- Jan 24, 2011
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This may be a dumb question , but I am going to ask it anyway. Is there a difference between the "fastpitch" gear and the baseball gear. Does it really matter?
Leg guards
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The difference is in the fit. The nice ones for women, fit us better.
- Jan 24, 2011
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In what way? You talking leg guards? Chest protector? Both?
Both. And the chest protector is especially fitted for us. Most brands will indicate if they are for women. I forget what the code is FP or W or something like that.
- Jan 24, 2011
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I noticed that the Rawlings leg guards were mentioned above. I don't see a "fastpitch" version for them. Did I miss something?
We got to peruse catchers gear from various manufacturers. (it was a blast!) and the answer is yes and no... Depending on the manufacturer! For instance, Schutt, Combat, and Diamond have only one listing for catcher's gear for both baseball and softball. Easton, Louisville, Mizuno, All-Star and Rawlings (sort-of) have separate pages for catchers gear. Rawlings is a sort of as they list the same gear on both pages. Except their baseball page has more masks and chest protectors available than the softball page. I remember purchasing the last set of shin guard for the DD about 3 years ago and in order to get the superior padding from Easton, we had to purchase baseball shin guards... They didn't have decent knee pads in the fastpitch equipment. (In my opinion)
Depending on manufacturer, shin guards sizes are varied, starting at 10.5 inches and going clear up to 18 inches. Some manufacturers go in half-inch, inch and even inch and a half increments in sizing their shin guards! Diamond has 5 different mask styles and 9 different chest protectors! Rawlings has 4 different masks, 8 different chest protectors and 3 different shin guards listed.
I got to check out All-Star's adjustable fit leggings at the clinic. The plastic shin guard portion is mold-able to the shin for a tight or loose fit. They are very nice! They are also incorporating their D30 material in the knee pads of some models. Schutt's got some of the best looking leggings with the plastic portion of the shin guard greatly reduced on the sides and reinforced in front. Rawlings still has the best knee padding for blocking that I have seen and they look great too (Again, my opinion...)
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- Sep 14, 2009
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Huge Difference, chest and Legs,,Daughter tried a pair of Easton stealth leg guards, didn't even come close to fitting her right, tried the Synge at the same "size" and fit her perfect, Same with the chest protector, with the difference between mens and womens being obvious. I am in love with the Easton Synge Stuff, Easton put a lot of time into making this set special for the women/girls. Helmets are the only thing that I suppose are universal, although a design to accommodate a lot of hair wouldn't be a bad idea.
- Jan 24, 2011
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I may just have to do some trial and error with this. While there are probably some significant differences between the "fastpitch" and baseball gear in some brands , I have seen very little difference in some of the others
- Jan 20, 2011
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Wilson and Mizuno do a good job with the 'fastpitch' gear outfitting different sized catchers. If you have a tall daughter or a girl that is mostly leg, the All-Star System 7 only goes to a 14.5" chest and leg. That is a shame because All-Star is very, very good gear. That being said, with a daughter 5'-7" and still growing you will find yourself floating between 'fastpitch' and 'baseball' gear. A lot of it is trial and error as to what fits your daughter best. For DD, she will not give up her 15.5" Mizuno Samurai legs (we switched many years ago from Easton and she will never go elsewhere), we recently switched to All-Star 15.5" baseball System 7 chest and Under Armour HG2-AS helmet. We have tried to keep all components from the same manufacturer but have found that some parts of the package fit well and others didn't.
My DD enjoys catchers gear shopping more than clothes shopping! She likes putting on and checking out all the new gear. Wardrobe consists mostly of tourney shirts and warm up/yoga pants anyways.
Happy hunting on what gear works best for your daughter!
My DD enjoys catchers gear shopping more than clothes shopping! She likes putting on and checking out all the new gear. Wardrobe consists mostly of tourney shirts and warm up/yoga pants anyways.
Happy hunting on what gear works best for your daughter!
Helmets are definitely not always universal. Wilson makes a FP-specific helmet that is significantly lighter and smaller for women. My girls both use the Wilson anti-shock helmets, and the baseball version has a much denser cage as well as being much larger in the front.
