Selecting The Right Baseball Bat For More Home Runs
Lee Dobbins
Baseball bats can be made from many materials, but two of the
most popular materials for wooden bats are hard rock maple and
northern white ash. Rock maple bats are known for their
durability and heavy hitting power but are heavy and can get to
be a bit expensive. The white ash bats are more of a lightweight
bat but won’t stand up to every pitch the way a maple bat will.
Each baseball player has his own preference as to which type of
bat will help him hit that home run.
A hard rock maple bat is less likely to split when batting.
Since maple is a hardwood it is quite dense giving the bat it’s
holding power. As with anything, however, the way the bat is
made has a lot to do with whether or not it will hold up. With a
rock maple bat, you want to make sure it is manufactured from
wood that has a straight grain. Not all manufacturers adhere to
the same quality standards and some may not pick the straightest
wood to build their bats from.
While they might not be as durable as a harder wood, many prefer
the lighter weight and cheaper price of northern ash. Northern
white ash bats are popular because they are not as heavy as the
rock maple bats. While the northern ash bats are more cost
effective, they are not as durable and probably will not last as
long as a hard rock maple bat. Having said that, I will say that
you can get good use and longevity out of a northern white ash
bat if don’t swing at poor pitches. Those foul balls that hit
the bat are hitting it on a part that causes vibrations in the
bat that can cause it to crack.
Most professional bats are made from white ash. Todays players
like a lightweight bat and modern manufacturing methods have
come up with methods to make bats even lighter such as scooping
wood from the end of the barrel. With a lighter bat, you can
swing faster and drive the ball further. Although many prefer
the white ash, some are trying out the heavier maple bats as
well. You just need to experiment with both to find the bat that
is best for you.
Bats are sold in standard sizes and you can buy anything from a
light version, to medium even distribution to a heavy head bat.
Some dimensions you might find include 29/32 inches, 2 5/8 inch
thin; 15/16 inches thin and 2 3/8; 1 inch medium 2 1/2 inch;
13/16 inch thin 2 3/16 inch. Colors include natural, red, black,
green, walnut and blue.
Lee Dobbins writes for www.sports-wise.com where you can find out
more about the sports you like to play. Visit their baseball
articles archive at
www.sports-wise.com/baseball-articles.html
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