Size: -13 Drop
-13 Drop Fastpitch Softball Bats: The Perfect First Bat for Young Hitters
If you're shopping for a young fastpitch player's first real bat, a drop 13 deserves a hard look! These are the lightest swinging bats in fastpitch softball, built specifically for the smallest, youngest hitters in the game - and choosing one correctly can shape a player's swing for years to come.
What Does Drop 13 Mean?
Drop weight is simply the bat's length in inches minus its weight in ounces. A 29 inch bat that weighs 16 ounces is a drop 13, written as -13 drop. The bigger the drop number, the lighter the bat feels (relative to its length.) Drop 13 sits at the very top of the fastpitch range, which runs from -8 to -13, making these the lightest fastpitch bats you can buy.
Who Should Swing a Drop 13 Fastpitch Bat?
-13 drop bats are made for beginners and young players, generally in the 4 to 10 year old range. Players at that age typically swing 28 to 30 inch bats in the drop 11 to drop 13 family, with a 29 inch, 18 ounce setup being the most common overall. For the smallest and newest players within that group, drop 13 is the right call.
Here's why light matters so much at this age: bat speed creates power, not bat weight. A young hitter who can whip a drop 13 through the zone will hit the ball harder, develop better mechanics, and (most importantly) have more fun than one dragging a heavier bat through the strike zone. Please, please, please: resist the urge to buy heavy for a player to grow into. An oversized bat builds bad habits that take SEASONS to undo. As your player gets stronger, she'll graduate naturally to drop 11 and drop 12 models, and eventually to the heavier drops that high school hitters swing.
Drop 13 bats are welcome across youth fastpitch leagues and tournaments, so whether your daughter plays rec ball or travels with teams competing under USA Softball, USSSA, NSA, ISA, PGF or Alliance Fastpitch sanctions, just confirm the bat carries your league's approved certification stamp and she's ready to go.
Why Buy Your -13 Drop Fastpitch Bat from LongballBats.com?
We carry brand new drop 13 fastpitch bats from three names parents trust: DeMarini, Rawlings and Dudley. No matter whether you're searching for the best drop 13 fastpitch bat, the best fastpitch bat for an 8 year old, or the best lightweight fastpitch bat for a beginner, we've got the right options in stock and ready to ship.
Better yet, you're not buying blind. We've been fitting players with bats since 2016, our staff carries more than 100 years of combined baseball and softball experience, and helping a young player find her first great bat is one of our favorite things to do. Tell us your player's age, height and experience level, and we'll recommend the perfect drop 13 the first time.
Shop our drop 13 fastpitch bats today and start her off swinging fast, hitting hard and loving the game!