Went from a 29/16 to a 31/19 this fall and now DD is striking out more often

[hummingbird]

We went from a 28/16 and 29/16 past two seasons and went with 31/19 composite. Immediately she started hitting bombs like never before. Started asking myself if I was holding her back by not making this change sooner. Then.. the strikeouts started.
I'm not sure if the bat is the issue or not, but I'm sure it could contribute to it a bit.
My DD is mostly a contact hitter, she rarely strikes out more than two or three times during the season. So far she's already struck out three times in five games!
She swears the bat isn't too long or heavy for her.

I made her go back to the 28/16 and she's now making contact but ball just doesn't fly like before.
Does a heavier bat produce more strikeouts if the player isn't strong enough to swing? Or should I try maybe a 29/18 or even 30/19?

 

[Greatdaytobeawildcat]

Not sure that 3k’s in 5 games is a trend worth worrying about. (And what’s the other side of the equation? I.e. how many more xbh in those games than usual?). Personally I’d let it play out a while longer, not sure you have enough data.

Also, was it clear a slow bat was the “cause” of these three k’s?

 

[cnardone]

How old / big is she? My dd is 4'6'' 90lb. 28/17 all season. I thought she should have been in a 29/18. In June, I bought a 30/19 on sale for next season. She used it in BP and on the Tee. There is a stark difference the two bats. Can she swing the bigger bat off the Tee? sure, Can she hit the ball in BP. sure. But there is difference with front toss, and a bigger difference against 'live' BP. 2 inches and 3 ounces is a giant jump.

 

[misty]

Not an expert, by any means........

But, one comment I've seen mentioned several times is to get her to a drop 10 bat as early as she can handle it. The extra weight will add more oomph to her hits. But, also keep in mind that not all drop -10 bats are actually drop 10's. Check out the bat database thread to see which brands/makes tend to be overweight vs at sticker weight.

I'd also ask what kind of hits she is getting with the 29/16? Is she pulling the ball? Line Drives or grounders? I believe some observation on what kind of hits she is getting would aid in deciding what she could move to, if needed.

 

[hummingbird]

Not sure that 3k’s in 5 games is a trend worth worrying about. (And what’s the other side of the equation? I.e. how many more xbh in those games than usual?). Personally I’d let it play out a while longer, not sure you have enough data.

Also, was it clear a slow bat was the “cause” of these three k’s?

Definitely late to the ball each time from slow motion video.
I know the sample size is small, but these aren't exactly flame throwing pitchers either she's missing against.
And yeah i definitely get your point about the trade off. If she connects, yes she's getting extra bases way more than ever.

 

[_MIA_]

Compare video of her swinging the light and heavy bat...could be nothing or it could be something..

 

[hummingbird]

How old / big is she? My dd is 4'6'' 90lb. 28/17 all season. I thought she should have been in a 29/18. In June, I bought a 30/19 on sale for next season. She used it in BP and on the Tee. There is a stark difference the two bats. Can she swing the bigger bat off the Tee? sure, Can she hit the ball in BP. sure. But there is difference with front toss, and a bigger difference against 'live' BP. 2 inches and 3 ounces is a giant jump.

She's 4'6 and around 60lbs. So maybe this is just too big for her to handle as I thought. There is another player on her team who uses the same size bat as her but she's about 90lbs..

 

[hummingbird]

Not an expert, by any means........

But, one comment I've seen mentioned several times is to get her to a drop 10 bat as early as she can handle it. The extra weight will add more oomph to her hits. But, also keep in mind that not all drop -10 bats are actually drop 10's. Check out the bat database thread to see which brands/makes tend to be overweight vs at sticker weight.

I'd also ask what kind of hits she is getting with the 29/16? Is she pulling the ball? Line Drives or grounders? I believe some observation on what kind of hits she is getting would aid in deciding what she could move to, if needed.

She actually drives them farther with the 28 than the 29, both 16 ounces.
But overall, with both, they are mostly weak grounders, and occasionally some decent shots into the gap, mostly to right field so she's not pulling them.

 

[badmonkey]

You kinda just need to use the eye test on this one. Does it look too heavy? Is the swing noticeably slower? Can she take the heavy bat to a high inside pitch?

I'm sorta going through the same thing. Got a good deal on a 32 -9 that I was thinking DD could grow into by spring or maybe fall. She swings a 31 -11 now. She's killing it in front toss BP with this thing. It looks like she's swinging an oak tree, but the swing is fast and contact is solid. I'm hesitant to let her swing it in a game because I feel it's too big, but man the ball jumps off that bat. Last check my DD is 4'10" 76 lbs. Seems way too small for a bat that size. I just don't want her to go up there and struggle because the bats too big, but I really do want to see her rattle the chain link in center field with it.

 

[badmonkey]

She's 4'6 and around 60lbs. So maybe this is just too big for her to handle as I thought. There is another player on her team who uses the same size bat as her but she's about 90lbs..

We had several girls about that size swinging 30 -11s and 30 -12s on DDs team last year.