Looking for a 30/18 decent bat at a tolerable price for my 9yo DD, I ended up selecting a 2013 Demarini Vendetta (2-piece composite, $130) that became one of her Christmas presents. It's a very nice-looking (IMO) bat that my DD really likes the feel of. On the field, I was a little underwhelmed by how the ball was coming off the bat. Being a composite barrel, there might be some breaking-in that still needs to happen before we see optimum performance. Also, we've been doing a lot of work on my DD's swing mechanics, so I was chalking some of it up to her swing still needing work. Hitting off a tee, she was getting line drives to the edge of the grass on a pretty good-sized field, but I was expecting a bit more. She was hitting farther than that with her 29" Easton Synge and worse swing mechanics.
On a whim, I went shopping for a cheap alternate bat for her bag, and stumbled into the Combat Lisa Fernandez (alloy barrel, composite handle). To my surprise, by sub-$30 max bid on eBay was the winner - new in wrapper, with warranty. Batting during team practice last night, and swinging the Combat, my DD hit the longest line drives I've seen from her. The difference was dramatic! These were the kind of hits I was expecting from all the hitting work we've been doing.
I haven't given up on the Vendetta, but in the meantime, I'm damn impressed with the Combat for $30. Best of all was my DD's excitement at hitting the ball harder than she ever has before.
A question for those more knowledgeable/experienced...
I heard a comment a while back that composite bats with softer balls (11" RIF-1, in this case) is a mistake. The trampoline effect advantage of a composite is lost with a softer ball, and the stiffer barrel of an alloy bat is more effective. My one comparison seems to support this theory, but there are a lot of other factors involved that make me reluctant to come to the same conclusion. Is there any merit to this?
On a whim, I went shopping for a cheap alternate bat for her bag, and stumbled into the Combat Lisa Fernandez (alloy barrel, composite handle). To my surprise, by sub-$30 max bid on eBay was the winner - new in wrapper, with warranty. Batting during team practice last night, and swinging the Combat, my DD hit the longest line drives I've seen from her. The difference was dramatic! These were the kind of hits I was expecting from all the hitting work we've been doing.
I haven't given up on the Vendetta, but in the meantime, I'm damn impressed with the Combat for $30. Best of all was my DD's excitement at hitting the ball harder than she ever has before.
A question for those more knowledgeable/experienced...
I heard a comment a while back that composite bats with softer balls (11" RIF-1, in this case) is a mistake. The trampoline effect advantage of a composite is lost with a softer ball, and the stiffer barrel of an alloy bat is more effective. My one comparison seems to support this theory, but there are a lot of other factors involved that make me reluctant to come to the same conclusion. Is there any merit to this?
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