Name: Best Fastpitch Softball Bats (2023 Recommendations)
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Best Fastpitch Softball Bats (2023 Recommendations)

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Skip to contentI completely understand the frustration when looking for a fastpitch softball bat. Does it feel right? What size do I need? What’s the difference between this one and that one? It can be a daunting experience.I would say at this point there are probably hundreds of different bats out there all claiming to be the ideal choice. And in some cases, the claims can be true.What I find many softball players don’t grasp is the ability to find the right bat for themselves. I’ve seen players of similar size, and ability prefer different bats. There really is no one size fits all when it comes to this process – told you it was fun!For that reason, I have decided to put out this list of the 10 best fastpitch bats! Read on further below to see if they fit your needs.Here is the list (in no particular order):Demarini CFLouisville MetaLouisville LXTDemarini PrismLouisville QuestDemarini ZenithMizuno F21 CRBNEaston TopazLouisville ProvenEaston Ghost Double BarrelTable of ContentsYear after year, one of the most consistent and high performing bats available to fastpitch players is the Demarini CF series. If i’m not mistaken this series began with the CF7 a good five or six years ago, so it has some major staying power!So why do players like this bat so much to make it one of the best sellers year after year?What I hear most players say is that it makes your swing feel smooth and easy. I’m sure if you are reading this article, you’ve probably tried “heavier” feeling bats only to find your swing clunky and difficult. The CF provides a powerful balanced swing (this is described more below) and caters to travel ball and collegiate players. Newer or non-competitive players should look at some of the other options further down.If you want to know a little more about the bat, I’ve provided some notes on some of the more unique features.The next bat in the list is the Louisville Meta. Similar to the Demarini CF above, the Meta is geared more towards competitive players such as collegiate and travel ball players. The main reason I put the Demarini CF just above it is because it is slightly less expensive. But no doubt about it – the Louisville Meta is one quality option!There are several other Louisville bats that are great choices as well (I talk about one further below), but what makes the Meta special is found right in the middle of the bat. Louisville has added their own VTX Technology which provides players with a more rigid, solid feeling swing. Some players shy away a bit from two-piece bats as they feel they aren’t durable enough. The Meta should put those concerns to bed!Outside of the VTX Technology, there are a couple of other things that stand out on the Xeno:No list would be anywhere close to complete without something from Louisville. The Slugger brand has been around for years and has sold more than 100 million bats (that’s insane). For fastpitch, the current leader is the Louisville LXT. The LXT is an elite bat at a similar price than some of the premier models I mentioned earlier in this article.So why was it lower on the list? It’s never an easy decision when it comes to bats, but I just felt like some of the earlier models offered a bit more and had more flexibility (league play, weight, etc) than the LXT. With the LXT being the “new kid on the block”, I figured it would be better served here for the time being.This LXT does have a lot to offer despite being at the bottom of the top 3 (for now). It is an extremely balanced bat and produces a consistent swing each and every time. Some of the additional features that make this one stand out include:Although it was a hard decision, I felt the CF series from Demarini reviewed earlier was the better choice for most hitters. However – there is also the Demarini Prism which many players swear by. The CF is arguably the more popular bat, however the case could be made for the Prism to be considered the more responsive bat of the two.For one thing, the Prism uses what Demarini has named Gapped Wall technology where they’ve fused two separate bat walls to create a large sweet spot without sacrificing anything in the swing. After all – with a large sweet spot – your hits might end up over the gapped wall like the name suggests!The Prism looks to be a nice choice from a quality brand name. Some additional items of interest include:Most of the bats shown so far have been geared more towards the advanced and more competitive players. However, I realize there are many of you out there that might not be at that level yet. For newer players, or those that just play recreational ball, I think the Louisville Quest would be the best choice.Louisville is one of the more respected brands in the softball world, and for under $50 – this -12 drop bat makes a great choice. Newer players in general look for bats that are a little more on the lighter side to help learn swing mechanics. That being said, no matter who you are as a player, you still want to have a little bit of power when you make solid contact.Here is some more information about the Quest (love the name):The Demarini Zenith is the lightest bat we’ve added to this page. The average softball bat typically has a drop of -10 (the difference between length and weight). Power hitters normally prefer a heavier -9 drop, so you can imagine how much lighter a -13 drop bat like the Zenith feels.So what type of player prefers a really light bat like this one? In general younger players who are still learning how to generate consistent good swings at the plate excel when using a bat like this. Although more power can be generated from heavier bats, players who are young and don’t have their full strength will struggle if they don’t learn proper mechanics first.The Zenith is the 3rd Demarini bat on this list – which to most shouldn’t be a surprise. Although it is light, it does pack some great performance features:If you are looking for more bats geared towards younger players – we just wrote this article on the best 10u fastpitch bats that you should check out.Although I haven’t seen this bat in person, the Mizuno F21 CRBN has me quite intrigued. It’s a mid-level bat in terms of price, but the feature list and amount of detail that went into making this bat make it look like a great choice if you are looking for a little more savings from the more popular brands.This is a 1-piece bat that aims to provide the hitter with a more balanced swing. Because of its 1-piece construction it should last longer than 2-piece bats as well. It is also used by many colleges and travel teams so i’m a bit surprised I haven’t seen it as much.A couple of features that I think really stand out include:The Easton Topaz is a similar bat to the Louisville Quest that we discussed earlier in this article. At less than $50, the price is right and is a great option for beginner players. As you are probably aware, Easton is one of the best companies in the world for producing high quality softball and other sports gear. There are many players who are extremely loyal to the brand and if that fits you, the Topaz might be the right choice.One of the nice things about this one is its versatility. Sometimes you’ll find a bat you love, but had no idea it isn’t approved for the standards of the league you play in. Thankfully, this model is approved for ASA, USSSA, NSA, ISF and many others.The Topaz is quite an underrated bat when you look at it’s details.If you are looking for a quality fastpitch bat while spending less than $100 then the 2022 version of the Louisville Proven might be just what the doctor ordered.The $100 range is difficult when it comes to fastpitch bats as some are quite over-priced, where others like the Louisville Proven in my opinion are under priced. One-hundred dollars seems to be the sweet spot where most begin with and therefore it pays to really pay attention to which models are still worth it.With all of that being said, I do feel the 2022 Proven is well worth the $100 bill. Some of the features that are intriguing include:Last, but certainly not least, in my list of the best fastpitch softball bats for the 2023 season is the Easton Ghost Double Barrel, which is a popular model amongst elite and high level players.One thing I haven’t mentioned as much as I probably should have is that in many cases some bats are only permitted for certain leagues. Some may be for ASA-only, others for USSSA, and more (i’ll outline the differences further below). The nice thing about the Easton Ghost is that it can be used at all levels. So you could play ASA, USSSA, ISF, NSA, or ISA and still be covered with this one.As I mentioned earlier, this is a quality bat. Some additional features included in the Easton Ghost include:I’ve listed what I feel are the top choices in fastpitch bats this year in the previous section. However for the majority there probably is still a bit of confusion. And no player wants to make a bad choice, especially when it comes to the bat. There are many softball terms thrown around, but I wanted to provide some additional specifics on some of the more common ones you may have noticed above.If you’ve read everything so far, you’ve probably noticed that I used the terms balanced and end loaded quite a bit above to denote certain swing weights. In it’s simplest form, end loaded bats tend to provide a hitter with a little more power as they swing a bit heavier. Balanced bats on the other hand are more consistent and provide a hitter with a regular feeling swing each and every at bat. The next sub-sections provide a few more details.Want to know a little more about Balanced bats and how they may benefit you? Here are a few more items to consider:As mentioned earlier – end loaded bats tend to provide more power to a hitter. Some other details:Another common item mentioned in the reviews above were whether or not a bat was a one piece, or two-piece. As you can imagine, the concept is quite simple. A one piece bat is made with a single piece of metal while a two-piece could use a couple of different materials that are then fused together so they can be used.Aren’t sure if a one-piece model is right for you? Here are some additional details to help:The nice things about two-piece bats is they almost feel like you are launching the softball into orbit (kind of like a trampoline). If you are still unsure, here are more characteristics:All of this being said, finding the best fastpitch softball bats is really a personal decision and is no where close to a one size fits all question. In other words, there is no one single bat that is the best for every player. Contact hitters tend to prefer ones that offer more of a balanced swing, while power hitters tend to want bats with more end-loaded power. And of course that does not mean that if you pick up a balanced bat that you can’t generate power. It normally comes down to confidence, feel and many other factors.I hope you’ve enjoyed this summary and are able to find the right bat for the 2023 season!Hi everyone! I'm Dominique, the main writer behind BusyPlayingSoftball.As you probably assumed, my passion is softball. In my younger years, I played at the high school level but injuries eventually caught up to me and I wasn't able to play at higher levels.Nowadays you'll still find me playing catch with my kids, and playing in a rec league. When i'm not busy, i'm contributing to this site which I hope will grow into a valuable resource for the softball community!Earnings Disclaimer: When you buy certain products from some of the sites which we link to, BusyPlayingSoftball.com receives a commission.BusyPlayingSoftball.com is a participant in the Softball.com Affiliate Program, a program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Softball.com and affiliated sites.

Skip to contentI completely understand the frustration when looking for a fastpitch softball bat. Does it feel right? What size do I need? What’s the difference between this one and that one? It can be a daunting experience.I would say at this point there are probably hundreds of different bats out there all claiming to be the ideal choice. And in some cases, the claims can be true.What I find many softball players don’t grasp is the ability to find the right bat for themselves. I’ve seen players of similar size, and ability prefer different bats. There really is no one size fits all when...

Best Fastpitch Softball Bats (2023 Recommendations)

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