Newbie composite question and real feedback on new bat...

[BillyB]

Just got the new 2022 Ghost, 30 drop 11 for my 10 year old. 100% quality softballs are used...We took our time "clearly rotate every hit" and did 100 off tee at average swing nothing crazy, turned it up a bit for the next 100, did some soft tossing and short tossing pitching plus tee work for another 125, nothing full speed pitching wise. Probably 200 last night at her instructors, going tee and easy 35-40 mph throws 50/50 off tee and pitching, total now around 525 hits. So for context, we are not even going to the full speed pitching yet that is seen in 12U, which she played in this past summer. The damn thing is a super hot bat, like crazzzy pop and we are about 2 weeks give or take into this time window, of receiving the bat

So, need your opinion on this. I started seeing the paint lines at around 250 swings, and what now looks like a paint crack. If I save it for games, it's clearly under the one year until Sept. of next year, and we wouldn't really use until spring with weather and obviously inside training I will have her use her aluminum easton with same weight and length. BUT I also hear if it goes sideways early on, they just replace and still allow another return if there is another issue. Is there truth to that?

A. What do you think with the pictures? One has a straight line, the others look toothy...even in the white pictures you can see the zig zags in paint from the top of the E to below the A. The straight line in the G and H area seams to have cracked the paint.
B. Should I just save it now for games since it's broken in, and make it through this one to start next season. Then a replace when it goes in a game during the season?
C. OR just continue to let it rip at some practices and fall ball games, and whatever happens happens?
D. After breaking in these composite bats 250-500 hits, how many swings do people feel are too many, to carry a bat into the regular season with?

 

[Strike2]

I don't know of many newer composite bats that really need much "breaking in". DD has a 2017 LXT Hyper that I bought in good used condition plus a newer Demarini. Both have literally thousands of swings on them from a fully grown hittin'-over-the-fence 17-18 yo. She used them for Tee, soft-toss, front toss, and hundreds of at-bats. The only place we didn't use them is in a cage with a machine throwing dimple balls. Neither bat shows anything more than hit marks, and those mostly clean off with Windex. I'm stunned that a 10yo's bat shows that kind of wear / damage after so little use.

 

[ANNASDAD]

The fact that a 10 year old can cause this is just ridiculous!!

 

[erniekru]

Keep using it until either A) your 1 year warranty is up, or B) it gets pulled from a game by the umpire. There are tons and tons of posts showing that these bats don't fly apart hurting anyone. B is highly unlikely short of PGF, etc. Enjoy the bat! You'll get a new one at the end of the year!

 

[Eric F]

I see the very beginnings of delamination of the surface layer of the composite material. Nothing to really be alarmed about.

This is my DD's Ghost Advanced (33/23). It took about 700-800 hits to get from the top left pic to the bottom pic, and she was swinging with the full intent to break the bat in half. When it was in the condition on the top right pic, she was still hitting front toss 200'. She had multiple thousands of hits in the bat to get it to the condition in the top left pic. FWIW, my DD hits softballs with extreme prejudice.

 

[ANNASDAD]

I see the very beginnings of delamination of the surface layer of the composite material. Nothing to really be alarmed about.

This is my DD's Ghost Advanced (33/23). It took about 700-800 hits to get from the top left pic to the bottom pic, and she was swinging with the full intent to break the bat in half. When it was in the condition on the top right pic, she was still hitting front toss 200'. She had multiple thousands of hits in the bat to get it to the condition in the top left pic. FWIW, my DD hits softballs with extreme prejudice.
View attachment 23917

And Maddie swings a bat like a grown man! Back when Anna was 10, I never ever once saw a bat do this, not one!

Unless a 10 year old is hitting trees, light poles, or doing self toss with rocks…..a 10 year old shouldn’t be breaking bats!

I’ve pretty much stayed out of these broken bat posts, but this is ridiculous!

 

[BillyB]

Keep using it until either A) your 1 year warranty is up, or B) it gets pulled from a game by the umpire. There are tons and tons of posts showing that these bats don't fly apart hurting anyone. B is highly unlikely short of PGF, etc. Enjoy the bat! You'll get a new one at the end of the year!

That's the thing...The plan was to get some good hits in up to 500 or so and have it ready for spring ball. Then hit with her 30 drop 11 aluminum in the meantime. Now I'm not sure if I want to just have her swing away with it at practice, and our normal hitting sessions, because the head to head stuff is pretty much done. The thing smashes balls, but I do hear Easton is pretty flexible if stuff starts to break down early after you order and send in for replacement like and extend another warranty?! As in replace it, and then still warranty the replacement?! She swings a mean bat, and she never fisted any pitches off, pretty clean sessions all around. Pretty crazy.

 

[_MIA_]

That's the thing...The plan…..

Everybody has a plan till their expensive, fragile bat punches them in the face…

 

[_MIA_]

My “factor of safety” advice would be buy a bat which you can afford to purchase at least two times in one calendar year..if you cannot do that get something cheaper…

 

[BillyB]

I see the very beginnings of delamination of the surface layer of the composite material. Nothing to really be alarmed about.

This is my DD's Ghost Advanced (33/23). It took about 700-800 hits to get from the top left pic to the bottom pic, and she was swinging with the full intent to break the bat in half. When it was in the condition on the top right pic, she was still hitting front toss 200'. She had multiple thousands of hits in the bat to get it to the condition in the top left pic. FWIW, my DD hits softballs with extreme prejudice.
View attachment 23917

Interesting it's in the same place approximately.

The fact that a 10 year old can cause this is just ridiculous!!

LOL, I'm thinking the same thing. Little pissed but not too upset. This is the kind of random shirt that always happens when I buy things. Kind of used to it... I'm pretty sure Easton pushes the boundary when it comes to making it hot. I honestly think it's gotta be a bug in the manufacturing process, like a certain percentage will end up doing this no matter what, as they are pushing the edge of what the composite will do. Yes, 4 hondo is a lot but I was going into it knowing 1 a year and I size up...If it gets shot, then it's replaced. THIS is interesting because it's early, and they may possibly replace it, and still give me a year warranty with the replacement. I may have her let it rip another week and see how it unfolds here.