| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
HAWKS8
70 Posts |
 Posted - 01/12/2012 : 17:20:33
|
I am sure this is a topic that nobody is 100% sure about, but just like your team rankings, there will be many opinions.
It's January, all the latest and greatest are out by now. Here is my question.
At 13U, do you take advantage of the -5 drop, non-BBCOR bat for bat speed and pop or do you go straight through to the -3, BBCOR bat, which from what I have seen has lost a great deal of the pop?
I have been looking at all the bats on the market. If you listen to your 13 year old, this bat or that bat is "The Bomb".
I want to hear from you all as to what bats you have first hand knowledge of that are hot bats. Also, if your opinion is to swing lighter and faster or give up some bat speed for the heavier bat. |
Edited by - HAWKS8 on 01/12/2012 17:22:36 |
|
|
jacjacatk
154 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2012 : 18:43:57
|
Hot bats don't matter, they'll all be swinging BBCOR in a year or two where the range of performance is likely going to be much more narrow. We went with a -5 Easton Rival for this season primarily because of the balanced feel and one-piece design (son's preferences) and are using -2 wood and -3 BESR in the cage some of the time in preparation for switching to BBCOR this summer/fall (son will be a 14U HS freshman).
Haven't noticed a significant difference in bat speed between the three, takes a little more conscious effort to properly square up the heavier bats right now, but really just got started with them. Performance difference isn't huge either, BESR bat we have is used and pretty dead, though (probably better that way for the transition, really). |
 |
|
|
outlaweagle
27 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2012 : 20:20:46
|
| From what I have seen there is not much difference in performance and the weight difference is very small. The BBCOR makes a different sound at contact but my opinion it the ball comes off just as hot if hit properly. Obviously it will not be as hot as many of the illegal bats(rolled and shaved) that many people choose to use. I would suggest taking at look at the Marucci Cat 5, Rawlings 5150, or any of the new Easton Speed series. |
|
|
|
balldad
43 Posts |
Posted - 01/13/2012 : 20:37:53
|
| Bought my son the demarini vexxum -5. He has used the vexxum for several years with great success. It is a hot bat in my opinion and his too. |
|
|
|
baseballdad13
1 Posts |
Posted - 01/17/2012 : 09:07:45
|
| I know for my son this year we went ahead and got the -3 BBCOR and he is using it only. No need to have different bats when he will also be playing school ball. He swings it fine and the pop difference is yet to be determined. He has the TPX Z1000 and loves this bat. |
|
|
|
rippit
667 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2012 : 14:57:28
|
Our kids are 14U, but I saw this last Saturday at the cage. Several have just bought new -3 BBCOR bats and some are still just swinging wood and waiting another month. They were all switching bats to try out what was available which prompted me to make a call to a hitting coach to ask his opinion of end weighted vs even weight distribution. When I told him why, he told me to tell them (and it's not even my place!)to stop worrying about what KIND of bat it is and to just hit the ball the right way!
Reps, reps, reps, reps, reps.
And when you finish. More reps. |
|
|
|
mallard
9 Posts |
Posted - 01/24/2012 : 15:12:14
|
| We're swinging a -3. Right now I'm hearing that the Easton Series 1 is a very good bat with good pop. Anybody hearing the same? |
|
|
|
DecaturDad
619 Posts |
Posted - 01/24/2012 : 16:10:16
|
quote:
Originally posted by rippit
.... To stop worrying about what KIND of bat it is and to just hit the ball the right way!
Reps, reps, reps, reps, reps.
And when you finish. More reps.
What? I can't buy my boy homeruns any more?  |
|
|
|
rippit
667 Posts |
Posted - 01/25/2012 : 08:23:46
|
quote:
Originally posted by mallard
We're swinging a -3. Right now I'm hearing that the Easton Series 1 is a very good bat with good pop. Anybody hearing the same?
That was one of the bats being used last weekend and I thought it did, but maybe it's because my son has been hitting with a very heavy wood for the last 2 months. Switching back to any metal might have seemed like it had better pop. S1 or S2 or XL1 or XL 2. That's what the kids seem to like. |
|
|
|
gunslinger33
16 Posts |
Posted - 01/25/2012 : 12:49:15
|
| Voodoo |
|
|
|
stixxbaseball10
14 Posts |
Posted - 01/26/2012 : 14:02:55
|
| Anderson Ignite seems to be the best and cheapest so far . I have personally tested all 6 Eastons, Rawlings 5150 and the Anderson. The Ignite is end loaded, so it might not be for everyone. The Rawlings is close, but the Eastons are horrible. I would not allow a player on my team to swing the Eastons in a game situation. They seem to be selling graphics and not trying to make a great performing bat. |
|
|
|
OBXBlue
33 Posts |
Posted - 01/27/2012 : 09:44:49
|
| Rip-It Prototype II seems to get the most positive reviews. Also the Marucci Cat5 which is what I am buying for our private school. Primarily due to cost but it gets great reviews. I still think composites would outperform the alloys just due to the way the bat will break down. Just my opinion though. |
|
|
|
Whitlow
211 Posts |
Posted - 01/28/2012 : 21:13:37
|
| For 13U I would avoid BBCOR for now and just make sure and get a -5 drop bat with the 2012 USSSA stamp on it. BBCOR's will not perform as well that is what the standard was meant to do. From what I've read that nearly all the previous metal bats meet the 1.15 BPF standard that USSSA requires so not much performance difference except that it will be a -5 drop with more end loading. The coach of my son's 13U team has them all hitting with wood bats as well and wants all the 8th graders to be swinging -5 drop bats. I've also had nearly every hitting coach tell me to get my son a wood bat to practice with. So I got my son a -3 drop 2-5/8 Mizuno wood bat ~$60, a -5 drop 2-1/4 Rawlings wood bat for ~$25, and just went with a -5 drop Louisville Slugger Omaha metal bat as a game bat. The Mizuno wood bat seemed more balanced that other -3 drop wood bats. I think all the Demarini's at -5 drop are BBCOR so I would avoid. Check the forums on baseball-bats.net. An Easton Engineer used to post a lot, but just made his last post as an Easton Engineer yesterday 1/27/2012. |
|
|
|
balldad
43 Posts |
Posted - 01/29/2012 : 21:52:43
|
| The Voodoo is a BBCOR bat but the vexxum is not. It is a two piece composite handle with aluminum barrel. it is centered balanced and has the flex motion when you swing. My son and most of his team loves the bat because of its pop. |
|
|
|
in_the_know
985 Posts |
Posted - 01/29/2012 : 23:30:29
|
For the record, I don't. think you will find a BBCOR bat that is drop 5. By definition, the BBCOR certification specifies that the bat must be a drop 3 or less, so a drop 5 would not meet the BBCOR certification. That's not to say that Demarini didn't choose to make their drop 5's with the same barrel COR as their drop 3's, but you won't find a drop 5 with a BBCOR stamp. As long as the bat doesn't EXCEED the 1.15 it can carry the USSSA stamp. So you may find some out there that don't quite get to the 1.15, which is what they may be saying about the Demarini's (I had not heard that rumor until your post, however).
quote:
Originally posted by Whitlow
For 13U I would avoid BBCOR for now and just make sure and get a -5 drop bat with the 2012 USSSA stamp on it. BBCOR's will not perform as well that is what the standard was meant to do. From what I've read that nearly all the previous metal bats meet the 1.15 BPF standard that USSSA requires so not much performance difference except that it will be a -5 drop with more end loading. The coach of my son's 13U team has them all hitting with wood bats as well and wants all the 8th graders to be swinging -5 drop bats. I've also had nearly every hitting coach tell me to get my son a wood bat to practice with. So I got my son a -3 drop 2-5/8 Mizuno wood bat ~$60, a -5 drop 2-1/4 Rawlings wood bat for ~$25, and just went with a -5 drop Louisville Slugger Omaha metal bat as a game bat. The Mizuno wood bat seemed more balanced that other -3 drop wood bats. I think all the Demarini's at -5 drop are BBCOR so I would avoid. Check the forums on baseball-bats.net. An Easton Engineer used to post a lot, but just made his last post as an Easton Engineer yesterday 1/27/2012.
|
|
|
|
in_the_know
985 Posts |
Posted - 01/29/2012 : 23:33:35
|
Both the Vexxum and Voodoo come in BBCOR and USSSA stamped versions. The BBCOR's are drop 3 and the USSSA stamped are drop 5 to drop 13.
quote:
Originally posted by balldad
The Voodoo is a BBCOR bat but the vexxum is not. It is a two piece composite handle with aluminum barrel. it is centered balanced and has the flex motion when you swing. My son and most of his team loves the bat because of its pop.
|
|
|
|
Whitlow
211 Posts |
Posted - 01/31/2012 : 08:29:43
|
In my opinion, I don't think the flex in baseball bats works like tennis rackets. I believe the flex might reduce vibration but seems like would reduce the speed off the bat. I think stiff bats are better, but having a little flex might be okay just not a lot of flex. I decided this after reading a few articles on this website:
http://www.kettering.edu/physics/drussell/bats.html
quote:
Originally posted by balldad
The Voodoo is a BBCOR bat but the vexxum is not. It is a two piece composite handle with aluminum barrel. it is centered balanced and has the flex motion when you swing. My son and most of his team loves the bat because of its pop.
|
|
|
|
LILChief
12 Posts |
Posted - 01/31/2012 : 15:30:34
|
For us as a 13 U team in the Feeder program, I have asked the players to use a wood bat, drop 3 in BP, but in our games we are allowed to use a -5 and -8 being highest with new stamp of course.
I do have a few small guys that need to swing the drop -8.
I did by my son a Marucci black...He thinks its the bomb. check them out |
|
|
|
Whitlow
211 Posts |
Posted - 01/31/2012 : 19:19:32
|
It really depends on what the hitter likes. My son at the younger age groups never liked the Demarini Vexxum because he was not used to the head heavy bat and liked the balanced swing of the Louisville Catalyst, etc. With that being said it did seem like the bat had a lot of pop when hit in the sweet spot, but seemed dead when hit off the sweet spot more so than other bats. I have to say when you get to -3 drop the Voodoo seems lighter and more balanced than the other -3 bats. I kinda like the -5 drop Easton Rival XXL 2-3/4 barrel. They were selling these with the 2012 USSSA stamp, but it looks like they are sold out a lot of places now. I saw the Misfits using this bat this fall in 2-5/8. Theoretically the bigger 2-3/4 barrel should give a little more pop.
Here is the direct link to "Do Flexible Handles affect the Performance of Baseball or Softball Bats?"
http://www.kettering.edu/physics/drussell/bats-new/handle-flex.html
quote:
Originally posted by Whitlow
In my opinion, I don't think the flex in baseball bats works like tennis rackets. I believe the flex might reduce vibration but seems like would reduce the speed off the bat. I think stiff bats are better, but having a little flex might be okay just not a lot of flex. I decided this after reading a few articles on this website:
http://www.kettering.edu/physics/drussell/bats.html
quote:
Originally posted by balldad
The Voodoo is a BBCOR bat but the vexxum is not. It is a two piece composite handle with aluminum barrel. it is centered balanced and has the flex motion when you swing. My son and most of his team loves the bat because of its pop.
|
|
|
|
balldad
43 Posts |
Posted - 01/31/2012 : 20:10:18
|
| My son has used the vexxum for years and loves it. the flex in the handle to reduce vibration and no other reason. This bat does not feel end loaded and is not end loaded atleast in the -5. There website shows how they are made and i believe just bats explains it also about them being centered balanced. |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
Topic Locked
