Best Alum Bat?

I've been a staunch opponent to the "golfer" syndrome in baseball lately...

Golfers are too busy or lazy (or old) to work on their game so they go and by latest greatest technology to improve their game.... Super fiber shafts with lowest possible CGs and computer aided lofts costing hundreds of dollars per club...

Well IMHO BB has gonen the way of golf. Parents want is best for their child and they figure a better bat will make a better hitter.. they want make a ball player with money because it is too difficult the real way (too much time and effort required)... Also some studies came out in the early 90s that claimed Lighter is better and now you can't find anything with a smaller differential than -8...for youth bats. Problem with those studies is they just took the physical components of bat and ball and didnt apply the kinesology aspects of human body. A bat an ounce lighter doesn't mean player will be able to swing it that much faster... to compensate for loss of momentun due to loss of mass...It is not a linear relationship.

Since he been working with wood, he's used to a heavier bat..... and can probably swing a heavier bat just as fast as one a couple ounces less. At ten he's going to be going thru some growth spurts and and will probably want a different bat next year. (or this year's model will be outdated and not worth 50% next year) or the bat may dent or crack.... I suggest (for next year) looking in the off-season and try to buy last year's models on discount.... Most of the bats on the market are just slightly different paint jobs than the previous years.... Air attack II vs Air attack .... slightly different gas chamber becasue original one would leak... or puncture due to dents or cracks...

Redlines, IMHO are just a paint job difference from Reflex C-cores.... Z-cores just use a slightly different resin (as in fiberglass)... We really don't know the reliablity of the lastest models because they haven't been around long enough to know how long they last. I do know TPX, Air Attacks have a bad rep for cracking and denting (My son had a TPX that cracked within 6 months) (Air Attacks are just entering their 2nd year)(and a lot of warranty periods drooped from one year to 3 months).

The EASTON REFLEX C-cores are known for pretty good wear and tear...(two years ago they were the hottest thing on the market... now a Cosmetic blem 32/22 can be had for $40)....(email me.) Kids I know now think Z-core is greatest thing, but they thought that about REdline the year before and Reflex C-core the year before that... As a coach I only notice differences in the top strong hitters and then we're talking maybe 5% to 10% between that an a old CU31 bat.... Not even a percent between that and last years bats....

Buy the heaviest bat your son can still swing with speed... Depending on his size/strength (also affiliation...LL can only have 2 1/4 in. diameters) I would say 10 yo is around 30 to 32 inches and -7 to -10. My son used a 30/23 bat as a ten year old...(travel ball) We have two different Reflex C-cores this year... a 32/25 for travel and 32/22 for rec (couldn't find heavier rec bat)

I have yet to spend more than $100 on a bat and my son has always been a top hitter.... Of coarse I spent about $750 on hitting lessons in the last year or so....