Softball Bats Are...
One of the biggest hurdles in softball is finding the bat for you.
Sure, we want to hit the ball (and pretty far, too) but sometimes we just can't find that sweet spot to get us there. The thing to note about softball bats is that they can be made one of two ways:
- One-piece Softball Bats
- Two-piece Softball Bats
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| Louisville Slugger Warrior One Piece Softball Bat |
The advantage of choosing a one-piece softball bat is that you get a stronger and stiffer bat with little flex. Heavy Hitters enjoy one-piece bats because they can crank the ball that much better because of how stiff it is made.
An advantage of choosing a two-piece softball bat is the fact that it creates a "trampoline" effect upon contact with the ball due to its two-piece design. Also, because the bat's handle and barrel are bonded together a two-piece softball bat ends up giving off less vibration because of it has more "flex".
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| Easton S2Z Hybrid Two Piece Softball Bat |
Larger Sweet Spot: Two-piece
Lots of Flex: Two-piece
Much stronger: One-piece
Return with Impact: One-piece
Long-lasting: One-piece
More Expensive: Two-piece
Not One Size Fits All...
The Verdict:
IF your hand stings hitting the ball in softball (or) you swing well with a two-piece then go for a two-piece softball bat for slow-pitch.
IF you are fairly new at the slow-pitch softball thing I suggest you go for a one-piece bat, as it will give you a durable and likely long-lasting bat for the season.
ALLOY softball bats are generally made from aluminum by itself or that is mixed with other metals to make for a stronger final product. These aluminum softball bats are usually a one-piece design, and their strength allows for a much thinner, more responsive barrel walls.
COMPOSITE softball bats are made from a mixture of carbon-fibre, fiberglass, graphite and sometimes Kevlar. With composite baseball and softball bats, the more they are used, the carbon-fibre weave becomes extremely responsive - often much more than current standards allow. Baseball leagues have begun banning composite-barreled bats because of this and it's a good idea to make sure your softball league allows composite bats before purchasing one.
HYBRID softball bats are a combination of an alloy barrel and a composite handle - making them two-piece bats. This creates a softball bat that is longer than traditional alloys, with a lighter handle.
Differences in weight distribution contribute to the feeling of a light or heavy swing weight of the bat. The closer the bat's balance point is to the handle, the easier it is to swing and control.
Most slow-pitch players cannot be as fast and should consider a balanced softball bat for maximum performance.
A MAXLOAD softball bat is similar, except there is even more weight at the end and suggested for use by stronger players who have no problems controlling their swing.
What these walls are referring to is more "trampoline" effect - the more walls, the more spring action that should result from contact with the ball. Single-wall softball bats are sometimes required in a league, and there are many options on the market. As a result of the various layers and thicker barrel, Multi-wall Softball bats tend to be a bit more durable.
Wood bats are most common in baseball and can be made of ash, maple, bamboo or composite wood. Bamboo is by far the strongest and tends to last longer than other wooden bats. Ash is softer and provides a ton of the "flex" we've been talking about. Maple is harder and more dense leaving power hitters to favour a Maple bat because the stiffness allows them to swing with all their strength. Composite wood bats are very durable and high performing, but because of this may not be legal in softball leagues.
Part II: Softball Bat Material
Softball bats can be constructed from a few different kinds of material.ALLOY softball bats are generally made from aluminum by itself or that is mixed with other metals to make for a stronger final product. These aluminum softball bats are usually a one-piece design, and their strength allows for a much thinner, more responsive barrel walls.
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| DeMarini Ultimate Weapon Alloy Slow-pitch Softball Bat |
COMPOSITE softball bats are made from a mixture of carbon-fibre, fiberglass, graphite and sometimes Kevlar. With composite baseball and softball bats, the more they are used, the carbon-fibre weave becomes extremely responsive - often much more than current standards allow. Baseball leagues have begun banning composite-barreled bats because of this and it's a good idea to make sure your softball league allows composite bats before purchasing one.
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| Miken Freak Black Maxload Composite Slow-pitch Softball Bat |
HYBRID softball bats are a combination of an alloy barrel and a composite handle - making them two-piece bats. This creates a softball bat that is longer than traditional alloys, with a lighter handle.
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| Combat Derby Boys Hybrid Slow-pitch Softball Bat |
Part III: Balanced vs. End Load vs. Maxload
The most common type of bat is BALANCED. These are preferred by players who know they can hit the ball and want to have all together better control and ball placement. But what this all has to do with is: weight distribution.Differences in weight distribution contribute to the feeling of a light or heavy swing weight of the bat. The closer the bat's balance point is to the handle, the easier it is to swing and control.
- Example: Bat 1 has a balance point 20-inches from the handle. Bat 2 has a 22" balance point. Even though both bats have a weight of 28 ounces, the bat with weight further from the handle will be more difficult to control and likely to reduce swing speed. The bat with weight closer to its handle will be easier to control.
Most slow-pitch players cannot be as fast and should consider a balanced softball bat for maximum performance.
A MAXLOAD softball bat is similar, except there is even more weight at the end and suggested for use by stronger players who have no problems controlling their swing.
Part IV: Single-wall Softball Bats vs. Multi-wall Softball Bats
Slow-pitch bats today are made with two or more barrel walls.What these walls are referring to is more "trampoline" effect - the more walls, the more spring action that should result from contact with the ball. Single-wall softball bats are sometimes required in a league, and there are many options on the market. As a result of the various layers and thicker barrel, Multi-wall Softball bats tend to be a bit more durable.
Part V: Wood Bats
There are different types of wood for bats.Wood bats are most common in baseball and can be made of ash, maple, bamboo or composite wood. Bamboo is by far the strongest and tends to last longer than other wooden bats. Ash is softer and provides a ton of the "flex" we've been talking about. Maple is harder and more dense leaving power hitters to favour a Maple bat because the stiffness allows them to swing with all their strength. Composite wood bats are very durable and high performing, but because of this may not be legal in softball leagues.
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| Rawlings Velo Big Barrel, Maple / Composite Wood Baseball Bat |
Have questions about softball bats in general? Maybe you know a thing or two already and feel like sharing...drop us a line in the Comments section below!
Softball is a big sport, specially in US and Canada, either slowpitch softball or fastpitch softball, I just admire the sport and when the the companies are making great softball bats for 10u, 12u and for power hitters, then it makes us king of the softball sport.
ReplyDeletehttps://thepickleballpaddle.com/best-fastpitch-softball-bat-for-12u/