My son (playing on a 11u travel team) had the toughest time when we had to transition to a USABaseball bat because I did not realize most bats were heavier than what they advertised.
To get his confidence and bat speed back, I decided to purchase a Rawlings Threat bat which was the lightest bat in the market:
- Manufacturer: Rawlings
- Model: US9T12
- Material: Composite
- Barrel size: 2 5/8″
- Length: 31″
- Weight: Drop -12 (19 oz)
- Warranty: 1 year
Unlike other USABaseball bat, Rawlings Threat bat weighed in at 18.5 oz which was slightly lighters than the advertised weight.
To make the bat as light as possible, Rawlings used a lightweight plastic end cap at the end of the bat, which actually amplified the zing when a ball was hit on a non-sweet spot.
There is a decent pop but let’s face it. I did not buy this bat to participate in a homerun derby. It got the job done by my son to get back his bat speed and confidence at the plate.
The bat runs about $150 when on sale (check out the one here) so hopefully you can fir this bat into your budget.
Good luck