It doesn’t matter whether you’re a Major League Baseball (MLB) player, a weekend warrior, or just starting out, selecting a new baseball bat can prove challenging to say the very least. There is no shortage of brands, sizes, ‘bat drop, and so much more on which you need to base your decision. The sporting market is saturated with choices causing players of every level to be overwhelmed in their search.
In an ideal world, the notion of being told which are the best bats for playing baseball would sufficiently satisfy the intimidated shopper into choosing the top on that list. But these lists are incredibly subjective.
A bat is far too personal of a tool for a player to make their decision on such a broad spectrum, which has been rated for popularity as opposed to a hitter choosing a bat picked explicitly out to suit their personal and professional specifications.
Types Of Baseball Bats
Baseball is a favorite summertime sport offering the simplest of rules for which almost anyone can enjoy with little equipment needed, including a glove, baseball, and the all-important baseball bat.
The type of bat you use has a few distinctions, some applying to the hitter directly along with the league being played in, and your budget. In generalizing, there are four broad categories for bats with a multitude of subcategories allowing for a substantial amount of choices for anyone engaging in play. Read advice on hitting.
** Bats Constructed Of Wood
Years ago, the only material used for baseball bats was wood. Today, players in the professional leagues still opt for the classic feel of the wooden baseball bat, whether in the major or minors throughout the world.
There is a vast array of different materials in the modern take of the traditional favorite, which can vary significantly from one league to the next. At one point, a popular brand was strictly using white ash, which provided a composition that was dense and thick.
Since then, players have started to lean more in the direction of the maple wood, making for a lighter structure. Follow https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/30/sports/baseball/new-kind-of-baseball-bat-is-tapered-for-safety-and-comfort.html for new varieties of bats growing in popularity but not yet sanctioned for use in a majority of professional leagues. These include:
- Hickory
- Birch
- Bamboo
- Blends of composite/wood materials or ‘composite wood.’
The professional leagues don’t opt for the more modern materials, which consist of the alloys, hybrids, and composites. These major/minor leaguers are ever faithful to their traditions with the ‘old wooden bat.’
** Bats Made From Aluminum
For players of little league age up through college, the bat material preference is aluminum. The reason is due to the lighter weight and durability. The fact that these offer a more effortless swing than that of the wooden counterpart despite being the same size makes it the ideal learning tool for those in the younger age groups.
It makes this bat perfect for a younger athlete who is a novice to the mechanics involved in the swing of a bat. What’s especially interesting is the history of aluminum bats.
With this material, there is a ‘pop’ off the bat at much faster speeds compensating for the younger sports enthusiast’s strength deficits and lesser accuracy who are less likely to repeat their performance using a wooden bat.
** The Bat Made of Composite Material
Bats deemed lighter than an aluminum bat offer construction using composite material, which consists of plastic, graphite, and in some cases, titanium blends.
These allow younger children a more significant competitive edge within their leagues. The composite options are more costly than the aluminum varieties, and individual leagues won’t let players use these. The claim is this bat is not as sturdy, durable, or strong as the aluminum, particularly in the area in the middle of the handle and the barrel.
** The Hybrid Material Bat
A bat that basically combines the strength comprising the aluminum bat and the composite deems the hybrid but notes to not have the same types of disadvantages.
It is constructed in most instances of an aluminum spine and handle, but the barrel material consists of the plastic, graphite, and titanium of the pressure-molded composite. The bat is recognized for its superior durability. It touts as being resistant to any kind of bends, dings, dents, warping, or defects that typically take place with play over a period of time.
The primary downside for the hybrid is the fact that some leagues won’t allow its use for play in competitions. The price point is equivalent to the composites also.
In saying that, for the younger players, the younger player will likely be expected to play with the aluminum bat, which is the most allowed in competitive play for these athletes and offers a much lower cost compared to the other options. For guidelines on ‘doctoring’ bats follow here.
Summary
For those professional players in training who want to improve their contact, they will go for the wood bat in every situation.
It is their tried and true. For the most part, the claim is that it is simpler to go from a wood bat to a metal variety rather than vice versa, as wood is much less forgiving.
The contact hitter notes that the best wood bat for practice is the one providing higher speed through the zone. As a rule, a contact hitter is going to opt for the ash, while power hitters generally take the maple bats because these offer strength with less give.
It’s not unusual for MLB players who hope to advance to use wood when training as these aid in enhancing speed and power.
Hitters are very serious about their bats with some who genuinely believe that each bat has, but one hit in it and change each time they play. Some feel that their bats need to be protected in cases in between games and only brought out for game time. Hitting is indeed one of the most challenging roles in sports, but incorporating the right tool into talented hands can produce a winner.
