Pitching Mask

[John T]

Looking for opinions on a pitching mask for my daughter. She is making the jump from 14U to 16U and has had some close calls. She claims she dosen't need one but I have a different take on that. Any help would be appreciated as far as best fit and feel.

Went pretty deep into the posts here and did not see any current ones about masks.

Thanks in advance

John T

 

[Sweet Lou]

Rip it face mask is the best in my opinion.

 

[Bucketrider]

The Rip It seems fairly light and works well in the heat. Only issue we ever had was the chin pad. Ended up gluing the pad on so it would keep from coming off all the time. The Velcro just does not seem to work well for long.

 

[quincy]

Rip it face mask is the best in my opinion.

This is the one DD likes too but we have not tried a lot out because she likes this one. She did have another one she did not like, do not remember the brand.

 

[Sweet Lou]

DD had a plastic one that she hated. It fogged up, got too sweaty and the plastic scratched in her bag.

 

[KevinC]

My DD (not a pitcher) has been using the Rip-It for several years. She doesn't think it effects her vision at all. Losing the chin pad is a real problem although they sent me a new one for free. I created my own fix here: http://www.discussfastpitch.com/softball-equipment/7435-rip-facemask-mod.html

The new generation Rip-It has been changed to include a removable visor (it looks pretty silly and I doubt many girls would use it) and the padding has been changed to something which is more rigid. My DDs friend just got one and doesn't like the new padding compared to my DDs older model.

If I was buying now I would buy the Schutt facemask. Similar to the Rip-It but the chin pad is better attached. I have bought these for my rec league.

 

[YOCOACH]

DD's a pitcher and she has the older Rip-it as well. Glued the chin pad and all is well with the world...LOL

 

[Axe]

Rip-It, lightweight, open field of vision, no fogging

 

[SoCalSoftballdad]

As an option for both safety and comfort, look at the Bangerz fielding mask, I know several pitchers that use them in the circle. They are the most comfortable of all of the masks, only downside is they only cover the eyes, eye socket, nose and upper jaw. The mouth and chin is still exposed.

 

[starsnuffer]

Rip it and Shutt are pretty much the same design. I don't like the gameface things, but ultimately, it's going to come down to what your daughter likes and what she will wear.

-W