Is my daughters bat too heavy
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Your hitting coach does not understand hand path. This is why we don't use weights on bats or a heavy bat. Better ways to correct casting. Why some kids struggle with end loaded bats, it is the hand path.
It is not the hand path. Players do not try to steer their hands into a certain "path". It's all about the path the barrel takes. Barrel / ball relationship is everything to the ball and through the ball.
Kids struggle with end loaded bats because of the timing of their effort. They "release" the effort of their swing way too early and as a result they throw the barrel out into a wide circular path around the ball.
They "throw" their barrel off the desired path, not their hands.
My dd is 5'0" and weighs about 85#s, right now she swing a 30" -13 and regularly one hops ball to the fence. We are getting her a new Synge 31" -11.5, she says the bat feels good to her. From what has been said in earlier post does she need to go with a heavier bat (-10) ? I know that some of bigger girls can handle a -10 but what about the smaller ones. Just looking for some clarification.
Allen
Allen
- Jul 26, 2010
- 3,553
- 0
It's not about bigger vs. smaller, it depends on how strong she is.
My 12 year old daughter weighs about 90 lbs. She used to swing -12, then -11, now she's using a slightly end loaded -10. She was swinging the bat very well and hitting the crud out of the ball.
Now, she's decided to switch to lefty, and we (her hitting coach, my daughter, and I) felt the only real way to do this was to dive in and commit, since she's been dabbling for years and always switching back to right when the pressure was on. Hitting left, the -10 xeno is too heavy for her to manage without dropping the barrel, so she's back to using her -11 until she builds up strength. Clearly she hasn't gotten any smaller or lighter, but because her non-dominant hand is weaker, she needs a lighter bat to facilitate proper mechanics. She'll get stronger, and she'll move up to a heavier bat as she does.
I use one handed drills as a point of reference. If the kid can choke up to the top third of the wrapped handle and manage 1 handed "hammer" drills with the front hand and "rock skip/frisbee" drills with the back hand on their chosen bat, then the bat is fine. If they can't, and need to use a smaller/lighter bat for the drills, then the bat is too heavy.
-W
My 12 year old daughter weighs about 90 lbs. She used to swing -12, then -11, now she's using a slightly end loaded -10. She was swinging the bat very well and hitting the crud out of the ball.
Now, she's decided to switch to lefty, and we (her hitting coach, my daughter, and I) felt the only real way to do this was to dive in and commit, since she's been dabbling for years and always switching back to right when the pressure was on. Hitting left, the -10 xeno is too heavy for her to manage without dropping the barrel, so she's back to using her -11 until she builds up strength. Clearly she hasn't gotten any smaller or lighter, but because her non-dominant hand is weaker, she needs a lighter bat to facilitate proper mechanics. She'll get stronger, and she'll move up to a heavier bat as she does.
I use one handed drills as a point of reference. If the kid can choke up to the top third of the wrapped handle and manage 1 handed "hammer" drills with the front hand and "rock skip/frisbee" drills with the back hand on their chosen bat, then the bat is fine. If they can't, and need to use a smaller/lighter bat for the drills, then the bat is too heavy.
-W
- Oct 25, 2009
- 3,331
- 48
What age group? What brand bat is the 30/-13?
Has she tried the Synge with actual pitching? Has she tried other bats with actual pitching?
If she's one-hopping the fence with her current bat I would be careful going too heavy too quickly. That being said, you won't know unless you try it. 31/21 might not be heavy at all.
Has she tried the Synge with actual pitching? Has she tried other bats with actual pitching?
If she's one-hopping the fence with her current bat I would be careful going too heavy too quickly. That being said, you won't know unless you try it. 31/21 might not be heavy at all.
Jim there are some very good hitting coaches that would disagree with you. Hitter being one! Slaught being another one.
She is 12U. The bat she's uses now is a Demarini Cat Osterman 30 -13 She has tried a team mates Synge that is a 31 -11.5 with good results, she only used it a couple of times and hit screaming line drives both times and fell in love with it. She wanted to try a Xeno 31-21 but no local carries one, we have tryed all the local sporting goods stores as well as Dick's, and we don't know anyone who has one. She has tried both the Stealth and CF4 and didn't like either. She does her own research on bats then we go bat shopping. She has been happy with her current bat until recently.
Allen
Allen
- Oct 25, 2009
- 3,331
- 48
I've heard good things about the Synge. I've seen great things with the Xeno.
If she loves the Synge and is hitting screamers I don't think you can go wrong there. Plus the Synge is more durable due to the two-piece construction of the Xeno. But the Xeno is hot.
Disagree about what specifically? My point was that casting is more of an issue with the timing of their effort. The timing of when the hitter is "throwing the barrel" into the path of the pitch.
More of an effort issue vs. hand path. I do agree with you though in the aspect that the hand path gets altered due to the timing of effort within the swing.
Of course I know that hitters sometimes work to drive their hands in a certain path (apologize for the earlier statement). More often though they are working to drive their barrel into a certain path through the ball.
The point I was trying to make (maybe poorly) was that by focusing on the barrel to ball relationship might be a better way to get the resulted hand path that you are talking about.
