You love baseball. No, you really, really, really love baseball.
Whether it's the offseason, the regular season, the playoffs, or you just like to read about your favorite sport, you just can't get enough. Okay, okay, we get it. We're the same way. At JustBats, we're surrounded by baseball bats every single day, so we're fortunate to be reminded of the great game. But, if you're not so fortunate, here are 15 baseball blogs that help us stay in tune with America's pastime no matter the time of year.
There is no particular order to this list.

https://www.baseballbatssale.com/
Don`t use this site, it looks legit at first but for starters...the prices are way too good to be true. Had a 2021 Monsta Black Sheep for $97 and 2023 bats for the same price!!
I didn`t see this at first because I was gung-ho about the Black Sheep, but I went to confirm my order and it directed me to a paypal link to send money to someone named Justin Hoover I believe?...backed off immediately and now I`m going to cancel the card I used just to play it safe. Got an email from Paypal saying the payment wasn`t complete and the item listed was a pair of glasses or something.
Looks like I`m sticking to HB sports, Smash it, and Justbats from now on...

Justbats and other outlet bat sites don't ship to Canada. Ideally looking for Blems or Pro Cuts, playing adult ball at a semi competitive level. Any bundle deals? I'd like to buy at least 3 or 4 for the coming season in one go to save money on shipping. I'm flexible on material and profile as long as it's normal length, any suggestions?

I just finished my first season of softball since undergrad intramurals 15 years ago; a Fall co-ed USA league. I was stoked to get back on the field and picked up a M2 Torch that I was able to use every game (thanks largely to an unusually warm fall) and loved it.
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Looking forward to the local men's league in the Spring and want to get some tee work in over the winter to get my swing back to my High School home run derby "glory days."
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It is 27F here today and I do not expect it to get above 40F for the next 4 months.Here is the list of alloy and wood bats I have been considering for practice and Spring games when the temp is too low for the Monsta:
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Demarini Steel
Miken Maniac
Demarini Uprising
Easton Rival
Worth Amp
Cheap Alloy bat from ebay
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Demarini Corndog
Bret Bros Thunder
Slugger Slowpitch MSB3
Cheap Ash bat from ebay
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Any insight or advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

Looking at getting a bat on JustBats to use for a Co-Ed rec league (Church league). I really like the idea of the Krecher and may end up going with it but would really like to keep the cost under $300. Looking for a bat that everyone on the team can utilize.
We use 52/300 balls.
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Thanks.

Just found a bat and was wondering if justbats is a trusted website to buy bats

Sorry if these questions get asked here a lot, but I am still pretty new to this and am not sure what to look for and where my money will be best spent. My league requires an ASA certified bat and we use a .52/300 ball. For the past few seasons, I have been using this bat which I got on sale for <$100. It has been pretty good but has been giving me some woes recently. I have been looking to get a new bat and have come across a few options. I am looking to stay <$200 but wouldn't mind increasing my budget if it means I can get something that will be better and provide a bit more longevity. Here are a few of the options I have found so far.

• Miken Vicious 13" End Loaded Dual Stamp Slow Pitch Softball Bat - The reviews on this look pretty good, but it looks to be an alloy bat and my league allows composite.
  
• 2020 Easton Ronin Flex 12" Loaded Dual Stamp - I have seen a few models of these bats in my league from players on different teams.
  
• 2019 DEMARINI JUGGY OVL END LOADED
  
• Louisville TPS Power-Loaded
  
• Miken 2020 Freak Primo Balanced - My current bat is end loaded, but this bat seems to have favorable reviews.
  

I am not attached to any of these options by any means and am definitely welcome to other suggestions. These are just bats I could find that were readily available. Any input on this would be great!

I picked up a 34in/27oz Z4 a couple years ago and it has just been the most perfect bat for me. [Link] I've hit so well with it, but it feels like it might be nearing the end of its life. I'd love to replace it but they are discontinued and seem to be $400 on the used market.
Are there any bats that you think would be a good replacement for this bat? What criteria should I be looking for? Need ASA Stamp

I had gotten a composite bat in early August of the past year, and after hitting off the tee tonight, I noticed a rattle. It's sort of subtle, not like maracas, but sounds like a small pebble. Should I be worried about this? I've seen someone say it's just a piece of glue from the cap, and others that say it's probably broken. Should I take advantage of the warranty and get a new bat? Thanks in advance.
Link to the bat on JustBats(33 in): https://www.justbats.com/product/louisville-slugger-pxt--9-fastpitch-softball-bat--wtlfppx19a9/30016/

Hey all. Was looking at picking up a new stick and wanted to see if anyone had any experience with Maple/Bamboo bats. My old Easton S2 composite finally died last week. I have a Bamboo bat that I've been swinging for a year now that I really like. But I want to have another bat in reserve. Wanted to give something else a try. I've swung maple before and like it.
 
I play in the 18+ division of my local men's league (I'm 28). I'm a good contact hitter. Usually singles or doubles into the gap. I like a balanced bat. Not a huge slugging guy, but I can get a hold of one on a good day.
 
Going in on a JustBats bat pack with my buddy. I've heard good things about Brett Bros so I wanted to try them out. Was looking at the maple, but then saw the maple/bamboo bat and was curious. Well rated on their website. Wondering if anyone here has any personal experience with it and how it compares to strictly maple or strictly bamboo.
 
Thank you in advance! I'm really enjoying this sub since I found it!

The American Association is a 12-team league that is not affiliated with Major League Baseball with teams spanning from Manitoba to the Metroplex.
In a normal season these teams play a 100-game season spanning from mid-May to Labor Day. The league is split into two divisions, North and South.
This year, 6 teams (Chicago Dogs, Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, Milwaukee Milkmen, Sioux Falls Canaries, St. Paul Saints, Winnipeg Goldeyes) will play 60 games, with the Cleburne Railroaders, Gary SouthShore RailCats, Kansas City T-Bones, Lincoln Saltdogs, Sioux City Explorers, and Texas Airhogs sitting out the 2020 season.
With Opening Day being on July 3, we’re looking at one AA team each day. Today’s team: Kansas City T-Bones. Previously: Chicago Dogs, Cleburne Railroaders, Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, Gary SouthShore RailCats
KANSAS CITY T-BONES
Stadium & City: JustBats Field at T-Bones Stadium (6,537), Kansas City, KS
Year founded: 2003
Championships: 2008 (Northern League), 2018 (AA)
Website: https://tbonesbaseball.com/
Notable moment: On July 18, 2006, 94-year-old Buck O'Neill played in the Northern League All-Star just months before his death, taking one at-bat for each team and walking both times (full disclosure: I was there as an 11-year-old).
Notable players: David Segui (2005), Calvin Pickering (2007), Ken Harvey (2008-09), Joey Gathright (2013), Scott Carroll (2017-18), Henry Owens (2019), Daniel Nava (2019), Chris Colabello (2019)
Interesting facts:

• The T-Bones have only recorded four winning seasons in their 17 years of operation, but are just one game below .500 all-time. Only three times have the T-Bones won more than 52 games, but only twice have they lost more than 52 times. Two of their three best seasons occurred in the past two seasons.
• Last season, KC suited up 8 former major leaguers, a franchise record and roughly half the total of the entire league.
• Their home ballpark, T-Bones Stadium (then known as CommunityAmerica Ballpark), served as the home stadium for the Kansas City Wizards of the MLS from 2008-2010, before the Wizards moved into Sporting Park, and re-branded as Sporting Kansas City. It remains the smallest full-time home stadium in MLS history.
• On June 3, 2007, CommunityAmerica Ballpark hosted 1,683 guitarists playing "Smoke on the Water," setting a Guinness World Record for most guitarists performing one song.

This post is here to help navigate the weird world of Slowpitch Softball gear! Every year, there's a barrage of posts about what gloves, bats, what should I purchase, what's the best...etc. I have attempted to put everything into "A post to rule them all". Hopefully one of our loving mods will sticky it for us to the top! The prices you see below are more or less retail price. If you are looking to buy anything for softball please hit up your local rep (or u/fozzie33) as almost every item in the softball world has two prices, the retail and rep price. For technicalities, everything posted below is my opinion. I don’t care that your $75 glove from Dicks Sporting Goods has lasted you 10 years. It’s probably floppier than a soft dick. I hope you find the answers you are looking for within! I will continue to edit and update things as I see fit. Also, the Facebook group located in the sidebar is a great source for info and fun!

• Slowpitch Websites with Gear
• Gloves
  • Price Ranges
  • Sizes
  • Webbings
  • Backs
  • Oddities
  • Custom Gloves
• Bats
  • Sanctions
  • What Should I Use?
  • What's the Difference?
  • Weights
  • One-piece vs two-piece
  • Flex vs Stiff
  • Balanced, Midload, Endload
  • Short barrel vs Big barrel
  • Warranty Issues
  • "Clincher Softball Bats"
• Balls
  • COComp
• Shoes
  • Turfs vs Molded
  • Companies
• Tips
  • Proper Throwing
• How to be a softball douchebag

Slowpitch Websites with Gear

There are plenty of websites with softball gear. Each major company has its website where you can purchase clothing and/or equipment for that company such as bats, shoes, sweatshirts, hats, etc.. Several companies have taken inventory from individual companies and consolidated into one website as a "one-stop-shop". The three largest Slowpitch companies are Headbanger Sports (HB), GS Sports (GS), and SmashItSports (SiS). Diamond Sport Gear is another site as the previous ones and they contribute to the sub.
Some individual companies are Miken, Worth, Demarini, Easton, Pure, Anarchy, Louisville, and Monsta.
Other websites that can be helpful: JustBats, CheapBats, and JustGloves.
For those that live in Cold Mexico, The 51st State, Land of Maple Syrup, or The Great North (whatever you want to call it) you have some own websites of your own to help you get around shipping and custom fees.

• https://www.kahunaverse.com/ (Ships to the US)
• https://canada.smashitsports.com/ (Does NOT Ship to the US)
• https://www.baseballtown.ca/us/ (Ships to the US)

For those of us that live in the US, Canadian sites have good deals at times. I bought a Mizuno Crush from a Canadian site and had it shipped to the US. I got my bat about two weeks after purchasing and my final cost was around $170 US.

Gloves

Price Range

• Below $100 - These gloves are your lowest quality gloves and will last 1-3 years normally depending on your personal preferences. They will not hold their shape long term and the padding in the palm and fingers will break down quickly and not protect your hand as sufficient. This is a good glove for the occasional player or league night player that doesn't want to invest a lot of money into their equipment.
• $100-$200 - These are your middle-quality gloves. These gloves will last 2-5 years depending on your personal preferences. This glove will hold shape for some time depending on usage, care, and storage. This is a good glove for a league night player or tournament player who wants a better quality glove that will last them a few years.
• $200+ - These are your highest quality gloves and should last 5-10+ years depending on your personal preferences and care. This glove will hold its shape for as long as you take care of it dependent on usage. This is a great glove for the dedicated league night player or tournament player who knows they can trust their glove at all times. This type of glove is more of an investment since they have a long life expectancy. If you are considering purchasing a glove in this category, I recommend that you try it on before purchasing.

Sizes
Gloves come in sizes ranging from 11" to 15". For Slowpitch, I think a 12.25" should be the minimum size for any position. Some people that played baseball previously still think that because they used an 11.5" in High School that's the size they should be using to play infield in softball. A baseball has a circumference of 9.25" where a softball has circumference of 12". Bigger ball = Bigger glove. I used an 11.25" glove for 8 years in softball as an SS/3B then, I tried out a 12.75" and I've never looked back. I still use an 11.25" for baseball but I believe there are some serious benefits to a larger glove with a softball. If you're good enough to use that small of a glove in softball, you're good enough to adjust to the larger glove size.
Slowpitch Infielders typically use 12.25"-13" with a majority using 12.75". Outfielder typically use larger gloves in the 13"-15" with majority using 13"-14".
Ultimately, the glove that you feel most comfortable with is the best glove for you. If you play multiple positions and are looking for something that you can use all over the field, I would recommend a 12.75/13".
Webbings
The webbing is the part of the glove that goes between the thumb and pointer finger where the "pocket" of the glove is located. There are several different webbings available based upon where you are going to play or what you prefer:

• I-web: Dominantly used in middle infield. Allows for a shallow pocket for quicker, easier transaction of ball in glove to ball in hand.
• H-web/Dual post web: Good utility webbing. Typically used for 3B and OF but can be used for middle infield.
• Trapeze: The preferred webbing for Outfielders. The Trapeze web allows for a deeper, larger pocket while not sacrificing the quality of the glove.
• Modified Trapeze: Good utility webbing. Very similar to the trapeze webbing but has a strip of leather running across the top of the webbing to add stability to the glove.
• Basket: In baseball, this is typically a pitchers' only glove because it is easy to conceal the ball behind the webbing. Very few position players use this webbing, Derek Jeter is probably the most famous.

Backs
Right now there are three different types of backs for gloves: Leather, Mesh, and SuperSkin.

• Leather: Typically the most common backing for gloves as it has been tried-and-true.
• Mesh: A lightweight replacement to leather. It allows for a quicker break-in time and relieves the glove of some weight. However, it is widely accepted that the mesh is not quite as durable as leather or SuperSkin.
• SuperSkin: A recent material developed for MLB that answered the question of "How do we make a lighter glove without sacrificing quality and durability?" SuperSkin is supposedly twice as durable but half the weight as leather. In reality, it is lighter than a traditional all-leather glove but the SuperSkin has a different handling characteristic then I expected. It is easy to adjust to if the is the backing you desire.

Oddities

• Single vs Double welting: Welting is the piece of leather that is sewed onto the back of the finger stalls of a glove. Single welting is the industry standard. Double welting is two strips of leather per finger stall sewn onto the glove. Double welting gives you a stiffer overall glove feel due to the amount of extra material on each finger stalls. This increases the break-in time and stiffness of the glove.
• Wrist Backing: There are two different types of wrist backing available; closed and open. Infielders tend to have the open wrist backing as it makes the glove lighter and more flexible. Outfielders tend to have the closed wrist backing as it makes the glove stiffer.

Custom Gloves
Custom gloves have saturated the market over the past few years. The possibility of having a glove that is customized to your liking in almost every aspect sure is an attractive one. There are a lot of companies across the United States that make custom glove in various price categories. In my opinion, the best companies are Pro44, S2N, and Gloveworks. Each of these gloves have their pros and cons but overall are all good quality gloves. They typically have sales around holidays so if you can be patient, you can wait and get a better deal.

Bats

Sanctions
There are many leagues for Slowpitch and each one will have their own rules and regulations to follow. Every league will follow one of the following governing sanctions: USA/ASA, USSSA, NSA, ISA, ISF, or SSUSA. You can locate in your league rules which governing sanction your league uses and Google for the official rules.
What should I use?
Primarily, it's best to use whatever your league allows. Most leagues defer to all bats requiring a stamp from either USA/ASA or USSSA. Some leagues require NSA stamps as well. Make sure you know what your league allows; a player can be ejected depending on their leagues' rules if they are using an illegal bat.
What's the difference?
Bats are primarily tested in two ways depending upon what sanction the bat is going to be approved for play in.

• For USA/ASA: In a controlled environment under USA/ASA testing standards, no batted ball may exceed 98 mph. The maximum batted ball speed to pass testing is 98.9 mph.
• For USSSA: In a controlled environment under USSSA testing standards, no batted ball may exceed a performance factor of 1.2 BPF off the bat. It requires math to figure out what a bats BPF is and requires a standardized ball. This is why USSSA sanction tournaments use Classic M's exclusively.

Weights
Most bats tend to come in weight sizes ranging from 25 to 28oz. There are a few bats that are available in weights outside of that range but not many. The lightest and heaviest slowpitch bats that are available are 24oz and 30oz.
Some people believe that they need to swing the lightest bat for the highest swing speed while others believe you should swing the heaviest bat for the most weight behind it. Both of those are somewhat true but we should find a happy medium. You should be looking for the weight that you can swing the fastest with the most control while maintaining proper swing mechanics. For most people, this tends to be a 26 or 27oz bat. Ultimately it is your preference in what you swing.
Bat Pieces? Flex or Stiff Handles?
Bats can be confusing. There's only a certain number of customization you can do to a softball bat but that doesn't mean that companies haven't tried to make "unique" bats for themselves. To be honest, purchasing the right bat can be overwhelming and most people tend to just go with what people recommend. Every person is different in what bat feels good to them and you should swing what feels good. I hope to clarify the bat world and lingo used so that everyone can make their informed purchase for themselves.
When someone says they prefer a one-piece over a two-piece bat what does that mean? It means exactly that. It's the amount of pieces that have been glued together to make the bat. Most bats are either a one or two-piece but several companies have three and four-piece bats. Rule of thumb is that the higher the number of pieces within a bat, the more flex the bat will have. So a one-piece will be similar to swinging a baseball wooden bat where a four-piece bat would be similar to a flex golf club. Bat companies unofficially recommend that slower swing speeds should use flex bats while faster swing speeds should use stiffer bats.
Flex or Stiff tends to refer to the handle of the bat. As previously said, flex handles will flex and stiff handles will not. Stiff handles are currently made out of alloy or say "stiff" in the description.
Balanced, Midload, Endload
For this example, I'm going to imagine that a bat barrel is resting on three scales with a scale at the end of the barrel, middle of the barrel, and bottom of the barrel (where handle and barrel meet). For this purpose, only one scale can touch the barrel at a time and each scale represents where the "load" is on a bat.

• Balanced: The handle and barrel are almost equal in weight and the balance point of the bat should be somewhere near the middle. The scale at the bottom of the barrel would be touching on a balanced bat.
• Midload: Midload is typically a .5oz Endload that has been slid down into the sweet spot of the barrel. It's a hybrid. It has the same effect as an endload but doesn't feel like an endload. Most people will say it feels and swings like a balanced bat. The scale in the middle of the barrel is touching the bat here.
• Endload: Probably the most common and fan-favorite of softball loads available. Endloads come in primarily two different sizes; .5oz and 1oz. This weight is normally put near or on the endcap of the bat for some extra inertia during one's swing. The scale near the end of the bat would be touching here.

It's most important that you determine what you prefer to swing. Swing as many bats as you can until you find what you like and hit well with.
Short barrel or Big barrel
Short barrel is a barrel that is 12" or less. Big barrel is a barrel that is 13" or more. It all has to do with your preference as a batter but the following is widely accepted as fact within the softball community

• Short barrel: Sweet spot of the barrel is further towards the endcap. Because the endcap is the fastest moving part of the bat this results in faster-batted ball speed when good contact is made. Endloaded short barrel as well feel heavier (or more pronounced) when swung due to the smaller barrel.
• Big barrel: Sweet Spot of the bat is more traditional and toward the 2/3 area of the barrel. The Sweet Spot is also larger since the barrel is larger giving you more room to mishit the ball and still get good contact.

Warranty Issues
Most companies offer a 1-year warranty with their bat. If your bat breaks through normal usage within a year of purchase date, you can send the original back bat and get a replacement. Even if you purchase your bat from your local sporting goods store or a softball site; your bat will need to be warranted through the original manufacturer. For the most part, it's a painless process and easy as just following the steps on their website. However, you must have all of the required documentation for your warranty. All bat companies require that you have your receipt for when you purchased the bat and allow a warranty return as long as it is within 1 year of purchasing date. People started creating fake receipts and now bat companies include some form of "barcode" which is unique to that bat. For companies such as Miken, Worth, Anarchy, and Pure they use a JTS Sticker barcode. It will come stuck on the handle somewhere and will have a matching serial number to the bat. You mustn't lose this in case of a warranty. If you do lose it, most times companies will not accept a warranty but exceptions have been made dependent on the situation.
Easton and Demarini use their own hologram sticker attached to the bat. There is no need to ever remove these stickers from the bat but if you are worried that they will come off, I recommend putting some clear coat nail polish (or another clear lacquer) over it so it can't come off.
Upon receiving your bat, the company will be complete an inspection of your bat to see if it broke through normal usage. If it is determined that your bat broke from use outside of normal usage or was tampered with (shaved or rolled) they will deny you your warranty return.
Clincher Softball Bats
Clincher Softball is a unique variant of softball that is played in certain parts of the country and is believed to be the roots of slowpitch softball. It normally uses a bigger, squishy ball that is 16" verse the 12" standard ball. In these leagues, you want to swing a heavier bat then you would normally would as the bull is mush and compresses on contact. The addtional weight will help drive the ball. Demarini and Worth both make bats designed for these types of leagues that are available in a range of weights. For most people they are going to look for 30oz and up bats. As previously stated, modern 30oz bats are becoming less common and harder to find. You can search eBay, Craigslist, OfferUp, etc. for someone selling their older bats. It's undecided but most people believe that modern bat technology has zero benefit over older metal bats when it comes to Clincher balls. Some companies that have 30oz and up bats good for Clinchers:

• Debeer
• Easton
• Louisville
• Miken

Popular Bat Companies
Bat companies try to keep the specs of their bats the same through the years and sanctions, but sometimes things change. It's important to do your research on a bat before purchasing. Just because you had a USSSA version of a certain bat, does not necessarily mean that the USA/ASA version will be the same.

• Miken/Worth: Made by the same company in the same factory. If you don't believe me, their websites are identical. These two have battled it out for the past few years as to who is #1 and its close. One's company bats closely resemble the others. Both companies have a multitude of bats available dependent upon what you like. They have almost every possible combination bat available; you just need to find it.
  • Miken: DC41/KP23/Primo/Hybrid are the most popular bats. Most bats are available in USSSA and USA/ASA.
  • Worth: EST Comp XXL, Legit Watermelon, Harvey Wicked XL, Dedonatis Wicked Bal are the most popular bats. Most bats are available in USSSA and USA/ASA.
• Demarini: Fell off for a while but came back in 2019 & 2020 with the purpose to be taken seriously in slowpitch softball. They are still battling some durability issues on certain lines but when you're playing with fire, you might get burned.
• Easton: Known for being tanks but requiring a lot of work to be broken-in they designed their bats in 2019. They wanted something that would be ready quicker but just as good as the old Eastons. They introduced their FireFlex technology and it took the softball world by storm. FireFlex2 and FireFlex3 have all been tweaked to deal with problems that the OG FireFlex had. They're great team bats as they give good performance and can handle a heavy workload. Their endloads are also very gentle and not so pronounced.
• Monsta: Easily the most controversial company thanks to their owner. Regardless, they make a good bat for the USA/ASA division. Arguably the best bat available for that sanction. Their bats are known to be tanks and can handle 1,000+ hits if you follow the conditions for the bat. These bats are only designed for Low Compression balls which is any ball with a .52 COR / 300 Compression (or 275 Compression). You can find some older bats of theirs that can handle .44 COR balls if that is what your league uses. Most Monsta's are midloaded and their handle depends on what you order. They offer 4 different handle settings; 1500, 2500, 3500, and 4500. Super flex is 1500, flex is 2500, stiff is 3500, and super stiff is 4500. Most other bat handles are equivalent to a 2500 or 3500 handle except for the stiff alloy handles. Those are closer to the 4500 handles.
• Louisville: Probably the most famous for their unique PING sound over the years. Their new bats are something to take a serious look at. They went back to the original Z1000 design and gave it a modern facelift. Their new lineup is ready and their confident that their bats can compete with anyone in the USSSA division. They recently made a USA/ASA Low Compression (LC) bat that was very highly appraised from everyone that swung it. Unfortunately, they only offer the 1 bat in USA/ASA.
• Anarchy: New company to the game that is under SmashItSports wing. They have produced several USA/ASA bats over the years that handled .44 COR balls very well AND .52 COR balls as well. They recently produced their first USSSA bat this year and are continuing to produce more. Some people like them and some people didn't have good luck with them. All Anarchy bats are reported to have a lot of handle flex; however, they do have a bat or two that has a stiff handle available.
• Pure: The newest bat company to come into the softball world. They are known for their unique one-piece bats and custom paint jobs. Their bats come available in balanced, .5oz endload, and 1oz endload. All their one-piece bats have stiff handles since well they are a one-piece. Their 2-piece bats tend to have a flexier handle and are matched to a Monsta 2500.

Balls

COComp
COR represents how "bouncy" a ball is while compression measures how hard a ball is.

• COR: Determines how far a ball will fly. The COR number is determined by the percentage of reduction in speed for a ball bouncing off a wall. If a ball is thrown at a wall at 80 mph and bounces off at 40 mph, then that ball has a COR of .50 (or 50%). If it was to bounce off at 35 mph then it would be a .44 COR ball.
• Compression: Measured by how many pounds of force are needed to squeeze two sides of the ball inwards by a total of .25 inch. If the ball takes 375 pounds of force to squeeze, then the ball is a 375-pound compression ball. Balls that fall in-between the pound rating are rounded up to the nearest rating.

Reductions in compression have a larger impact on ball performance than a reduction in COR. As well, weather can impact the performance of a ball. Leather balls will harden up if they take on moisture but will eventually decline once too much water has been taken on. Balls will react differently on a 60 degree vs a 100-degree day; same thing with cloudy vs sun.

Shoes

Molded Cleats vs Turfs vs Trail Runners
Metal spikes aren't allowed in slowpitch softball so for many years people have worn molded plastic cleats. However, with the availability of Turfs and Trail Runners, you can find a lot of different shoes on a field.

• Molded Cleats: Resemble metal cleats but with plastic. Great traction in the outfield or if you play on soft, loose infields. Can be slick on hard-packed infields with thin top layer of dirt. Some people complain about pressure due to only have 9 or so points of contact with the ground compared to your whole foot. People have also worn football cleats and lacrosse cleats and preferred them due to being more like a "boot" feeling but still lightweight.
• Turfs: Comfort of regular shoes but with more traction on dirt. They wear like regular shoes and are comfortable. It can have some traction issues in the outfield since there is normally nothing on the sole to dig into the grass. Good if you play primarily infield on a dirt/turf fields. Some players have started wearing turf shoes designed for other sports as well.
• Trail Runners: A lightweight shoe designed for people who run or hike on dirt trails. They tend to have a more aggressive tread pattern than a turf shoe but not quite a molded cleat. They look like regular shoes but have that added layer of traction. Can be worn anywhere on the field.

Tips

You want to get better at softball. You never played or just want to be better to help your team increase their chance of winning. Here are some simple fundamental things you can improve on to be a better player.

• Throwing
  • 4 seam. Professional baseball players throw this way so we should too. Throwing a 4 seam has a lot of hidden benefits that people don't realize. It will straighten out your throws and they won't curve as much. When they do curve, they'll be more predictable. You'll get more rotation on the ball and your throws will carry longer.
• If you want to throw further and harder, then you need to throw. There's very little that can be done in the gym to increase arm strength. 1 hour of long toss twice or once a week can result in improvements in a short amount of time.
  • If you don't have friends you can still do this. It's not nearly as fun though and just depends on your commitment level.
  • Outfielders should learn to throw with a "step-behind". This allows you to get your body weight going in the direction of your throw in a short time frame. You will see increased speed and distance if you do it right.
  • Infielders should learn to shuffle their feet towards the base their going to throw too. Again, get your body weight going in the right direction while increasing your thrown ball speed. Difference between safe and out at times.
• Fielding
  • Infield
    • Try and improve your technique for fielding. Simple things like hands out in front, squat like your sh*tting in the woods (not bending over like your picking something off the ground), spacing between your feet when fielding are all things that can be improved on. Professional baseball players work on these things all the time and so should we.
  • Outfield
    • The only way to get better at catching fly balls and reading balls off the bat is....by catching more fly balls.
• Hitting
  • Hitting is complicated as it involves almost every muscle in your body at some point. If you want to be a better hitter then you need to understand the type of hitter that you are. Contact or power? Can you place a hit? Inside or outside pitches? High or low? These are all things that once you understand about yourself, you can start to work on your weaknesses.
  • For people that want more power, you're going to find it in your hips. Or more precisely, you're going to find it in the separation between your lower half and upper half of your swing.
  • As much as I could type out and explain in detail the complexities of a swing, the best way for slowpitch to help is to post a video for us. Being able to critique a swing is something done visually. I recently worked with a fellow user of the sub and it wasn't until I was in-person explaining things to him that it made sense. Post a 30-second video of you hitting live pitching; can be at the cages or in-game. It doesn't matter. The best video to post is one with a few hits or swings from the other batters box with your entire body in frame. It will allow us to see what you are doing instead of having to interpret through writing.
  • Relax when hitting. You shouldn't stress out or be worried. You should focus on getting your pitch and putting a good swing with solid contact on the ball. If you hit it well enough, the ball will find a hole.
• General
  • Have fun. This is supposed to be a good time. I've seen people go to the hospital and get seriously injured over this game. Everyone has to get up tomorrow and go to work to support their life. We do this to burn off energy, get out of the house, hang with the guys, etc.. The point is that this is supposed to be fun. There's no need to burn bridges and ruin friendships.
  • Most people in softball are nice and willing to help people. The really good guy on your team who goes 3 for 4 every game with 2 hrs. Yeah, ask him if he will help you get better. People are much more receptive to helping people get better who want to get better.
  • You're going to run into softball douchebags. It's a fact. Accept and ignore them. This is the highlight of their life.

I think that's it. If you have any questions, please leave a comment or PM me.
Edit 1: Added Canadian websites and fixed formatting.
Edit 2: Added "Clincher Softball bats"

This is my teams first year playing softball and we are finding ourselves a bit in over our heads when it comes to purchasing a bat. I’ve done some reading online and found the info in this sub to be very useful. Any information or opinions that you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
First, some info on the league and equipment rules:
The league is slow pitch recreational
Game balls must be equivalent to 12"/.44 co375 lbs compression or 12"/.52 co275-300lbs
Bats can only be purchased from the NSA approved bat list with logo certification from either the USSSA, NSA, or ASA. Bats on the non approved ASA/NSA list are not permitted.
We are looking to spend around 200-250$ Canadian (150-200 USD). Doing some research I’ve realized that current highly rated bats run more in the 350$ range however at this point in our teams short lived career this is a bit out of our price range.
Given our price range, these are the bats that stuck out to me based on the reviews I read online and in this sub:
https://www.kahunaverse.com/sports/baseball-softball/bats/slowpitch/miken-2018-freak-hybrid-maxload-12-usssa.html
https://www.demarini.com/en-us/bats/slowpitch-bats/2018-omega-2-phenix-balanced-slowpitch-bat
https://www.cheapbats.com/shop/closeout-2017-easton-ronin-slowpitch-softball-bat-asa-usssa-balanced-sp17r2ua-p-8976-c-9641.html
https://www.cheapbats.com/shop/2018-louisville-slugger-super-z1000-slowpitch-softball-bat-end-loaded-usssa-wtlszu18e-p-9455.html
https://www.justbats.com/product/2019-miken-vicious-asa-usssa-end-loaded-slow-pitch-softball-bat--mpav19/31007/
As you may have guessed, Im located in Canada in case that plays into which website/vendor to purchase from.
Again, any and all insight would be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance

My adult coed softball team is trying to decide between two bats
1.) The Easton trizone Brett helmer 34", 26 oz bat ($50) (https://www.justbats.com/product/easton-stealth-brett-helmer-tri-zone-slow-pitch-softball-bat--scn17bh/12676/)

1. Combat wanted softball bat, 34", 27 oz ($60) (https://www.justbats.com/product/easton-stealth-brett-helmer-tri-zone-slow-pitch-softball-bat--scn17bh/12676/)

Both are fully composite. And recommendations on which to go for?

Looking for a bat for my team, thinking a late model will be a good deal. This one looks pretty sweet. We have a not quite as nice balanced bat 28oz. I wanted to grab a 27oz end loaded to have some options. This seems like a great price. Thoughts?
https://www.justbats.com/product/2018-demarini-twisted-mistress-usssa-slow-pitch-softball-bat--wtdxxau/29536/

My fiance bought me a purple softball bat to match our purple jerseys for Christmas. Unfortunately, it's the 2018 Miken Freak 20th Anniversary Maxload USSSA bat, and I play in an ASA league. I would like to get a purple ASA bat to match her original intention. I've found two bats that are purple and ASA stamped:
2018 Miken Freak 20th Anniversary Maxload ASA (which is more purple trimmed but close enough)
2019 Worth Wicked XL ASA
Which one would you guys recommend? Does anyone know of any other purple ASA options?

Votes are in. Do you agree with these most popular USA Baseball bats? https://www.justbats.com/products/approved%20for~usa%20bat/

NOTE Only valid with specific sellers: (sorry for the confusion- make sure it applies before you buy)
Sellers for Coupon redemption:
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Have you heard? https://blog.justbats.com/usa-baseball-bans-easton-ghost-x

I usually mash kraut in a bucket, about 2 heads of cabbage at a time, then transfer to a clear cambro to ferment. All the mashers I've found are either:

• uncomfortable (not rounded on top, not good for downward mashing)
• stupidly expensive ($25 for an 12 inch piece of sanded maple? wtf)
• or way too short (12 inches doesn't work well for mashing in a bucket).

I need something that's about 2 feet long, round, 4 inches in diameter and made of wood that won't splinter. My best option seems to be a fence post but they don't come in sizes under 8 feet, so that's a lot of waste.
A wooden training baseball bat seems like a great option but they are even more expensive.
Suggestions?

Be ready for your next softball game https://blog.justbats.com/3-great-softball-hairstyles