Aluminum Baseball Bats vs Wooden Baseball Bats
What advantages are there with an aluminum baseball bat? What benefits are there with a wooden bat? This is a question that most baseball players ought to look into when they are purchasing a new baseballor softball bat. In this article, the differences between the two will be described so you are able to make the decision yourself. One of the limitations of the aluminum bat is that the bat's weight has a more uniform distribution. There is less mass in the bat's barrel and this makes the bat have a less effective collision with the ball. The ball will generally leave the bat faster and more quickly with a heavier bat than it does with a bat that is lighter. Only the barrel has an effect on turning the baseball around andpropelling it back at a high speed. The aluminum bat's barrel cannot have the same effect as wood bats do.
The aluminum baseball bat also compresses when the bat collides with the ball. This effect slows the ball as it comes off the bat. Wood bats don't compress, however, the ball will, and will lose more energy than an aluminum baseball bat. An aluminum baseball bat is hollow, while baseball bats made of wood are solid. This is incredibly important because it makes a difference in the weight and the center of gravity for the bat. For a wooden baseball bat, to make the bat fatter or longer, the bat must also weigh more. For an aluminum bat, the shell can be made more thinly so the bat doesn't have to be heavier. The aluminum baseball bat is more flexible in this manner and provides players a lot more options without having to get a bat that is so heavy.
Because wooden baseball bats are solid, the majority of the weight is in the barrel of the bat. This means that the center of gravity has to be further away from the hands. Thealuminum baseball bat is a lot more flexible and as a result, the center of gravity may be placed closer to the hands. Because the center of gravity is not as far from the hands, an aluminum baseball bat can have a swing weight that is lower. The bat, however, may weigh just as much as a wooden bat. Aluminum baseball bats are able to have a swing weight that is lower, as the bat's weight is closer to the hands. What that does is make the baseball bat easier to swing instead of the center of gravity and weight being further from the hands as it is in a wooden bat. Because the bat is easier to swing, the player can have a swing that is faster which results in the ball coming off the bat faster and more quickly.
This is a clear-cut advantage that an aluminum bat has over a wooden one. One advantage of the aluminum bat is that it's able to be a lot more forgiving. Batters will still make contact with the ball and get a good hit. If you hit the ball too close to the handle with a wooden bat, it is more likely to break. This makes aluminum bats far better for hitting inside pitches. A great deal of college baseballplayers have a difficult time making the transitional to the big leagues, because in college they nearly exclusively use aluminum bats. Pro bats are all wood and as a result, players have a rather hard timegetting comfortable with the weight.
Composite Baseball Bats Banned!
Tue, 03/16/2010 - 08:58 — adminThe NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved the NCAA Baseball Rules Committee’s recommendation to remove, at least temporarily, composite bats from NCAA competition. NOTE: This is a ban in college baseball only, composite bats are still legal in High School down through T-ball for now. Also, hybrid bats are still legal in College baseball (bats with composite handles and alloy barrels).
The rules committee proposed the action in July and met again via conference call August 17 after hearing comments from the membership and manufacturers about the recommendation. After considerable discussion, the rules committee concluded that composite bats will not be allowed for the time being.
The committee’s main concern about composite bats is that they are susceptible to performance improvement above standards set by the NCAA, either through normal use or alterations to the bats.
While committee members are not convinced that simple compliance testing of specific bats will solve what they see to be a significant problem in the sport, the committee agreed with a suggestion from the NCAA Baseball Research Panel to seek additional testing to determine if it is feasible to allow composite bats in NCAA play this season.
The research panel met with baseball bat manufacturers August 12 in Indianapolis to explore whether composite bats could be used within NCAA guidelines and parameters.
During the 2009 Division I Baseball Championship, composite bats were selected for ball exit speed ratio (BESR) certification tests. Of the 25 bats tested, 20 failed the official BESR test for current NCAA performance levels. Because all bat designs must pass that test before mass production, the results indicated that the performance of such bats changed thereafter, most likely due to repeated, normal use or intentional alteration.
In the meantime, the NCAA plans to conduct additional testing that will provide the baseball rules committee another opportunity for review. Additionally, the committee is open to providing an opportunity for companies to prove that their bats would meet current NCAA standards regardless of use or tampering.
As for beyond the upcoming season, the baseball research panel is recommending that an Accelerated Break-In (ABI) process be added to the certification process under the new Ball-Bat Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR) standard to help address the issue of improved performance and further the goal of having all bats in NCAA play remain under the NCAA limit through the life of the bat.
Guidelines to Buying the Perfect Wood Bat
Determining the Bat Length
One of the better ways to selecting the right bat length is by cross-referencing your weight and height to arrive at the bat length.
| Your height (inches) | ||||||||||
| Your weight (pounds) | 36-40 | 41-44 | 45-48 | 49-52 | 53-56 | 57-60 | 61-64 | 65-68 | 69-72 | 73+ |
| Bat length | ||||||||||
| less than 60 | 26" | 27" | 28" | 29" | 29" | |||||
| 61-70 | 27" | 27" | 28" | 29" | 30" | 30" | ||||
| 71-80 | 28" | 28" | 29" | 30" | 30" | 31" | ||||
| 81-90 | 28" | 29" | 29" | 30" | 30" | 31" | 32" | |||
| 91-100 | 28" | 29" | 30" | 30" | 31" | 31" | 32" | |||
| 101-110 | 29" | 29" | 30" | 30" | 31" | 31" | 32" | |||
| 111-120 | 29" | 29" | 30" | 30" | 31" | 31" | 32" | |||
| 121-130 | 29" | 29" | 30" | 30" | 31" | 32" | 33" | 33" | ||
| 131-140 | 29" | 30" | 30" | 31" | 31" | 32" | 33" | 33" | ||
| 141-150 | 30" | 30" | 31" | 31" | 32" | 33" | 33" | |||
| 151-160 | 30" | 31" | 31" | 32" | 32" | 33" | 33" | 33" | ||
| 161-170 | 31" | 31" | 32" | 32" | 33" | 33" | 34" | |||
| 171-180 | 32" | 33" | 33" | 34" | 34" | |||||
| 180+ | 33" | 33" | 34" | 34" | ||||||
Determining the Bat Weight
1.Most baseball bats are also weighted in ounces.
2.Bats have a weight-to-length ratio, usually shown as -3, -4, -6, etc.
3.For example, a bat is 34 inches long with a -6 ratio.
4.It's weight-to-length ratio is therefore 28 ounces.
5.Selecting the proper weight depends on two factors - your strength and hitting style.
6.Choose the heaviest bat you can swing while sacrificing little speed.
How to choose the right baseball bat?
Sun, 03/07/2010 - 15:01 — adminThere are a number of points that you should keep in mind while choosing a baseball bat. Some factors include level of play, size of the batter, cost and comfort. The comfort of the baseball bat is definitely the most important governing factor. As with any piece of accessory or equipment associated with sports, you must ensure that the baseball bat is comfortable to handle---the more it is comfortable the better you would be able to play the game. To judge its comfort level take a few swings of the baseball bat and also try to picture yourself playing the game with it. Better still, if any of your friends has a bat of the same make and company, you can borrow it for some time to judge your comfort level. A swing in the store may not feel the same as it would feel in real situations. In case you are choosing a bat for the younger players make sure that they are able to swing the bat without too much effort. Young players struggling to swing bats that are too big for them is a common sight. The next factor that you should consider is the size of the bat. This includes the length and weight of the baseball bat. As a general rule, the length of the baseball bat should depend of the height of the batter; the taller the batter the longer should be the baseball bat. The next point you should consider while choosing a baseball bat is the level of play. Keep in mind that baseball bats are measured using their length to weight ratio, a negative number that represents how many ounces a bat weighs compared to its length in inches. Make sure to check the regulations of your league before buying a baseball bat. This is because every level from little league through major league has different regulations regarding what bat sizes and materials are allowed. If you are interested in buying baseball bats, check out the maple and ash baseball bats by X BATS. The baseball bats by XBATS are customized to your requirements. The wood baseball bats come in either maple or ash. You can choose from 27 different models, and 32 different colors. In addition to custom colors, XBATS offers free baseball bat personalization with every wood baseball bat order. You can even get your signature on your bat just like the professionals.
