Best Softball Bat of 2018 | Softball is For Girls

We call them the Bat Wars. Every year the big bat companies come out with a new and improved, hot out of the wrapper, bat guaranteed to make the girls hit better BAT, that will only set you back a few hundred bucks. And yet our most popular fan question of 2018 (and nearly every other year) is what is the best softball bat for my daughter to use? 

So today,  we get down to the nitty gritty of the bat wars. And while our methods aren’t exactly scientific, we utilized the power of an amazing fan base of 188K fastpitch softball families to come up with the answer.

As usual, the front-runners are Demarini, Lousiville Slugger and Easton. Easton made a big come back with the Ghost and they have been very popular this year around the ballparks on tournament day. As for their staying power, 2019 will surely tell, as we know the illegality of their bat for specific organizations was definitely a Debbie downer for many bat buyers.

A few weeks ago, we asked folks to choose in a Facebook poll between DeMarini and Louisville Slugger, and to comment if they were a fan of the Easton or something else. And the RESULTS are in! 

The split between the DeMarini and the LS bats was pretty close. With 689 people voting, there were 323 for Louisville Slugger bats and 366 for DeMarini. The real news is that either way, Wilson wins, because they own both companies. There weren’t many people willing to stop scrolling long enough to leave a comment for Easton, and it seems that people either really love them, or they don’t.

Other bats mentioned were the Anderson bats, (Rocket Tech) and we know firsthand that they are good bats to keep around, especially because they aren’t limited by weather and temperatures like the expensive composites are. They kind of remind us of All Terrain Vehicle (think Hummers) that you can take anywhere and do just about anything with. Definitely, a lot of dingers have been hit with Rocket Techs, long before the composite bats became so popular.

The truth is that with any of these bats, you will not go wrong. (Not very helpful, huh?) You won’t fix a crappy swing and lack of practice, but your daughter will have a good bat to put her talents to the test. 

The best way to find the best bat for your daughter is to take her somewhere where she can actually get her hands on the bat and let her pick for herself. While it is easy to re-grip bats nowadays, the handles on all of these bats are different and are often a deal breaker for girls who are used to a certain feel from their bat. Endloaded, or balanced? The best way to decide is to let your daughter swing it, and record her exit speed.

We also recommend NOT getting a bat too big, hoping she can use it longer. The average life of these bats is only about a year anyway, so it’s not like a winter coat that you need to fit her for a couple of years. Getting a bat too long, and too heavy for your daughter’s age and size is a detriment to her hitting and can be a confidence squasher.

If you aren’t sure of the size you need or should get – here is a link for a generalized bat sizing chart that will help you decide. But again, it will come down to her strength and the way she handles a bat. CLICK HERE Softball Bat Sizing Chart

And there you have it! Now that 2018 is OVER, you will start seeing some insanely good deals on the 2018 models (brand new) as the bat wars continue on trying to convince us that buying a 2019 model will improve our daughters batting average. Stay tuned on social media, as we will share these deals as we find them.