Composite vs Aluminum vs Both vs Neither

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Previous: Step #3 To Piece or Not Two Piece

Next: Step #5 Finding the right swing weight

After you've narrowed down the bat choices by what is legal in your league and decided on a one or two-piece bat design, the next logical step is to decide what material you'd like the bat to be made.

I will proceed as if you know the possible materials and understand them to some extent. If you need a refresher try here on composite, aluminum and wood.

Composite bats almost always cost more than their aluminum counterparts. Bats with a combo of composite and aluminum (like a composite handle and an aluminum barrel) usually cost more than aluminum and less than full composite. 

Why some justify the extra cost in composite:

Composite Break

1- it is a fact that Composite bats (in the little leagues) do possess the ability to have greater pop than their aluminum counterparts. (Do know it takes a good 200 swings to get a composite bat in true form. Most suggest you do this on a tee, rotating the bat a quarter turn each hit). Composite fibers gain flexibility as they are worked in--this increases the trampoline effect. Some argue that a composite bat always gets hotter the more you hit it until, eventually, the bat breaks in sometimes spectacular fashion.

2- For High School and NCAA the BBCOR requirements for composite bats don't alloy the graphite fibers You may find a smoother swing for your style in a two-piece composite or appreciate the sting dampening or plate coverage in the barrel, but don't think your $399 Mako has any more pop than a Sam RMC1.

2- Aluminum bats, on the other hand, lose pop over time and are never hotter than when they are taken out of the wrapper. Aluminum bats don't break as easy as composite but imperfections in the aluminum caused by hitting baseballs negatively effect the pop in the bat. Better aluminum tends to imperfect less easily but also comes at an added cost.

2- Composite bats, which can have thinner walls than aluminum alloys, allow bat designers to orchestrate more optimal swing-weight and plate coverage. 

3- Bat designers can also tune trampoline effect more effectively with composite bats. 

4- Composite bats also tend to sting less than aluminum.

And, maybe most damning, it is not clear if new regulations on composite bats in little league will require them to have a trampoline effect no more effective than high end aluminum bats even after they are worked in. Such regulations have already made highschool and NCAA composite bats no more bouncy than wood. If you are buying composite in highschool/NCAA for the added pop you'll be disappointed.

BBCOR Certification makes this
bat bounce like Wood.

The catch-22 is that if composite bats at the little league level do show a marked propensity to increase batted ball speed compared to their aluminum counterparts then its more likey little league will move to ban them.

Conclusions

For little league, those who should consider purchasing composite barrel bats are those who (1) play a lot of baseball (maybe 75 to 100+ plate appearances a year), (2) those who already hit the ball pretty well and (3) those who intend to play for as long as possible.

If your player is in little league and you don't meet all those requirements I'd save the extra $100+ and put it towards a great glove or the mortgage payment. As well, there are plenty of aluminum barreled bats on the market with plenty of suave.

If you feel like you are right on the cusp of the composite bat craze but not quite there, I'd go for a two-piece aluminum handle composite barrel combo bat. Some models have really caught on among the little league ranks: DeMarini's Vexxum and Louisville Slugger's Vortex.

If you are not quite sure on any of it I'd go with aluminum. Better to start there and get a feel for it. It's always much more satisfying to spend money to upgrade then to spend money to downgrade.

Now that you've decided on a legal bat, with either a two or one-piece design as well as the type of material you want you are well on your way to making a decision. Just one more step: Finding the Right Swing Weight.

Next: Step #5 Finding the right swing weight

Previous: Step #3 To Piece or Not Two Piece

Aluminum, Composite, Wood explained

You have four options when it comes to bat material: Aluminum Alloy, Composite, Composite/Aluminum combo and Wood.

Aluminum

An aluminum alloy is an aluminum based metal with different additives to allow for more durable and thinner bat walls. Most aluminum bats began, some 30 years ago, in a 7046 Aircraft Aluminum. The Aluminum was strong but heavy. Since then, after the invention of an even better Alloy called 7050 Aluminum, most major bat companies have created their own special blend by adding proprietary portions of, among other things, zinc, copper and magnesium and scandium. They name these special blends with catchy titles like X10 or THT Scandium Alloy. These companies continue to produce the older 7050 and 7046 alloys bats at a lower cost while their feature bats are the 'special blends'.

Higher quality and stronger aluminum alloys allow for thinner bat walls. Thinner walls allow for more control over the bat's weight distribution as well as increases in trampoline effect. Among the newer high end aluminum, with each company's special blend, it is very unlikely there is a superior alloy.

Composite

Composite bats use the same aluminum shell as aluminum bats but have woven graphite on the inside. These graphite fibers can be sorted and pointed or thinned to help control swing weight, trampoline effect, flex and sting dampening. Because of these benefits (especially the trampoline effect) composite bats are highly regulated in little league, highschool and college play. Composite bats also tend to cost more than aluminum bats.

Wood

As of this writing wood bats are making a serious run. The newer BBCOR rules, which force highschool and college aluminum and composite bats to mimic wood bats in trampoline effect, force the consumer to consider wood bats. If there is no longer any benefit to swinging an aluminum or composite bat, they should ask, why not put on the big boy pants and swing a wood bat?

Wood bats do break easier than either aluminum or composite and going through four or five bats in a season might make you question your budget, but there is absolutely nothing like dropping a big bomb with a maple stick. And only the dead don't like the smell of pine tar on a summer afternoon. Plus, swinging a wood bat is cool.

2013 DeMarini CF5 Youth Baseball Bat DXCFL-LE vs 2013 Easton XL3 YB13X3

DeMarini CF5 Youth Baseball Bat DXCFL-LE and Easton XL3 YB13X3 were two feature bats in the 2 1/4 barrel of 2013. Both are a drop 11 bat. How do they compare to each other? Let's take a look.

The most obvious difference between the two is the XL3 is a one-piece aluminum bat and the CF5 is a two piece composite bat. (You can read more about the  two piece/one piece debate here and composite/aluminum debate here.) But let's look at the bat's metrics on paper and help you in your buying decision.

Better Design? I vote the CF5. But the XL3
does look pretty smooth.

Balance Point

18 3/4 inches from knob - Demarini

18 1/2 inches from knob - XL3

Total Actual Weight

22.10 oz - Demarini

20.45 oz - XL3

MOI Calculated at Knob

7213  - XL3

7388 - CF5

I am surprised at how much the CF5 weighs compared to its stated weight. I know many two-piece composite bats are weighted without their handle or end cap--its just a barrel measurement. However, I have received bats before that have been mis-weighed/printed. The fact it is 2oz off makes me wonder....

Assuming the CF5 isn't misidentified at the factory (and I'd guess it was not) then the results are surprising. The swing weights (or MOI's) of the XL3 and the CF5 are virtually identical  (less than 3% different at the knob) at the same stated length (31 inches). If we are going to call the XL3 a 'heavy swing' that is endloaded then we better start calling the CF5 the same.

There is no fair answer as to what bat is better. They are both high end bats from well known companies. Based on the above valuation we can know that swing weight from one to the other should NOT be an issue. If you are trying to decide between these two then it will come down to your preference of composite two-piece and a aluminum one-piece. I'd suspect most folks, assuming the prices were the same, would take the CF5 simply because it has a higher retail value (because it is composite), but the fact its more expensive is never a reason to buy something.

Post Script 1:

Anyone at home have a CF5 2 1/4 31 inch they want to weigh? I'd love to confirm it is 2oz+ the identified weight.

Post Script 2:

Clearly the more common comparison will be the XL1 vs the CF5. One day I'll compare those.

Easton XL3 Swing Weights for 2 1/4 vs 2 5/8

2013 XL3 2 1/4 Barrel

If a player prefers the XL3 Easton Power Brigade bat and plays in two leagues that allow different barrel sizes, how does she find an equivalent swing weight in one barrel size versus the other?

I suspected that two bats from the same company (and same XL3 line) would have very similar swing weights at very similar total weights. I found these two bats in similar stated total weights and measured their MOIs. A 20 oz XL3 bat, regardless of barrel size, would, I thought, have a pretty similar swing weight to any other 20 oz XL3 Easton. Or so I thought...

It turns out, remarkably, bats in the easton XL3 line with different barrel sizes (and lengths) but similar total weights have very DIFFERENT swing weights.

2013 XL3 2 5/8 Barrel

I measured the 31 inch 20 oz 2 1/4 Easton XL3 with its 20 oz 2 5/8 counterpart. (Youth bat vs Senior bat). The youth bat (2 1/4 barrel) swings almost a full 15% heavier (at the knob) than the 2 5/8 XL3 version of the same total weight.

Remarkably, the stated weight on these two bats from the same company have nearly nothing to do with their actual swing weights. Proving even further that total bat weights mean pretty much nothing. 

As a result, if you need a different diameter bat and are trying to find an exact swing weight in the line you like make sure you drop an ounce or two (atleast) in the thinner and longer barrel version. If you have access to the bats you can also use the calculator to find an equivilant MOI bat.

 

Step #3: To Piece Or Not Two Piece

Picture From JustBats.com

Previous Step: Stated Weight Doesn't (Really) Matter
Next Step: Aluminum vs Composite vs Both vs Neither (Wood)

The best way I've found to start narrowing down the thousands of legal bat choices, instead of looking at ridiculous bat sizing charts, is to first decide between a two-piece or a one-piece bat design.

The one-piece vs two-piece bat conversation can be a complicated one--but we don't need to be complicated to make a decision. In its most technical and honest sense, the debate is one which can only be answered honestly with a great deal of data and very well done tests. Neither of which the industry has sufficiently to claim one bat types superiority over another. We do know for a fact, however, two piece bats tend to cost more than one piece bats. Accordingly, they also come with more sales hype. Some verifiable, some debatable and some snake oil.

Of the several reasons some might suggest you pay more for a two-piece bat, only three are verifiable.

Sting Dampening

The first verifiable reason for a two-piece bat is a sting dampener, which placed in the connective piece of a two-piece bat, makes mishits less painful in the players hands. Less stingy swings, it can be effectively argued, make some batters more confident in swinging the bat hard. And a more confident hitter is often a world of difference in successful outcomes at the plate at any level of baseball.

On the flip side, the best data out there suggests dampening hand stings with a more flexible or technological savvy bat comes at the proportional cost of a less powerful transfer of energy to the ball. (And this makes some intuitive sense as absorbing the bats energy and vibration in a sting dampener decreases the energy in the bat and, hence, batted ball). There is, it appears, no way to dampen the impact to your hands while not also dampening the power in the hit ball. (Incorrect, says DeMarinni's D-Fusion Handle--oh, okay, since the commercial is cool, i'll just believe it...)

Easton XL3: Composite Handle/Aluminum Barrel

Is, the question is begged, a potential loss in bat power made up for in batted ball speed by the possible increase in hitter confidence due to 'unstinged' hands? This is a player dependent question for sure, but I suggest there is NOTHING more important, especially for little leaguers, than confidence at the plate. And if a marginal loss in power created by a two-piece also restores a ball smashing attitude, then I wouldn't hesitate to go for a two piece bat. It is, in my opinion, the most justifiable reason to spend the extra money on a two piece bat.

Interestingly, a bat that decreases the sting of mishits simultaneously and proportionally gives the hitter an impression of more solid contact. It is why, I believe, two-piece bats often get better reviews than their one-piece counterparts. Yet its probable the feel good hit of a two-piece bat is actually hitting the ball shorter and slower than its one-piece sidekick. Maybe put another way, a one piece bat gives immediate and clear feedback (butter if its hit right, electrocution if its hit wrong) whereas a two-piece allow mixed messages (butter if its right, butter if its hit wrong). In theory at least, a two-piece bat design may make the hitter feel better about his swings but result in a objective measurements showing the exiting the bat slower. (In other words, reviews aren't very helpful).

Bat Flex (NO!)

This Famous Picture is AFTER contact.

The second verifiable reason a two piece bat has some extra value when compared to single piece has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH FLEX.

One of my goals in life is to stamp out this line of thinking among two-piece bat lovers. Some suggest, because they saw a golf club do this once, a baseball bat with a hinge point can flex on its way to the ball and 'accelerate through the zone' faster than the bat speed. They often refer to this a whip or barrel make-up speed.

First off, one-piece bats are plenty capable of 'flexing' and making a bat in two pieces for the sole purpose of creating flex seems as smart as counting your chickens by numbering all their feet and dividing by two. (And lots of two-piece bats are as stiff as any one piece you'll find).

Second off, No one has yet to show anyone can swing a bat, worth swinging in the first place, hard enough to create a flex in the shaft BEFORE impact. Any data we do have shows flexing bats before impact isn't possible.

The flex lie is perpetuated by a few great pictures showing a bats flex as hits the ball. HOWEVER, all of those pictures are AFTER THE HIT. If someone showed me a picture of a baseball bat flexing TOWARDS the ball through the zone you could color me perplexed. But all of the pictures show the bat flexing backwards AFTER THE HIT. And, if we were to think about it, the fact a bat is flexing away from the ball after impact proves a more flexible bat actually hits a ball with less force.

Do not buy a two-piece bat because you think it whips through the zone to create a faster barrel speed. It does not.

Optimal Weight and Strength Design

The second reason you may rightfully consider spending more money on a two-piece bat design is because it allows for engineers to create an optimal weight and strength design.

Weight distribution and structural integrity of our baseball bats is and will ever be of paramount concern.  A two-piece bat design, with the options of composite and aluminum on either or both sides, allows manufacturers more liberty in pinning down the optimal swing weight and balance points across all types of hitters. Although one-pieces are an impressive technological feat these days, they simply don't possess the inherent ability to fiddle with the MOI's.

If your hitter is struggling to maximize their bat speed and contact ability it may be your one-piece bat doesn't have the right weight distribution. I'd suggest it would usually be a pretty advanced player to struggle in this department, but there is a reason those at the highest levels of aluminum and composite bats (USA Softball and NCAA Baseball) more often then not use two-piece bats.

Innovation

The third and final legitimate reason you may justify spending more money on a two piece-bat is the connection between the two pieces allows for some interesting innovations--and one day we might get something which is proven to actually works.

Two examples (neither of which I think are verifiable--but interesting and exciting nonetheless): The D-Fusion handle from DeMarinni in their 2014 CF6 bat and Louisville Slugger's Attack's Graphite connection. The D-Fusion claims the ability to echo the vibration of a mishit back into the barrel for more power while simultaneously decreasing vibration in the handle. I don't quite buy the idea it works enough for measurable results but the idea is cool enough. (And, by the way, vibration really only happens on mishits so it can't happen on bomb-dropping sweet-spot blasts anyways). I'm not sure, quite frankly, what Slugger is trying to do with the graphite piece--although I've looked at their ad slicks and web site for a while trying to figure it out--in the Attack but it looks like they are trying something down there.

Either way, the future of baseball bats, in my opinion, is optimizing the connection between the two pieces. This assuming, of course, little league baseball doesn't just shut down the whole two piece thing altogether before we get there.

Conclusion

If you have a little leaguer who struggles with stingy hands and appears to now lack confidence to go after the ball I'd suggest a two-piece bat pretty strongly.

If you've played for a while and hate stingy hands then a two piece is probably the answer for you.

If you've been playing for a while and believe a certain two-piece bat you've already tried gives you the perfect type of swing weight (over any single-piece you can find) then I'd suggest you have a very valid reason to spend the extra money.

If you believe a certain bat company has finally cracked the secret to a two-piece bat which delivers more power than its single piece counterpart (all other things being equal) then by all means be my guest. The rest of us thank you in advance for funding the bat company's' R&D departments to come up with something,  one day, which might be the gold standard in composite and alloy baseball bats.

If your hitter is pretty new to baseball I'd suggest a single piece bat. The feedback he or she gets from a single piece bat is good information.

If you think you get more power in a one piece (because you probably do) and you relish the pain from a zinger in your palms on a mishit then continue to be the man you are and stick with a one-piece bat.

If you really don't care either way then save yourself a few bucks and go with a one-piece.

Once you've made this decision your bat selection options are actually getting manageable. One more step and you'll be on your way to dropping bombs.

Next Step: Aluminum vs Composite vs Both vs Neither (Wood)
Previous Step: Stated Weight Doesn't (Really) Matter

Rawlings RX4 vs Easton S400 drop 8 with a 2 5/8 Barrel

By my count, there are only two bats in 2014 that are FULL aluminum bats with a drop 8. They are the Rawlings RX4 and Easton S400. Both drop 8 bats come in the 2 5/8 only.

(If you add in the drop 9's several more one piece aluminum bats show up on the radar: Easton's S500 SL14S500, Rawlings' 5150 Velo SLVEL9, Louisville Slugger's Warrior SLWR14-RR and DeMarinni's Insane DXINR. There are a half dozen or so more when you add in two-piece or full composite bats with a drop 8 or 9).

You'd think, since the S500 is from the speed series, that the Easton has a lower swing weight then the RX4. That is not the case. When compared by length, the RX4 has a marginally lower swing weight than the S500. At 32 inches the S500 is heavier to swing by 9% at the knob and 7% at 6 inches from the knob. The 31 inch it is 3% heavier to swing at the knob and 1% at 6 inches. The 30 and 29 inch is 9% and 6%. The 28 and 27 is 8% and 6% heavier to swing than the RX4.

It may feel, if you are good at telling these things by picking them up in the middle of the bat, that the S500 is a bit end-loaded when compared to the RX4. The S500 has a center of mass about 1% further down the barrel than the RX4. But the total distribution of weight makes the two models, by length, a pretty similar swing at the knob and an even more similar swing at 6 inches from the knob.

The table below shows the comparative swing weight (CSW) 6 inches from the knob of the bat. The CSW is normalized from the RX4 at 27 inches. The 31 inch S400, for example, requires 91% more torque to swing the bat when measured against the 27 inch RX4. (It also delivers 91% more power at the same swing speed).

Length	Model	CSW
27	RX4	1.00
27	S400	1.08
28	RX4	1.18
28	S400	1.28
29	RX4	1.38
29	S400	1.50
30	RX4	1.60
30	S400	1.74
31	RX4	1.86
31	S400	1.91
32	RX4	2.09
32	S400	2.28

The length of the bat (minus the handle) is in favor of the S500 by 3/8 of an inch as the knob of the RX4 is slightly thicker and, it appears, the overall bat length is a tiny bit shorter.

The bat with the better Aluminum (read pop and durability) is a bit of a mystery. The 7046 Aluminum in the Easton S400 is a known commodity for 20 some odd years in bats. It is durable and has a ping sound that established how a ping sound should sound (by the seashore?). The RX4 alloy (which is called RX4 Alloy) is Rawlings' own blend and we aren't told much about what it is. Based on the marketing pitch of the two and the fact that neither of these aluminums are the ones used in their own companies high end aluminum bats (S3: THT Scandium Alloy, Velo: 5150 Alloy) then I don't think it much of a guess to assume the RX4 isn't much different than the 7046. Based on the suggested retail price of each bat (roughly the same @ $80) I'm going to go out on a limb and say the RX4 alloy is just about no different than the 7046 Aluminum found in the S500. In other words, over their lifetime, I don't expect any difference in durability and pop when comparing these two bats.

In the end these two bats are very, very similar. The S500, when compared by length, does require more torque no matter how you swing. The S500 also gives you about 3/8 more bat to hit the ball with.

If you are looking for a new full aluminum bat in the sub $80 range then you'll find a reasonable one in the RX4 or S400. I also wouldn't hesitate buying used (assuming there are no dings or cracks) as these 7046 aluminum (RX4 alloy) bats will last have proven durability. In theory, Aluminum gets progressively less "poppy" over its lifetime so do try and find out how much the bat has been used. As well, if it is your game bat, I'd suggest trying to not use during BP if you can. Also, if you decide to buy used, pay attention to the bat grip and see if you can't snag a sweet new bat grip for the used bat to give it that new feeling.

Happy Hitting.

Step #2: Stated Weight Doesn't (really) Matter!

Previous: Step #1 Choosing a Legal Bat.

Next: Step #3 To Piece Or Not To To Piece

HOGWASH!

Now that we've narrowed the bats down by what is allowable, we need to start narrowing down even further the number of bats available and begging for your dollars.

The first way many suggest you do this is by using a "bat selection chart." These charts use some function of your player's age, height and weight to dictate what weight and length bat you should begin sorting through. This process is fundamentally INCORRECT.

You can delve into the next several paragraphs to learn why shopping by total bat weight doesn't make sense. You'll learn that choosing the right bat is a function of maximum swing weight and maximum swing speed--neither of which, it turns out, can be deciphered by looking at TOTAL bat weight or length. You learn below that it is the distribution of the weight which makes the difference the bats ability to be swung. This phenomenon is referred to as MOI (or Moment of Inertia or Swing Weight). Knowing that will make looking at bat sizing charts based on player age, weight and height (like here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, etc. etc. etc.)) is a ridiculous exercise that too many folks get trapped into.

You can also NOT delve into the next several paragraphs, just accept those things out of hand, and move on to the next step: To Piece Or Not Two Piece.

To come to grips with the reality that total bat weight doesn't matter we need to break down the success of a hit into the two ways we increase power at the plate. The first is faster swing speed. A faster bat, assuming all other variables are the same, will create a faster batted ball speed. That seems obvious enough.

The second is a little less obvious. The amount of torque in the bat at impact, assuming all other things are equal, is the other variable that determines the speed of a batted ball. Torque, you may remember from High School Physics, is the energy a bat delivers to a pitch sending it in the opposite direction. Torque is NOT a measurement of the trampoline effect of the bats material (that is called Coefficient of Restitution or COR--which we will cover later) nor is it a measurement of the speed of the swing (that is called bat speed). Instead, torque is in reference to the amount of power in a bat at any given speed that resists the oncoming fast ball into a line-drive the other way.

To help make this clearer, imagine swinging a hammer. First hold the handle of the hammer and swing the head like a baseball bat. Now, turn the hammer around, put the head of the hammer in your hands and swing the handle like a baseball bat. Clearly swinging with the handle at the end, instead of the head at the end, changes the experience noticeably. While the total weight of the hammer never changes the weight of your swing (or swing weight) changes appreciably. Assuming you could swing both ends of the hammer with the same speed (possible depending on the size of the hammer) you'd have much more torque in the hammer while holding the handle and swinging the head.

So it goes with baseball bats. It turns out, like the sledge hammer idea, a bats comparative dead weight has virtually nothing to do with the torque or power in the swing. Instead it is much more a function of how the weight is distributed along the axis of the bat. Bats which tend to have more weight towards the end (called end loaded bats) have a higher swing weight. Bats which have weight evenly distributed along the axis (called balanced bats) have a moderate swing weight. Bats which have more weight in the handle (called speed bats) have very low swing weights.

Assuming two bats are being swung at the same speed, the bat with a higher swing weight will have more torque than a bat with the lower swing weight. That bat will, assuming the same swing speed, hit a ball further and faster than its low swing weight counterpart. Interestingly, and what happens often, a bat may have a higher swing weight yet a lower total weight than another bat. Such reality makes shopping bats by total weight as unsmart as the word unsmart.

The industry calls this principle of swing weight the Mass Moment of Inertia (or MOI). It is an objective measurement (which you can sort of do on your own) of the amount of mass required to force an object around a given point. (If you really want to dive into this, read this article from Professor Alan Nathan at the University of Illinois or this article from Dr. Daniel A. Russell at Penn State. I am not a physicist so I won't pretend to interpret them for you. But this much I am certain it says: the actual weight in ounces of the bat has between little and nothing to do with the success of a batted ball speed. And, as we've already discussed, batted ball speed isn't just a big deal it (and trajectory) are the only deal when it comes to getting our little tykes on base more often.)

19oz! Who Cares? You shouldn't.

Before I get too down on total bat weights, I do think they may not be entirely useless. Total weight may indeed be helpful if you are comparing bats of the same model. For example, we'd hope that a 32 inch is harder to swing (greater MOI) than the 30 inch of the same model. But, since we don't have published MOI, it is just a guess--and a good one at that. But we don't know how much more difficult relative to any other line of bats. It is a real shame bat companies don't publish their MOIs. If I were a small bat company trying to create a buzz, I'd let the world in on the secret.

As of today, the numbers in weight printed on the bat just don't correlate with the ability of a batter to put the ball in play with maximum velocity. Any sizing chart based on your players height or weight or online 'bat coach' that forces you to decide length and weight up front isn't doing you or your player any service. Avoid using those charts for a better experience in buying bats.

Next: Step #3 To Piece Or Not To To Piece
Previous: Step #1 Choosing a Legal Bat.

Step #0: Starting in the Box

Previous: How To Choose A Baseball Bat: A Dad's Guide
Next, Step # 1: Choosing a Legal Bat

At the risk of being too simple let us first agree on what we are trying to do. Given a certain budget, we are trying to get a bat that gives our player the greatest ability get on base or move runners that are already on base. We would also be willing to pay more, marginally, if it improved the players performance by a certain measurable valued amount.

The way a bat helps get our player on base can be very complicated (as proved by the endless options of bats), but let us first agree that we are looking for a bat that can help our player hit the ball with more consistency and more power.

And before we get too far, let's not give too much credit to the bat. Bats can only do so much for our game and changing bats on a player (especially mid-season) isn't a decision that should be taken lightly. (The decision to change bats discussed further in the blog posts). A bat CAN control two things. Assuming all other things are held constant, those two are, first, how much energy it transfers to the ball at contact and, second, how easily it allows for our player to make that contact.

In this fantastic chart to your right, Dr. Alan Nathan from the University of Illinois, we see that the speed of a batted ball and the angle at which it's hit determines the success of a batter. The right bat allows a hitter to not only hit the ball with a maximum amount of ball exit speed, but also the correct trajectory. In our quest for a bat these two parameters will be our guideposts.

Next: Step # 1: Choosing a Legal Bat
Previous: How To Choose A Baseball Bat: A Dad's Guide

Step #1: Choosing a Legal Bat

Previous, Step #0: Starting in the Box

Next, Step #2: Weight Doesn't Matter!

Several Banned Bats in Some Leagues

The first step in purchasing the right bat for your child is making sure the bat is legal in the league in which she will be playing. If your player's bat is over or missing any of the regulations they are not (or should not) be allowed to step in the batters box. On the other hand, if your player's bat is well under the size regulations then they will have a measurable disadvantage compared to their teammates and competitors. DO NOT assume just any old bat will work as that is usually NOT the case. Bat regulations, at least lately, are regularly updated.

You can usually find out your league rules for bat regulations on the league's website. If it isn't there, ask the coach--if he doesn't know then you should find out for both of you. Many of the little leagues around the country are affiliated with a national or regional governing body. Those bodies almost always have specific bat regulations that are updated annually. There are common ones like PONY, Cal Ripken/Babe Ruth, USSSA and High School (NFHS). There are also several regional ones like the Rocky Mountain school of Baseball.

One National Governing Body of Youth Baseball

A search like this usually turns up something close.

Most online and brick-and-mortar bat stores do a good job of sorting the bats by the league they are allowed in. Really good local stores will have someone on staff who knows--or charts by the bats letting you know what is and is not allowed in your local leagues. Finding this information out before spending real money on a bat is a must.

There are 3 questions you need to know the answer to with absolute certainty before you purchase a bat. They are:

1) What is the maximum bat diameter? (e.g. 2 5/8, 2 1/4, 2 3/4)

2) What speical stamping or thumbprint, if any, is required on the bat? (e.g. BPF 1.15, BBCOR, Approved for play in Pony...)

3) Of what material can the bat be made? (e.g. Wood?, Composite?, Aluminum?)

Once you know this, its off to the store...sort of...

Next, Step #2: Weight Doesn't Matter!

Previous, Step #0: Starting in the Box

Baseball Equipment Review Genesis

I have 7 children who each LOVE baseball. We are a perfect match because I do too. By last count, I've purchased about 500 baseball, exactly 38 bats, 14 fielding gloves, 12 pairs of batting gloves, who knows how many pairs of cleats, one batting cage net, a pitching machine and a host of other baseball related equipment that have pushed my retirement back by at least a year or two. To say nothing of the countless hours I've spent on every baseball or softball site imaginable gathering the right information to make product purchases or help my son or daughter with their swing.

I am one of those fathers who does too much for my kids sports. I contribute, ashamedly, to the little league arms race. I am jealous of those who don't care enough to send their kids to practice with glove that doesn't fit or a bat that is bigger than them. I wish I could just not care and appreciate the booger nose sport for what it is: just a bunch of community kids getting together to learn order (or whatever it is you think). But I just can't not care. It's against my nature. My kids want to do their best and contribute to their team winning. I can't help but support them in that.

I also probably have some obsessiveness issues. I can't seem to stop being inquisitive on what makes a baseball fly further and faster. How does swing speed or MOI actually work. Or what type of trampoline effect can we expect. I can't seem to stop watching Tom House Videos or slow motion videos of the swing Cabrera, Trout, Cespedas, Harper, et al. I've have software to analyze swings, slow motion video to compare to the greats and back yard batting cage where its rare that someone from the neighborhood isn't in getting their cuts in.

Long story short, I consider myself an expert on youth baseball equipment and mildly proficient in swing coaching. Not because I work for any of these companies, sell any of their products or Coach for a living--I don't have time for that. But because I am a Father of seven children who can't stop asking questions and a mind that I can't seem to turn off to the subject.

So, with that said, here is the start of my blog I actually wish I found when I started this journey several years ago.