The Chicken Bat | Safety First Sports/Demarini Bat Review

We have never done a bat review before. Not sure why considering we have a ton of girls using a ton of different bats, and it is always one of our most ASKED fan  questions.

Everyone wants to know – what is the best bat out there? Which bat has the most pop? Which bat will help my daughter reach the fences, and hit dingers? 

The reality is that all of the bats out there today are pretty dang good. The front runners in the bat market are still Lousiville Slugger and Demarini. (Now both owned by Wilson Sports) and of course Easton.

Raising 4 softball players, we have utilized all of these bats. While we have one daughter who swears by anything made by Louisville Slugger – we have another who won’t swing anything but a Demarini and our biggest home run hitter on our High School team is swinging an Easton.

So essentially, the bat that is right for your kid, depends on a lot of things. One of the most important things is that your daughter has the proper mechanics to swing her bat. And that you are using a bat that she can function with base don her size, weight and swing speed.

Safety First Sports, recently sent us the new Demarini CF9 bat to take for a trial run. So we did what you do to take anything for a test ride, and opened the bat up to the entire team of 16U girls.

And they loved it! They quickly dubbed it ‘The Chicken bat” (not exactly sure why, had something to do with the logo looking like a chicken to them) We got a 33/23 CF9, and had every girl on our team use it. They all loved it. It has quickly become the favorite bat in the dugout. The bat had a lot of pop right out of the wrapper and now after a month of use – has proven remarkable performance for all kinds of hitters.

The slapper version of the CF9, is also a great bat. The difference is that for the slapper, the weight is more in the handle which gives them better bat control. But we have found that this bat works really well for some of the smaller girls as well, who may not have as much wrist and arm strength as others.

Esssentially, you cannot go wrong with either version of the bat.

We also personally recommend the Louisville Slugger LXT Hyper.

After breaking Louisville Slugger bats at the rate of one per year, this bat shows that LS has genuinely improved the durability of their bats. There is some natural give where the barrell and the handle meet, and this bat also has a lot of pop right out of the wrapper.

One of the biggest differences, noted by our players between the two bats – is that the Demarini has a smaller handle than the Louisville Slugger. Half the team prefers the smaller handle, while the other half prefers a larger handle – so this is more a matter of personal choice for each individual player. The players did not suggest that either prevented bat sting on the hads, and that it was just a matter of comfort.

The bottom line is whether choosing Demarini, Louisville Slugger or Easton – you will not go wrong. All three of these bats, and brands have put a lot of time and effort into making their bats hot right out of the wrapper. With normal use and good care, you will get your money’s worth out of any of these bats.

What we recommend before purchasing is to have your daughter use a team mates bat, just to see how she likes the feel of it before purchasing. Each bat has a different feel, and while they all will get the job done, bat preferences are personal.

We also recommend that if your daughter is committed to playing softball, that you ensure her mechanics and swing are correct above all things. A $250 bat will not fix bad hitting mechanics. Spend time in the cages, get her a hitting net and a tee so she can do work at home, in the backyard – not just when the team is practicing. The best hitters take a lot of cuts to prepare for game day.

Safety First Sports has some of the best prices on their fastpitch (and baseball) bats around. They also ship extremely fast and most importantly – YOU’RE PURCHASE IS PROTECTED with a manufacturers warranty. Keep in mind that bat companies today require you purchase your bat from a reputable dealer in order to protect your investment and many of the bat promotions online do not qualify for warranty. We personally bought a bat several years ago, and when it broke it was not covered because the seller was not verified with Louisville Slugger. So protect your investment.

You can check out Safety First Sports here! 

If you have a multi sport family, Safety First is one of the best places to find gear that will keep your athletes safe, including football equipment, helmets (We love SCHUTT HELMETS), mouth guards and other protective gear. Remember an ounce of prevention, especially in athletics is worth a pound of cure!