What is the best bat for a slapper?

[bigtime]

I am looking for bat advice for a left handed batter that slaps ,drags, and swings.

[onesdad]

Don't look too much into the type of bat bat to use rather the size of the bat. Slappers need bat control. JMHO

[absdad]

I've heard some say that you want a dead stick, a single wall aluminum bat maybe. Posting from my DD's experience.. if the coach changes tactics mid AB, then you want something versatile. Give them a decent stick, and let them learn how to make it dead when they need to. It's all about control. Any decent balanced bat should work fine. My dd uses a xeno. Your DD's mileage may vary.

[DDG]

As a parent of a Leftie, find the bat that she likes to swing away with. She can learn how to make that bat work for the short game. There are several good bats and everyone will have their opinion about which is best.

Use the same bat for every at bat. Last June in Vegas, we played a team that had a kid on it use 2 bats, one for slapping, bunting etc. and the other as her "home run stick". She had a tough game against DD's team, even with our mediocre pitching.

[DunninLA]

why would a slapper possible want a dead bat?

A slapper gets on in a few ways:

1) punch a grounder through the 5/6 hole
2) pop a line drive over F5 or F6 but short of the F7
3) pound the ball into the dirt in front of home plate such that it bounces high
4) bunt
5) swing away for power depending on situation

The only time a dead bat would help would be for 2). But it hurts if the swing misses slightly and instead results in situation 1).

No, a slapper needs a balanced -10 (not -9 of -8) bat for control with high exit speed (you can always deaden the hit if needed, but you can't add exit speed), and BIG sweet spot... like the Xeno. sweet spot may be the most important given that the slapper is moving and controlling where the ball hits the bat is harder than it is for a batter who is hiting away, stationary.

Just find out what all the lefty slappers on the Japanese team are using.

[Txcoach10]

The most important things for a slapper are bat control and bat speed. The most important thing about bat control is being able to maintain bat head height because pop ups are the worst enemy of a slapper. The best way to maintain bat head height is to get a balanced bat and avoid anything end loaded. The easiest way to kill bat speed is giving her a bat that is too heavy or too long. As for brands, my hitters have always used Easton stealths but this year, I was brought a xeno and I like it too. Thye're both $300 bats so just take your daughter and have her swing both.

I also want to say that you can have the most athletic kid with the perfect bat and still not have success without proper training. If she doesn't have the right mechanics to promote proper bat head height, bat speed, how to stay on the swing plane, timing, stepping, hand positioning, etc., you're wasting $300. If you're going to make the investment, go all the way with it and spend as much time researching the right hitting coaches as you have the right bat.

While I'll never consider myself an expert, I do have a wealth of experience. I have been coaching (private & teams) for about 17 years. I currently have several hitters and slappers at the D1 level and I currently coach at the college level where my primary offensive responsibility is working with our slappers.

Good luck.

[Gone in 2.6]

why would a slapper possible want a dead bat?

A slapper gets on in a few ways:

1) punch a grounder through the 5/6 hole
2) pop a line drive over F5 or F6 but short of the F7
3) pound the ball into the dirt in front of home plate such that it bounces high
4) bunt
5) swing away for power depending on situation

The only time a dead bat would help would be for 2). But it hurts if the swing misses slightly and instead results in situation 1).

No, a slapper needs a balanced -10 (not -9 of -8) bat for control with high exit speed (you can always deaden the hit if needed, but you can't add exit speed), and BIG sweet spot... like the Xeno. sweet spot may be the most important given that the slapper is moving and controlling where the ball hits the bat is harder than it is for a batter who is hiting away, stationary.

Just find out what all the lefty slappers on the Japanese team are using.

While Dunnin is absolutely wrong about the ineffectiveness of dead bats for slappers, I agree with him that a balanced bat is best.

Dead bats are great for targeting an infielder with slow rollers, bunts and touch and go's. The problem with using a bat like that is you have to grab a teammate's bat in certain game situations, like when you need to swing for power. A savvy opponent can catch on to the bat changes.

The best thing to do is get a balanced bat that allows the slapper to make mid at bat adjustments for ALL scenarios. Even more important is making sure they know how to swing for power (emulating MLB hitters) to keep defenses off of them.

[DP3816]

Don't look too much into the type of bat bat to use rather the size of the bat. Slappers need bat control. JMHO

Yep!!! That's the ticket!

[AlwaysImprove]

why would a slapper possible want a dead bat?

A slapper gets on in a few ways:

1) punch a grounder through the 5/6 hole
2) pop a line drive over F5 or F6 but short of the F7
3) pound the ball into the dirt in front of home plate such that it bounces high
4) bunt
5) swing away for power depending on situation

The only time a dead bat would help would be for 2). But it hurts if the swing misses slightly and instead results in situation 1).

No, a slapper needs a balanced -10 (not -9 of -8) bat for control with high exit speed (you can always deaden the hit if needed, but you can't add exit speed), and BIG sweet spot... like the Xeno. sweet spot may be the most important given that the slapper is moving and controlling where the ball hits the bat is harder than it is for a batter who is hiting away, stationary.

Just find out what all the lefty slappers on the Japanese team are using.

While Dunnin is absolutely wrong about the ineffectiveness of dead bats for slappers, I agree with him that a balanced bat is best.

Dead bats are great for targeting an infielder with slow rollers, bunts and touch and go's. The problem with using a bat like that is you have to grab a teammate's bat in certain game situations, like when you need to swing for power. A savvy opponent can catch on to the bat changes.

The best thing to do is get a balanced bat that allows the slapper to make mid at bat adjustments for ALL scenarios. Even more important is making sure they know how to swing for power (emulating MLB hitters) to keep defenses off of them.

Your daughter definitely has the kind of speed to target suspect infielders. She also has the swing for power ability that makes her a true triple threat.

So many of the slappers in our area, easily 90%, cannot hit for power and do not have the speed to challenge even bad infielders. By high school are just slow rollin 0-3 holes in the lineup.

The problem is that slapping can be a honeypot. Those slow rollers are a blast at 10U and 12U. The kid never realizes that she is only decently fast, not that road-runner crazy fast speed. She also never learns to hit the ball into the outfield. These kids wake up one day at 14U and realize their softball playing is highly limited.

As the level of the outfielders goes up as they get older, slappers often get trapped trying to get better and better at placement of their slow roller.

Then they show up with the Miken Halo light http://www.mikensports.com/Fastpitch/Halo_Light-12-50.php. The ultimate in slow rollin placement technology can build.

[Gone in 2.6]

why would a slapper possible want a dead bat?

A slapper gets on in a few ways:

1) punch a grounder through the 5/6 hole
2) pop a line drive over F5 or F6 but short of the F7
3) pound the ball into the dirt in front of home plate such that it bounces high
4) bunt
5) swing away for power depending on situation

The only time a dead bat would help would be for 2). But it hurts if the swing misses slightly and instead results in situation 1).

No, a slapper needs a balanced -10 (not -9 of -8) bat for control with high exit speed (you can always deaden the hit if needed, but you can't add exit speed), and BIG sweet spot... like the Xeno. sweet spot may be the most important given that the slapper is moving and controlling where the ball hits the bat is harder than it is for a batter who is hiting away, stationary.

Just find out what all the lefty slappers on the Japanese team are using.

While Dunnin is absolutely wrong about the ineffectiveness of dead bats for slappers, I agree with him that a balanced bat is best.

Dead bats are great for targeting an infielder with slow rollers, bunts and touch and go's. The problem with using a bat like that is you have to grab a teammate's bat in certain game situations, like when you need to swing for power. A savvy opponent can catch on to the bat changes.

The best thing to do is get a balanced bat that allows the slapper to make mid at bat adjustments for ALL scenarios. Even more important is making sure they know how to swing for power (emulating MLB hitters) to keep defenses off of them.

Your daughter definitely has the kind of speed to target suspect infielders. She also has the swing for power ability that makes her a true triple threat.

So many of the slappers in our area, easily 90%, cannot hit for power and do not have the speed to challenge even bad infielders. By high school are just slow rollin 0-3 holes in the lineup.

The problem is that slapping can be a honeypot. Those slow rollers are a blast at 10U and 12U. The kid never realizes that she is only decently fast, not that road-runner crazy fast speed. She also never learns to hit the ball into the outfield. These kids wake up one day at 14U and realize their softball playing is highly limited.

As the level of the outfielders goes up as they get older, slappers often get trapped trying to get better and better at placement of their slow roller.

Then they show up with the Miken Halo light http://www.mikensports.com/Fastpitch/Halo_Light-12-50.php. The ultimate in slow rollin placement technology can build.

Agree with everything you said about slappers at the younger ages. For me personally, as an instructor, I'd never recommend becoming a slapper to any kid that doesn't have the prerequisite speed. And they MUST be able to hit away. I'm sorry to say there are MANY kids and college players slapping that I feel would be better off trying to emulate MLB hitters and maybe mixing in the occasional sneaky bunt once in awhile when they catch the 3rd baseman standing at her bag.

Not familiar with the "Halo Light". My kid used a 2001 Easton Triple 7 aluminum single wall until fallball 2007 when Gary Haning told her to get that bat out of his dugout and "donate it to the Museum of Natural History".