Composite Senior league baseball bats

[slugger3]

I am back again (an annual event for me) researching baseball bats for my 12 year old son. This year I am looking for a 31" "Senior League Big Barrell". It appears that the composite bats have come a long way, and I am interested in having my son try one. They are not that popular in MA, so I have not been able to find anyone who has up here that he could swing. I have narrowed my search to the Miken and Combat manufacturers (I like the idea of a single peice bat vs. a two peice).

Miken just came out with an 09 bat the "Heat"-model MBHHRS10 or 5 (-10 and -5 drop). Miken claims the new bat is made from a new carbon fibre (R900), that is the hardest strength carbon fibre available (33 MSF?). They want $300 for the Heat, but you can get the older model (the "Burn") for only $200. This bat is brand new, so I have not heard much about it.

I have looked at the newest Combat bat "Virus"-model VIRSL (comes in an -10 or -8 drop). Combat claims that they have the only "precision molding technology" that allows them to make thin walls and control the swing weight consistently on all the bats they manufacture. They also claim that they use a patended "seperation barrier technology" that allows them to create free movement between the barrell walls, and thus have no "break in" period.

A little background on my son:

He used a 31" big barrel (Easton Stealth 2 5/8" -10 drop metal barrell two peice bat) last year in his AAU league, and a 31" Anderson Techzilla in Little League (2 1/4", -9 drop double wall metal single peice bat). He will be playing in Babe Ruth and AAU this year, so he can use a big barrell all the time. He is 5'3", and weighs 105#. His AAU team uses wood all winter to hit in the cages to give them a workout. He has been working on adjusting his hitting in the off season to try to not drop his hands. He has not been a power hitter, but with his recent adjustments, he has been hitting the ball hard in the cages.

I know that eventually when he is in High School (in in two years), he will need to be using a -3 bat, so I thought it would be good to try a little heavier bat. I am assuming he could use a heavier bat (?-8 or -9? but not a -5), and I would be curious what you folks think about a heavier bat. The ironic thing is that he told me that they have to use a -3 drop in the regional "Lou Thompkins" summer baseball league (I have to check in to this).

I would really appreciate some of your folks opinions on this matter.

Thanks,

Slugger3

[hawkiirock]

i am interested in hearing opinions on this as well

Our team 11 under last year used TPX catalyst. The bats held up great and seem to have good pop

We are gonna buy another one this year and not sure whether to get Catalyst again or Miken etc


Have u tried a catalyst?

[JeepTJ12]

I'd go -3 all the way. Since he's been using wood the change shouldn't effect him. Wood usually feels heavier and most of the time it is. If it was a late change and he was using -3 in a month without swinging would I would have suggested a gradual change to -5 then -3. The best -3 composite out there IMO is the Demarini CF3. That bat has the most pop and very durable.

[slugger3]

One of my son's friends that he played summer ball last year had one, and he tried it a couple times but did not get a chance to get comfortable with it, so he did not do that great with it.

[Jake Patterson]

Imediate success and short term gains using high-drop, high-trampoline bats will hurt future performance, JMHO.
Jake

[hawkiirock]

i dont think i agree with this. I am sure there are countless examples in the pro's and rising ranks that used the best bat at each point in their lives

Imediate success and short term gains using high-drop, high-trampoline bats will hurt future performance, JMHO.
Jake

[JeepTJ12]

Your middle school isn't mandatory -3? All our middle school's in the state are -3. I don't see what the big switch between wood and a -3 would be. My wood bats are weighted the same as my aluminum but are -1 and -2. I have no problem switching from wood to aluminum but from aluminum to wood. If your son has been swinging wood then -3 should feel the same if not a tad lighter.

[slugger3]

Your middle school isn't mandatory -3? All our middle school's in the state are -3. I don't see what the big switch between wood and a -3 would be. My wood bats are weighted the same as my aluminum but are -1 and -2. I have no problem switching from wood to aluminum but from aluminum to wood. If your son has been swinging wood then -3 should feel the same if not a tad lighter.

In MA they only make you use -3 in High School. My son only swings wood in the cages when they are doing hitting drills etc. in the offseason. As soon as they get closer to the start of the season, and they face live pitching from the regulation distance, they let them swing the lightest bat they want. He has never used wood against a pitcher throwing from the regulatlion distance (inside or outside).

[Ursa Major]

He's not ready to go -3

Jake, there's a difference between being fooled by the quickness and trampoline effect that a -10 bat gives you and getting adjusted to a -3 bat. The kid is 12 y/o and is 5'3", and weighs 105#. That coincidentally is almost the same size as my son, and I'd no sooner let him use a -3 than I'd let him play varsity high school football at that size. There's no way that his mechanics wouldn't suffer trying to lug that puppy to the plate, not to mention the hit his performance would take. I've seen it too many times with the use of too-big bats. They inevitably suffer from one or more of the following:

(1) can't get around quickly enough on heat,
(2) hit lots of pop-ups,
(3) have to punch at the ball because they can't complete a full swing quickly enough, and/or
(4) are easily fooled on off-speeed pitches, because they have to start their swings early.

In our 11/12 y/o league last year, out of 60 12 year olds, I'd say that maybe one was strong enough to handle a -3 (but chose not to), and he was about 160 pounds with a size 12 shoe and was an absolute horse.

If you're worried that a too-light bat will lead to "arm swings", just give him a longer bat. My son uses a Stealth 32" 22 o.z., and it's plenty of bat for him to get around with. But I'd videotape him and play it back and look for the above flaws.

If the kid is very strong and has near-perfect connection, he can maybe try a -5.

[bob_r]

My 12 year old son has had 3 combat bats, two of the "Da Bomb" and the new virus. He hasn't tried the virus yet because it's still too cold here, but I can tell you he really likes the sound and the feel, and he has had or tried out all the popular bats. He will mostly practices with a -3 metal wood bat. We had to go to the metal wood bat because he was breaking too many regular ash and maple bats. I would highly reccomend the combat bat. The company replaced one of the "Da Bombs" after a season because he wore it out. Also these bats were quite prevelant in the LL world series.

[slugger3]

My 12 year old son has had 3 combat bats, two of the "Da Bomb" and the new virus. He hasn't tried the virus yet because it's still too cold here, but I can tell you he really likes the sound and the feel, and he has had or tried out all the popular bats. He will mostly practices with a -3 metal wood bat. We had to go to the metal wood bat because he was breaking too many regular ash and maple bats. I would highly reccomend the combat bat. The company replaced one of the "Da Bombs" after a season because he wore it out. Also these bats were quite prevelant in the LL world series.

I have been looking at the Combat bats. I recently found out that my son will be restricted to a -3 during the Lou Tompkins summer league. Based on input from some folks, and the fact that he will need to use a -3 this summer, I was going to have him go from a -10 2-5/8" to a -5 2-5/8' bat to make the transition easier. To make it more complicated to choose, he plays on a U12 AAU team that has no restrictions (he will not be 13 until June, so he can play on a U12 AAU team).

Combat does not make a -5 big barrel, but Miken has a new 09 "Heat", as well as the older "Burn" in a -5, but I have not heard much about them.

I would appreciate any input from you folks.

[Twitch5]

U12 leagues REQUIRING minus-3 bats seems like a step in the wrong direction. It wasn't that long ago that I was coaching 12's and 13's, and I remember the broad spectrum of the player's maturations. You had the 12's who were already shaving, but half the team was 5 ft. tall and weighed 100 pounds.

I would rather see them require the "smaller" wood bats (minus-8?) than require minus-3 metal. I don't care what anyone says... a 100 pound kid swinging a 29 ounce bat is not conducive to a proper/healthy swing.


Twitch5

[glovemedic]

U12 leagues REQUIRING minus-3 bats seems like a step in the wrong direction.......I would rather see them require the "smaller" wood bats (minus-8?) than require minus-3 metal.

D-Bat has bats in the -7 to -8 range up to 30", beyond that their Pro-Lite series in the -4 to -5 range begins at 30". Louisville Slugger also has ProLite bats from 29" up. Even if the bat is -4 or -5, a 12U player can swing with good mechanics by simply dropping down an 1" or so in length. The difference in bat speed and control I experience when dropping down to a 32" from a 33" is significant.

[bigredmachine#1]

Imediate success and short term gains using high-drop, high-trampoline bats will hurt future performance, JMHO.
Jake

A-men!!! These double wall (techzilla, F-3) and composite (catalyst) trampoline bats are great for the dads. They get to puff out their chests when their little guy finally pokes one through the infield with some authority. I have seen these same little, double wall bat user, players die at the plate when they can no longer use these ridiculous bats. It's back to lifeless ground balls to 2nd base and little pop flys to the infield when they pick up a wood bat or are forced to use a -3.

Enjoy these trampoline bats while you can kids and dad's, get lot's of video clips of your boys using them while you can. In in a few years you can watch them and puff out you chest again, meanwhile, little Timmy is has given up baseball and is now playing soccer because he can't swing a -3.

[Jake Patterson]

A-men!!! These double wall (techzilla, F-3) and composite (catalyst) trampoline bats are great for the dads. They get to puff out their chests when their little guy finally pokes one through the infield with some authority. I have seen these same little, double wall bat user, players die at the plate when they can no longer use these ridiculous bats. It's back to lifeless ground balls to 2nd base and little pop flys to the infield when they pick up a wood bat or are forced to use a -3.

Enjoy these trampoline bats while you can kids and dad's, get lot's of video clips of your boys using them while you can. In in a few years you can watch them and puff out you chest again, meanwhile, little Timmy is has given up baseball and is now playing soccer because he can't swing a -3.

I find ironic that Little League will not take a responsible position on this topic while they offer their concern on "Sudden Impact" syndrome.