- Jan 10, 2012
- 10
- 0
((Yep - another one of these threads ))
My daughter is starting her second year of TB - she is 11yo and playing 12U. She is only 5ft tall and about 80 pounds (with arms no thicker than a bat handle )). I refuse to pay more than $100-$125 for a bat because I know for the next 3-4 years she will grow in size and strength which will change the length and drop she needs (so the CF4 and CF5 are out ).
Last year at 10U, I bought her a Synergy Crystal -11.5 (31/19.5) for $125 and she seemed to do OK with it but I felt she was a little more behind the ball than I thought she should be and got worried about the weight of the bat (it very well could have been her timing also).
I had fully intended to go into this season with the same Synergy but she has grown a couple of inches, so we borrowed a friend's bat (32/20) and she hit very well with it in the 50mph cage (many balls back up the middle), so I went out and ordered her a Miken Rain -12 (32/20) for this coming season ($76 on eBay brand new seemed like a good deal). My concern is whether or not I am still selling her short with a -12 and might she hit better with a -11 or -10. We don't have many places to go in and swing different bats so it's hard to actually test for weight. What's the best way to narrow down a good size/weight combo for her? Are there guidelines based on height/weight? I guess I can borrow some different bats and let her swing them? Possibly buy a couple of other options (cheap bats at -10 and -11) and have her use them in the cage?
Also, the majority of the work we do here on the snowy east coast is indoor work - she will be hitting everything from dimpled machine balls, to light flights to mini balls, deflated basketballs, a weight bag, wiffle balls, softies, etc off of pitching machines, soft toss and tees (rubber and harder tees). I don't want to damage the new Miken so I am going to get a second bat (cheap one) that she can hit indoors with. Should I go with another 32/20 for consistency? possibly a 32/21 or 33/22 to help strenghten her up (of course her timing might be off when she gets to the Miken)? Try to get another Rain for that cheap a price and use one indoors and keep one safe for games?
I can see positives and negatives to all the options above, so I thought those of you with more experience could proide me some suggestions....
My daughter is starting her second year of TB - she is 11yo and playing 12U. She is only 5ft tall and about 80 pounds (with arms no thicker than a bat handle )). I refuse to pay more than $100-$125 for a bat because I know for the next 3-4 years she will grow in size and strength which will change the length and drop she needs (so the CF4 and CF5 are out ).
Last year at 10U, I bought her a Synergy Crystal -11.5 (31/19.5) for $125 and she seemed to do OK with it but I felt she was a little more behind the ball than I thought she should be and got worried about the weight of the bat (it very well could have been her timing also).
I had fully intended to go into this season with the same Synergy but she has grown a couple of inches, so we borrowed a friend's bat (32/20) and she hit very well with it in the 50mph cage (many balls back up the middle), so I went out and ordered her a Miken Rain -12 (32/20) for this coming season ($76 on eBay brand new seemed like a good deal). My concern is whether or not I am still selling her short with a -12 and might she hit better with a -11 or -10. We don't have many places to go in and swing different bats so it's hard to actually test for weight. What's the best way to narrow down a good size/weight combo for her? Are there guidelines based on height/weight? I guess I can borrow some different bats and let her swing them? Possibly buy a couple of other options (cheap bats at -10 and -11) and have her use them in the cage?
Also, the majority of the work we do here on the snowy east coast is indoor work - she will be hitting everything from dimpled machine balls, to light flights to mini balls, deflated basketballs, a weight bag, wiffle balls, softies, etc off of pitching machines, soft toss and tees (rubber and harder tees). I don't want to damage the new Miken so I am going to get a second bat (cheap one) that she can hit indoors with. Should I go with another 32/20 for consistency? possibly a 32/21 or 33/22 to help strenghten her up (of course her timing might be off when she gets to the Miken)? Try to get another Rain for that cheap a price and use one indoors and keep one safe for games?
I can see positives and negatives to all the options above, so I thought those of you with more experience could proide me some suggestions....