JCG posted:Assuming you're a buyer, here are two strategies we have used that have worked for us:
1 - To narrow down your choices, see what similar players in college and HS are swinging. IOW if your guy is masher see what mashers use. If he's a contact guy see what they use.
2 - find the bat that your kid really likes by swinging at the store and using a friend's in the cage. Whatever that is, within reason, buy last year's model. It will be almost the same bat with different paint job, and should save you 50% of the purchase price.
Yep. Take for example Easton. If you watch college teams that are Easton teams, you'll notice a lot of them using 2014 Easton S1's, S2's and XL1's and XL3's. They are usually old and look worn out, but they seem to prefer them to the brand new Easton bats they obviously have access to.