Switching Bats ... Maybe

[Dial]

Before I understood all the terminology with bats I got my daughter a 2014 CF6 Insane -10 a couple years ago when she started to get serious about travel ball.

We use a lighter aluminum that we put the zepp on for drills off the tee, 32 -11, and she swings that one with more speed which I would expect.

She tried one of her teammates 2015 LS LXT 32 -10 and she says it feels to light and wierd , but she swings it faster.

I think a balanced bat would help her swing be more consistant, but Im a little lost and afraid to get a 32 -9.

Thoughts??

 

[masterblaster22]

We too went with a CF6 Insane, and DD didnt like the way it felt but hit well with it. She now swings a balanced 32 -10 LXT in games, and sometimes a 32 -9 which is mainly her cage bat. I also had her swinging a -11 until she was playing 12U ball, but realized it was too light for her and she was much stronger that I thought. Using the -9 during the winter, and spring has helped tremendously with her bat speed, and hitting more hard line drives with both the -10, and -9. She'll still use the -9 from time to time in travel ball games when her go to is as she puts it "letting her down", but her -10 lxt is her go to bat. Looking back I would have never purchased any -11 bats knowing what I know now with manufacture bat weights and how they fluctuate thanks to the people here on this forum.

For us the big debate now is when do we go up to a 33", lol.

That being said some love their -11's but I think a balanced -10 at the minimum would help her get stronger and at the same time produce solid hits if mechanics are ok.

 

[Little Angels Softball]

The Insane isn't terribly end-loaded but it isn't balanced, either. The LXT is definitely more balanced and will certainly feel lighter as a result, although it probably isn't if you put it on a scale.

Depending on her age, size and strength, a -9 is an iffy consideration. Drop 9s are a big girl's bat ... if she is getting noticeably better swing speed with a -11 than with a -10, then I probably wouldn't be looking to make the move to -9. However, I much prefer exit speed measurements to Zepp readings as they are a more true indicator of which bat is outperforming which in each girls' hands. Try getting a few hundred exit speed readings with both the Insane and the LXT if you can. The averages will show themselves rather clearly and you'll get a good idea of what works best for her, and so will she.