How To Buy A Baseball/Softball Bat?
Baseball Bats
Understanding Bat Materials
The world of bats now offers a large variety of choices in materials. These can be broken into two primary categories: aluminum, and wood. Each provides its own unique characteristics and advantages for today's players.
Aluminum:
· Aluminum is lighter in weight which increases control and bat speed. Balls travel farther with aluminum over other metals.
· Despite generally higher costs than other materials, aluminum is durable and not prone to crack or break.
· Aluminum bats come in a variety of alloys each with a different weight
· Generally, lighter aluminum alloys are thinner and more durable. The following is a list of the different alloys and their benefits:
* 7046: This is the standard aluminum alloy used in most bats.
*CU31/7050: More durable than 7046, due to increased levels of zirconium, magnesium, and copper.
*C405/7055: Increased Zirconium content than 7050, giving higher strength.
*C555: 7% stronger than C405, has traces of scandium, which increases strength.
· Lighter weight bats also increase the "sweet spot," the hitting zone on the bat's barrel that gives the maximum place to put metal to ball
Wood
· Wood bats offer a classic feel and sound
· Wood has three big disadvantages:
*Bats crack and break
*Reduced sweet spots on the barrel
*Far less hitting power than metal bats
Determine What Bat Fits Your Body
There are some standard rules of thumb in selecting the appropriate bat length. The chart below offer some guidelines based on age:
Determine Your Bat Length by Age
Age Bat length
5-7 years old 24"-27"
8-9 years old 26"-29"
10 years old 28"-30"
11-12 years old 30"-31"
13-14 years old 30"-32"
15-16 years old 32"-33"
17+ years old 34"
Determining the Right Bat Weight
· Most bats are weighted in ounces
· Many bats have a weight-to-length ratio, often shown as -4, -6, etc.
· This basically means a 34-inch bat with a -6 ratio weighs 28 ounces.
· Selecting weight really depends on two critical factors--your strength and your hitting style
· It also depends a lot on your personal preference in weight and length, so the following are simply guidelines to follow:
* Bigger, stronger players generally prefer a heavier bat since they get the benefits of both the heft and swing power
* Smaller players with less strength should consider a lighter bat to generate a quicker swing
* Younger players, too, should consider that a lighter bat increases control--great for singles hitters, while also reducing the risk of injury
Softball Bats
Determine What Bat Fits Your Body
There are some standard rules of thumb in selecting the appropriate bat length. The charts below offer some guidelines based on age and weight and height:
Age
Using your age as a guide, use the chart below to determine the bat length that fits your body.
Determine Your Bat Length by Age
Age Bat length
5-7 years old 24"-26"
8-9 years old 26"-28"
10 years old 28"-29"
11-12 years old 30"-31"
13-14 years old 31"-32"
15+ years old 33"-34"
Determining the Right Bat Weight
· Most bats are weighted in ounces.
· Many bats have a weight-to-length ratio, often shown as -4, -6, etc.
· This basically means a 34-inch bat with a -6 ratio weighs 28 ounces.
· Selecting weight really depends on two critical factors--your strength and your hitting style
· It also depends a lot on your personal preference in weight and length, so the following are simply guidelines to follow:
* Bigger, stronger players prefer a heavier bat since they get the benefits of both the heft and swing power
* Smaller players with less strength should consider a lighter bat to generate a quicker swing
* Younger players, too, should consider that a lighter bat increases control, great for singles hitters, while also reducing the risk of injury.
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