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+1 to that. Last thing you want to do is buy him a nice new Easton and learn that the kid's been dreaming of a Louisville Slugger. Or you thought he wanted an end-weighted bat and he prefers balanced. Or he likes an alloy barrel, and you got him composite. One thing though, be prepared to spend some coin. Most players seem to want high-end bats, and they are very expensive. The good news is that the 2015's are out, so you can get relatively decent prices on the 2014's. When you are ready to buy, shop around hard. I have always gotten great deals and customer service at justbats.com, but I just bought my kid a new Easton and found it for $100 less at baseballexpress.com.
My son has been using a Rawlings 5150 Velo for about 3 years now. LOUD bat, but very well-priced, balanced, and effective.
Tough to make a recommendation without knowing height, weight, current bat length or even looking at his swing...
BUT...
My son's used a Louisville Slugger Omaha Balanced BBCOE 33/30 for a few seasons now... I cannot get it out of his hands if I tried... They can be had for around $50 on ebay... Good luck!
Last thing you want to do is buy him a nice new Easton and learn that the kid's been dreaming of a Louisville Slugger. Or you thought he wanted an end-weighted bat and he prefers balanced. Or he likes an alloy barrel, and you got him composite.
Agreed! If my son put half as much thought on his homework as he does on what kind of bat/batting gloves/cleats would work best for him I wouldn't be on this site asking what good grades mean!
What bat(s) does he swing now? Probably the next most important ?...what is your price range?
Try to find a place where you can hit them. Bats from the major manufacturers are price protected so it is difficult to find a deal on a current model. So if you're going to spend $200-300 on one, hit the crap out of it to make sure it is the one for you. There is a place by me which does this. They have just about every bat in every size. Kid walks in with 5 or 6 and starts weeding them out. I got lucky this year. He ended up with the Rawlings 5150 which is at the lower end of the cost spectrum. Good luck.
Little different approach here: Get a lower-end bat. Not Wal-Mart, but not a $400 Easton. Spend the rest of the money on quality hitting lessons. If he's a freshman, he'll probably out grow the bat by next year....but the knowledge gained with a quality hitting instructor is the gift that keeps on giving.
You can find HUNDREDS of discounted bats that are 2-3 year old models (brand new), at a fraction of the cost for a new one. In most cases, the only difference is the paint job.
My son has been using a Rawlings 5150 Velo for about 3 years now. LOUD bat, but very well-priced, balanced, and effective.
My son loves this bat too...
Try to find a place where you can hit them. Bats from the major manufacturers are price protected so it is difficult to find a deal on a current model. So if you're going to spend $200-300 on one, hit the crap out of it to make sure it is the one for you. There is a place by me which does this. They have just about every bat in every size. Kid walks in with 5 or 6 and starts weeding them out. I got lucky this year. He ended up with the Rawlings 5150 which is at the lower end of the cost spectrum. Good luck.
Golfman - Think you live near me. Where is this place? I agree 1000% to try them out first
My son has been using a Rawlings 5150 Velo for about 3 years now. LOUD bat, but very well-priced, balanced, and effective.
My son loves this bat too...
Gosh I wish my kid loved that bat. He got one as a prize at a fundraiser and ended up giving it to a friend few months later. He didn't like the thickness of the handle, I think. I should have cut off the wrapper and retaped it to see if that might have helped.
Try to find a place where you can hit them. Bats from the major manufacturers are price protected so it is difficult to find a deal on a current model. So if you're going to spend $200-300 on one, hit the crap out of it to make sure it is the one for you. There is a place by me which does this. They have just about every bat in every size. Kid walks in with 5 or 6 and starts weeding them out. I got lucky this year. He ended up with the Rawlings 5150 which is at the lower end of the cost spectrum. Good luck.
Golfman - Think you live near me. Where is this place? I agree 1000% to try them out first
The Batterz Box in Libertyville. www.thebatterzbox.com Great place. Good luck.
closeoutbats.com
A bat is a personal item. He needs to swing it before purchasing. Either buy him a gift card to a sporting goods store with a lot of bats or put an "I owe you a bat" card in an envelop.
