feels like it gives/bends to much, though it may be worn out but others on the team use it.

 

[Jim]

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.

Agreed! Lighter bat is a band-aid for most girls' poor swings.

If she has an efficient swing, she will be able to hit with however long or heavy a bat that she wants. She needs to optimize her swing with the best tool (bat) possible. Not too light, not too heavy, not too short, not too long. But it should be the longest, heaviest bat that she can control with bat-speed.

Longer bat means more leverage on the ball. Heavier bat means more mass through the ball. Tin cans are for swings that need help.