Gear help for a very thin catcher

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Apr 28, 2019
4
3
I’d like to start out by thanking y’all for the wealth of knowledge that you’ve shared throughout the years. I’ve taken what I’ve learned on here and have been helping my daughter find her first set of catcher’s gear.

I could still use some help dialing it in though. My daughter is 10 years old, tall but all legs… and thin. And I mean thin…athletic and healthy, but we have a hard time buying pants that don’t look like she is getting ready for a flood, so catching gear is a challenge. I’ve taken full advantage of Amazon and other’s return policy and have a good idea of what doesn’t work, but we’re still struggling with finding a set of leg guards of the correct length that don’t look awkwardly wide on her (and will let her run/move better).

If my measurements are correct, she is a hair shy of 14” knee to ankle.

In terms of leg guards, the youth Allstar S7 (13.5") is close, but seems wide (she looks awkward when she walks). The Schutt S3.2 and s4.0 (both in 14) are a bit better, but I cant seem to adjust them down to the point where they stay in place properly. (In the few minutes spent walking around the livingroom and popping up from her stance, they seemed to twist a bit on her). Wilson Pro Stock (14.5) and Jenn Schro (14”) swallowed her. She didn’t care for the Diamond ix5 legs (14.5) or the Mizuno 14 youth ( due to fit). I have a pair of Schutts in size 13 on order just to try.

On the chest protector side, she measures out just shy of 13” and she liked the Diamond 14.5” iX5, mainly because its soft enough to mold around her. I found an Allstar Vela in 13”…the length was ok but we couldn’t get it cinched around her properly…seemed to always sit far away from her chest in her squat. The diamond wraps her waist well, sits close to her chest and is flexible enough not to ride up too bad in the squat even though it is probably an inch too long. She looks like a linebacker with the wide chest and cinched in waist, but its as close as we have come. The others we tried were all too big, a bad fit or some combination thereof.

Good news, the All Star helmet is a winner so we’re a third of the way there!

So, for the Dads out there with thin catchers…what are your go to options? Are there other brands/models/sizes out there that I’m missing, or do need to dial in the adjustments on either the S7 or the Schutt leg guards and call it a day?
 
Aug 26, 2019
19
3
Not a dad, but did research and purchase all my DD’s gear last year. She’s 5’6” 105lbs all legs and lean. After buying about $2k worth of options to try everything on (and return) here’s what she settled on-

Schutt leg guards (the best fit for skinny legs) https://www.schuttsports.com/schutt-s4-0-leg-guards.html

Wilson Promotion Chest Protector
Easton Elite X helmet
(I think these are both discontinued so no links)

Good luck to your daughter finding a good fit, it really made all the difference for mine. She’s faster and maneuvers much better behind the plate with gear that fit properly.
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
Apr 28, 2019
4
3
Very much appreciated! Glad to know we're on the right track with the Schutt leg guards. Your daughter doesn't have any issue with them shifting or turning? We're learning as we go with the gear, so we may not have found the sweet spot in the straps yet.

And yes, most of the forums I'm on are male dominated so my Dad comment at the end was a force of habit. I do realize there are plenty of Moms, coaches, players and fans on here contributing as well...and I'm glad for it!
 
Aug 26, 2019
19
3
It’s ok :) I’m in a bunch of sewing groups on Facebook and everyone takes offense to the “hey ladies” posts so I’m probably just used to noticing that kind of thing

I’d keep working to adjust the straps a bit. These really were the narrowest guards we tried for her and she hasn’t complained about turning or shifting in 2 years using them. The one thing she wishes they had was a strap or elastic to hold the flap down at the bottom. Otherwise she’s been very happy with the fit.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Jun 24, 2016
122
28
My daughter is also very tall and thin. We use the Schutt leg guards as well. Have you looked at the newer All Star chest protector (AFX)? She’s been wearing that for a year. Better fit than the Schutt…

 

softgabby

Gear Empress
Mar 10, 2016
1,073
83
Just behind home plate
I’d like to start out by thanking y’all for the wealth of knowledge that you’ve shared throughout the years. I’ve taken what I’ve learned on here and have been helping my daughter find her first set of catcher’s gear.

I could still use some help dialing it in though. My daughter is 10 years old, tall but all legs… and thin. And I mean thin…athletic and healthy, but we have a hard time buying pants that don’t look like she is getting ready for a flood, so catching gear is a challenge. I’ve taken full advantage of Amazon and other’s return policy and have a good idea of what doesn’t work, but we’re still struggling with finding a set of leg guards of the correct length that don’t look awkwardly wide on her (and will let her run/move better).

If my measurements are correct, she is a hair shy of 14” knee to ankle.

In terms of leg guards, the youth Allstar S7 (13.5") is close, but seems wide (she looks awkward when she walks). The Schutt S3.2 and s4.0 (both in 14) are a bit better, but I cant seem to adjust them down to the point where they stay in place properly. (In the few minutes spent walking around the livingroom and popping up from her stance, they seemed to twist a bit on her). Wilson Pro Stock (14.5) and Jenn Schro (14”) swallowed her. She didn’t care for the Diamond ix5 legs (14.5) or the Mizuno 14 youth ( due to fit). I have a pair of Schutts in size 13 on order just to try.

On the chest protector side, she measures out just shy of 13” and she liked the Diamond 14.5” iX5, mainly because its soft enough to mold around her. I found an Allstar Vela in 13”…the length was ok but we couldn’t get it cinched around her properly…seemed to always sit far away from her chest in her squat. The diamond wraps her waist well, sits close to her chest and is flexible enough not to ride up too bad in the squat even though it is probably an inch too long. She looks like a linebacker with the wide chest and cinched in waist, but its as close as we have come. The others we tried were all too big, a bad fit or some combination thereof.

Good news, the All Star helmet is a winner so we’re a third of the way there!

So, for the Dads out there with thin catchers…what are your go to options? Are there other brands/models/sizes out there that I’m missing, or do need to dial in the adjustments on either the S7 or the Schutt leg guards and call it a day?

I have a problem with selecting catchers gear as well. My lower legs are relatively short but I can usually fit in 14's for my legs. My problem lays with my calves. I have well-developed calf muscles as well as well-developed quads from squatting. Sometimes I have problems getting leg guards with long enough straps to go around my calves. My biggest problem with catcher's gear is with the chest protector. My problem mostly revolves around my bust. I am kinda well endowed when it comes to my bust. Like @PAhusker, I use the All Star AFx and I like it.
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
My DD used Schutt legs in 10U, too, and had the same turning issue. I've seen this fairly frequently with Schutt legs, but have no idea why is happens.

When my DD was just getting started with catching, we had to fold and sew the straps of her chest protector in order for them to snug up properly.
 
Apr 28, 2019
4
3
Thanks everyone! I have not tried the AFX yet, but ordered one this morning. I'm getting my money's worth out of the free returns...and I thought choosing gloves and bats was bad.

I like the idea of sewing the straps too. My wife is handy with a sewing machine so that is certainly doable once we find something close.
 
Feb 19, 2016
280
28
Texas
My DD is 13 and is 5'7" and around 100 lbs maybe. She is thin and her gear is mixed. She wears...

Wilson Pro Stock helmet(S-M), and it's done a remarkable job at not concussing her.
UnderArmor (14.5", made by All-Star I think)
All-Star System 7 Legs (16.5")


We just went through having to buy apparently freakishly long shins. We really couldn't find softball shins in the brands we were familiar with, so baseball shins it is. There wasn't much opportunity to shop around when we had to buy them, so it was order and pray. She was coming out of some Wilson pro-motions, so we gave that brand a shot. The Wilson legs were really wide. The shells wrapped around her legs, and the straps couldn't be tightened enough. She's loving her All-Star shins which is what I should have ordered in the first place(not our first set), and we were able to crank them down to fit well. The AFX chest has caught my eye, but I'll try to get her out to look at them herself if they make an appearance in stores.

I see a lot of baggy chest protectors out there, so be sure you're looking at the fit in her squat, not while standing.
 
Apr 28, 2019
4
3
Thanks for the suggestions everyone! I lost track of how much we bought and returned, but we were able to find options that worked. The winning combination for my daughter turned out to be:

All star helmet

Schutt S3.2 legs

Diamond iX5 chest protector.


The trick on the chest protector was to get the older, discontinued baseball model, which came in a 14.5”. I wish it was a little shorter, but it flexes enough to not be an issue when she moves and gets into a squat and wraps around her a bit more than other brands as opposed to bunching up and shifting outward. The ix5 fastpitch model was too long and would have been good for an older, high school age girl. The newer NOCSAE baseball model was much stiffer and thicker across the chest. That makes sense given its intended purpose, but the lack of flexibility made it ride up much higher and was definitely a hinderance. We lucked out and found an acceptable color of the non-NOCSAE on clearance.

We were able to tinker with the leg straps and find a setting that works well. They do tend to turn a little, but not as bad as I had initially feared. The Schutts are by far the narrowest we've come across and there is a night and day difference in watching her run and move in them vs the wider brands.

Thanks again!
 

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