Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Aldeer General Forum Does a $300 BB bat really make a difference?

As long as the bat is fit to your son or daughter and is right length and drop weight difference, yes they do make a difference. Like said before in earlier posts- being a contact hitter w a good swing and mechanics is the 1st prerequisite.

My daughter had one of the vintage purple Easton's she used for travel ball and through freshman year. An umpire cracked it tossing from plate down line to the dugout and it hit the fence... I about wanted to cry or beat his arse !!!

Such is life I guess but I loathe clueless umpires !!!

My short answer is a resounding "NO."

My son was a great high school player and he "earned his wings" bunting in the lead off position. When the ball hit the ground he was already on base. Set a couple of high school records and turned it all down to be a Professional Bull Fighter.

What I'm getting at is what will it matter 10 years from now how much their bat cost? If I would have thought a 300 dollar bat would have got him out of the bull riding business I would have bought him a truck load of em'.

BTW-He once told a recruiter he wasn't good enough to play on Sunday so he wasn't interested in the recruitment process. Turns out my son was wrong-Now he plays on Sunday's, but it isn't baseball! Schools forget you real quick when you're eligibility runs out. Let the kids have fun in school and just enjoy themselves.

A couple of years ago, I found the Demarini Crystal Bustos bat in Academy on clearance for $30. Regular price was $119. Told a buddy and he wanted me to check to see if they had another one for his daughter. Went back and found another Bustos bat along with the Demarini Vendetta. The Vendetta was regular $219 and I got it on clearance for $50. Spent $110 on 3 bats that normally would have cost over $450. The bats were the previous years models.

I have no problem buying good bats for my son. They make a difference and it is a small price to pay in the over all cost of things.

I dont doubt that at all.Also they will make the same bats in different composites.When i bought my daughters CF5 they were making a cheaper version outta TRE (i think) composite and the better one was made outta FLO composite.Also they'll make the same bat in a 1 piece bat.Alotta people jump on the $50-75 dollar Demarinis and think they got a deal because its got Demarini stamped on it.

Well said Teach!

Seen it way too many times-parents reliving their youth and trying to put tremendous pressure on their kids to be the best so parents can strut around like a spring Tom. In ten years from now it is not going to matter at all what their bat cost. They will remember the fellowship with friends and parents long after the dust has settled on their equipment.

You can shop around and find good deals on high dollar bats. I have never paid full price on any of the big name "hot" bats of the season. Changes year to year are subtle and just because the calendar flips does not mean last year's bats are no longer any good.

Do they make a difference? Yes, when it comes to pop and distance. Does it help the kid get their eyes on the ball better?No.

Well, my thoughts in this are, if you strike out at least look good doing so.

The bats are superior to cheap bats but the kid has to be a good contact hitter first. If a kid can't put the bat on the ball a $300.00 bat isn't going to work magic. I know a family that bought 3-4 of them last year for a total of around $1,200.00, because their kid can't hit well. They kept thinking that surely the next bat would do the trick. The problem isn't his bat, the kid just isn't coordinated and can't hit well. I know this family well and know they can't afford to spend that kind of money but that's none of my business. I don't care if they spend $1,200 or $12,000. Doesn't cost me a dime.

It makes a difference without a doubt. My kid is a solid lead off hitter, but he weighs 60lb soaking wet and is almost 12. He makes solid contact every swing, but does not have the mass to hit the ball long. We usually buy last years model on Amazon or just bats. It will only be $100 then. I wish bats were provided by the league, but that's not possible due to costs most times. I don't like that some kids can have a real advantage because mama and daddy can afford better equipment.

I'll be at the park for a baseball tourney this weekend too. Parking is going to be a nightmare.

If the kid has not yet developed the proper mechanics/swing then I would not spend the money on a high dollar bat until you see your child is able to learn and develop the proper technique to hit. Now if the kid is able to put the ball in play but lacks a little power then the technology the "$300" bats have is well worth the money. When my daughter was in the 8-9yo range she put the ball in play a bunch but was lacking in power and after doubting a bat could "really" help I broke down and bought a Demarini CF3 and that changed everything. Ever since we stuck with Demarini and bought about 4 more during her softball playing days.

Paying obscene money for bats is the LEAST of issues with tee/soft/baseball today.... #obsessivecult

What if 1/2 to 3/4 of every person in every community was at the lake with their kids, of either sex, from age 5 to 25, 5 to 6 nights per week, gone to a tournament every weekend from February till November, visited the local "casting coach" 3+ times per week, and every picture that both parents have put on Facebook for the past month solid was of those kids (again, girl or boy, small or large) holding up a fish. And every dad with a 6 year old girl or 16 year old boy has a 20 page blog conversation about casting techniques and mechanics. The mother's Facebook profile pic is her kid holding a bass. Now, would the kid having a $300 reel seem to be the most glaring issue? I rest my case.

When I was in high school we would play some exhibition games with wood bats for fun. It really wasn't much fun because no one could hit with them. Lot of small ball an, 1-0, 2-1 games. You really have to make good contact with them to do anything. College went to a wood bat equivalent a few years back and offense just died. I sometimes wonder if kids used wood bats as they grew up if it would promote better hand/eye coordination and ball contact.

Yes, a bat makes a difference and aluminum is by far cheaper than trying to supply wood bats. My youngest son's Junior year of high school we played (I coached) in a wood bat tourney at Snead State. We started the tourney with 12 or 13 bats plus the 3 that Snead State provided for each team. We finished the tourney with 3 bats. Ryan pitched 6 innings and broke 8 opponent's bats. He was a submarine righty that threw mid 70s. It's harder than you think to teach a kid to hit with wood when he's hit with aluminum for years. When you are buying Sam Bats or D Bats at $60-150 each, I'd rather buy one $400 bat that won't break or if it does, you get it replaced usually.

At some point, depending on how far your child goes as a player, you will have to conform to restrictions on the bat. Being a great hitter as a ten year old with a juiced bat, does not mean you will be able to have the same success with the toned down college bats or wooden bats at even the next level. (I do however understand that to compete with the other ten year olds, why you would want the best bat). My son was one of the top D-1 hitters in the country. He was "coined" Mr. March in the ACC by the sunshine network, and at one time was leading the nation in doubles. He said many times that the bat made no difference to him. (even with a wooden bat). He said it all about where you put the bat head on the ball and getting good spin on the ball, (not top spin) and keeping your bat on the correct plane. If you cut the ball just right with good "up spin" it will travel a great distance with whatever bat you use.

This is about like a good dog hunting thread.

What type dog we hunting?