Metal vs Plastic Cleats (Pro's and Con's)

wow this forum has some drama queens

didn't attack anyone.....I said "bs"

jeeeeez maneeez folks.....RELAX

 

QFT......

.....I sat for the #3 ranked D1 team in the nation and QFT, did not have a spike mark on me! ....and the summer seasons SUCKED!......no minor league in my history, but I can tell you this, Otis Nixon left Louisburg a yr. or 2 before I got to play them, but his brother Donnell Nixon could rock! .....look, spikes are here to stay folks!!!..., get over it and move on!......and don't block the plate or the bag by dropping the front leg shivver in front....you'll get spiked and the ump will call one of two things...1. free base to the runner for you blocking the bag, i. e., not allowing the runner a legit path to the plate/bag....or...2. a collision that results in injury way worse than spike marks!.....QFT...it took me a LONG time to get it in my head that the rules don't allow one of, if not the most cool play,.....the catcher riding a runner off the plate! Like it or not, rules are rules. Fishman, the designated baserunner.

 

My experience

I only experienced one injury with a girl wearing metal cleats this year, she was stealing third and slid. Her cleat got stuck into a boulder, yes this high school field was terrible as there were boulders underneath all of the bags, even home plate. She ended up coming back two weeks later, healthy with a a little bit of a hard time running.

If I were anyone planning on getting metal cleats for softball, I would also get a pair of those rubber cleats just in case for a rainy day when someone gets hurt or you get hurt. Practice with them before entering a tournament with them on.

P.S: Just recently, I heard that metal cleats are allowed in 14U in Colorado as my younger sister is a second year 14 player (coach sent out an email recently about them allowed, though I don't know if any other coached in CO know about it) I haven't heard anything else about if it's allowed in everything like USSSA, TC or ASA. I really don't know if it's really official or whatever. I probably prefer the metal cleats to be allowed in 16U when the girls are old enough to know how to use the cleats correctly, but whatever. If they want metal cleats, they get them. PRACTICE with them, and decided wheter or not to wear them for awhile.

In my own opinion on what to wear, go with whatever is best for you or your DD. I wear rubber cleats as I'm a pitcher, I get more of the push off on the rubber. Though my three years of high school or travel ball, I haven't seen any other girls get injured other that time which I explained above. So there you go