Young, little girl bat help needed.

[astrofan]

I know very little about girls fastpitch. My dd is 7, very little compared to the rest of her 8u team. She is brand new to the sport but has picked it up well. Hand/eye coordination is very good. This is 35mph machine pitch with regular 44/375 balls. Her biggest complaint/fear is the hand sting. Currently she does not own a bat.

Her size is probably suited for a tball bat but realize she will grow soon. A few bats I am looking at are

Worth Eclipse (composite) 26/14 $45

Easton Synergy (alloy) 25/14 or 26/15 $35

Any others you can recommend?



I am not looking for best pop, hardest hitting but rather something that will fit her and feel good to her hands. Either of these bats better than another? Any other recommendations as far as sizing for growth, alloy vs composite?

Just kind of lost and want what would feel good in her hands. She has a sis that is coming up behind her to hand it down to as well. Any advice is appreciated.

 

[redhotcoach]

Don't they still use the squishy "incrediballs" at that age?

If so, the bat shouldn't matter beyond what feels good and looks cool.

 

[astrofan]

No , 11" 44 cor 375 compression hardballs.

 

[quincy]

I do not have a recommendation but I think you are in the right price range and not helpful but let her pick a bat that she likes the color. DD’s bat was bouncing backwards a foot after she hit the ball at this age.

 

[Rocketech1]

I know very little about girls fastpitch. My dd is 7, very little compared to the rest of her 8u team. She is brand new to the sport but has picked it up well. Hand/eye coordination is very good. This is 35mph machine pitch with regular 44/375 balls. Her biggest complaint/fear is the hand sting. Currently she does not own a bat.

Her size is probably suited for a tball bat but realize she will grow soon. A few bats I am looking at are

Worth Eclipse (composite) 26/14 $45

Easton Synergy (alloy) 25/14 or 26/15 $35

Any others you can recommend?



I am not looking for best pop, hardest hitting but rather something that will fit her and feel good to her hands. Either of these bats better than another? Any other recommendations as far as sizing for growth, alloy vs composite?

Just kind of lost and want what would feel good in her hands. She has a sis that is coming up behind her to hand it down to as well. Any advice is appreciated.

Those bats listed are essentially tee ball bats. I would have her use a at least a 16oz bat especially if she will have it more the one year. I am shocked that they are pitching from 35 feet with an 11inch hardball. Normally it's 30 feet with a safety ball.

Bottom line is it will be hard for her to hit the ball out past the infield using a tee ball bat with the heavier ball. What distance will they pitch from at 10u, 40 feet?

 

[astrofan]

Those bats listed are essentially tee ball bats. I would have her use a at least a 16oz bat especially if she will have it more the one year. I am shocked that they are pitching from 35 feet with an 11inch hardball. Normally it's 30 feet with a safety ball.

Bottom line is it will be hard for her to hit the ball out past the infield using a tee ball bat with the heavier ball. What distance will they pitch from at 10u, 40 feet?

35 feet in 10 as well.

What bat do you recommend?

 

[Rocketech1]

35 feet in 10 as well.

What bat do you recommend?

Any 28", 16oz bat in your price range. At this age the construction of the bat materials is less important than having a good balanced bat that she can handle. I would go to your local sporting goods store and have her do dry swings with different -12 drop bat (the difference between the length and weight). Color is an important factor at this age. Lastly, try to get her some good hitting instruction so she gets set up correctly with the fundamentals. It's difficult to correct poor mechanics later on. Good luck.

 

[vdubya]

""Her biggest complaint/fear is the hand sting.""

Get a composite. Avoid metal until she has the experience and swing training to handle an Anderson.

Cheap composite is fine. Halo lite in 28/16 would be great if not too long...and it probably isn't.

If you get rid of he hand sting, she will swing without fear. Go composite...no brainer.

VW

 

[pizza-boy01]

My daughter really liked her Easton Synge. They're -11 1/2, cool color schemes, and actually have a little pop. I'd look for an '11 or '12 closeout. Should be able to get a decent price, and you might be able to get a couple yrs out of it.

 

[T.J.]

I second pretty much everything Rocketech said.

A 28" length bat with a -12 drop in a color she likes. If she is a petite as you say you might consider a -13 or -13.5 drop if you can find one. These numbers basically represent the difference of the length to weight. IOW a 30" bat that weighs 20oz will be a -10 drop. A 28" bat that weighs 16oz will be a -12 drop. The bigger the number (-12 or -13) the lighter (more toothpicky or feathery) the bat is.

Easton, Worth, Louisville Slugger, Mizuno, etc...makes no difference at this age and level. Color an dthe smile on her face is what it's all about...and still is to my 15yo to some degree. Yes a composite bat will have a bigger sweet spot possibly resulting in less vibration but the price will go up. You will be able to find a DeMarini Bustos bat for $100-120 range, and that will be a -13 I believe. But I doubt you will find a 7 year old with a $100 bat.

To help with the fear of vibration...you could put one of those knob caps on (I've never used one but I her they do help). Also, batting gloves. Lastly and most importantly...teach her how to hold the bat properly.

One last note. If this is Little League I would check the LL rulebook and your local bylaws about the ball you are using. In our league, the 8U is player/coach pitch, and we use an 11" RIF type ball; its not the squishy bouncy type, but it has some form of absorbing properties in the design.

Hope this helps.

T