Although it looks like a simple game, baseball is anything but that. In fact, if you have ever stood in the batter’s box and tried to hit even the slowest of pitches that came your way, you know swinging for the fences can be harder than it looks. As the game has evolved, so too have baseball bats. Whether you’re playing baseball or softball, here are some of the most popular types of bats you may find yourself using.
Wooden Bats
From the first time you held a bat in your hands, chances are it was a wooden bat. Used in the minor leagues and major leagues, most wooden baseball bats are made from ash, maple, birch, or even bamboo. Ash is the most popular type of wood used for professional baseball, but maple and bamboo are beginning to grow in popularity. Ash bats are usually very flexible, meaning they tend to not shatter as much as some other woods. Should you want a wooden bat that can be customized to your game and be strong enough to last for years, bamboo should be your first choice.
Aluminum Bats
Also known as alloy or metal bats, aluminum bats have been around since the 1970s and are used in collegiate and youth leagues far more often than wooden bats. Known for delivering a very big pop when making contact with a ball, aluminum bats can help you quickly become known as a power hitter on your team. While being very popular, you should remember that wooden bats can still be customized far more to fit your skills than most aluminum bats. However, if hitting more long balls is your goal, it’s hard to beat an aluminum bat.
Composite Bats
Created from various combinations of different types of lightweight materials, composite bats like the Easton end loaded bat are fantastic for softball players of all skill levels. Along with being very lightweight, which makes them much easier to swing, composite bats can also be made so that they offer you a very large sweet spot for hitting the ball. Because of this, even if you don’t get quite the swing you wanted at a pitch, you still have a good chance of sending the ball a long distance. As an added bonus, because composite bats can be created from so many different types of materials, manufacturers can make many adjustments during the manufacturing process, thus creating more and more different types of bats. Should you need a specific type of bat to take your game to the next level, chances are you can find a composite bat that will be just what you want.
Hybrid Bats
If you find you like certain features of both aluminum and composite bats, you may find a bat you will love once you start looking at hybrid bats. These bats generally feature a composite handle and an aluminum barrel, although this can vary among manufacturers. If you use a hybrid bat, you will usually find it still has a very lightweight feel that makes it easy to swing, but it will also be very durable, meaning it won’t crack or shatter.
Fungo Bats
Finally, there are fungo bats. However, you will never use a fungo bat in an actual game. Instead, your coach will use a fungo bat during fielding practice to help you with fielding ground balls and fly balls. Designed differently than bats you would use as a player in a game, fungo bats are usually wooden but can be composite or aluminum. Featuring a very slim barrel, longer length, and lower weight than regulation bats, you will often see your coach swinging a fungo bat with only one hand.
As baseball and softball become much more specialized, it is more important than ever that you find a bat that will fit your style of play. If you are like many of today’s players, you will probably opt for a bat that has as large a sweet spot as possible. When you combine this with a lightweight swing that lets you get around to the ball quicker, it won’t be long until the opposing pitchers dread seeing you step into the batter’s box.
