Bats 101

[SkeetsMi]

I am new to all the new technology in bats that is out there today. I have a son who has just had his first taste of hitting with a real bat (not the $30 Wal-mart specials) and he would like one. I have known these bats exsist and have seen them in action and I am impressed with them, but: I have heard these bats are only good for 500 hits. You have to hit at least two hundred balls with them to break them in. You can use them in cold weather, under 70 degress or they may break. Ect. My son will be 10 in August and I am thinking of getting him a bat for his birthday. If you would like to recommend a bat or two, I will research them from their. Thanks for your help.

[al_dad]

I will say this, My son 10U has used the Demarini CF3, Combat B1, and the Mattingly Beast. If you were to ask him whick he likes best he will say the "Mattingly Beast" with Easton Turbo Slots batting gloves. He likes the feel of the 2 together as he expalined to me if feels like he isnt holding a bat but holding a "Whip". He has hit 2 Hrs during the districts so far (Mattingly arrived last weekend) and he is looking forward to the district Championship on Monday 07/20.

[Speedy42]

with these bats: Demarini Voodoo ( best 1/2 & 1/2 bat), CF3, ComBat Virus and TPX Triton. All in senior league sizes. Can't go wrong with any of these bats. If I knew your kid's size I'd recommend a bat size.

[D_wats]

The best LL bat I've seen is the Anderson Techzilla, hands down. Now the older ones would dent, don't know about the 2010.

From what I've seen the Worth Lithium is a pretty hot bat, but I've seen it dent too.

[tom2p]

Difficult (almost impossible) to recommend a bat without details on kid (and without actually watching him swing).
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What is good for one kid may not be good for the other - case in point DeMarini double wall bat - great bat for some kids and a terrible choice for others.
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[SkeetsMi]

Thanks for the help. Can someone anser a couple questions. I've been told these bats are only good for a certain amount of hits? They can't be used in cold weather? You have to break them in correctly? Is this all true?

[cps]

I've been told these bats are only good for a certain amount of hits?
Most composite bats will fail eventually. However, it may take A LOT of use before failure. My son has a B1 31/19 that was used for two seasons of baseball (recreation and AB). It never failed with approximately 2000 hits. He also has a B1 31/21 that he used in cooler weather which did develop hairline cracks around 1000 hits. The bat lasted another 800 hits before it cracked severely enough that it could no longer be used.

They can't be used in cold weather?
Most manufactures suggest you do not use composite bats below 60 degrees as the balls get harder and the composite material becomes more brittle. However, there are bat warmers that can be used to circumvent the weather conditions.

You have to break them in correctly?
Most composite bats will get hotter with more use. Some manufactures suggest rotating the bat between hits to even out the break-in. Some people roll or shave the bats in order to expedite the break-in process. These procedures may limit the life of the bat.

[Hookem74]

With composites it's either hit or miss, if you get a bad one it will usually break within the first couple of months which the warranty will cover it! A good one will last a couple of years if you take care of it (game use only no batting cages or practice)

Break in period for composites can be anywhere from 50 to 200 hits(make sure you are rotating the bat) after that you will notice a different sound(almost gunshot like), a slight crease between the end cap and bat and a difference in the bat exit speed & distance.
yes the bat does get hotter with each hit added and hottest right before it breaks!
***After the break in period the bat should be for game use only!! This is where the biggest problem i'm seeing bats being damaged, kids using them in practice or batting cages.
You can't treat a composite like an alloy bat, times have changed!


Batting cage dimple balls,water-logged baseballs, 60 degree or colder weather can damage the bat. Also leaving the bat outside or in vehicle can break down the fibers faster than you want it to making the bat brittle. Balls hit on taper or handle can also break the bat.

Lot's of theories on how to break in a composite bat properly which the best answer is batting practice with regular game use baseballs. To speed up the process take about 50-100 hits with it yourself before your kid even touches it. Your goal is to break down the fibers of the composite creating a bigger trampoline effect.

here's the grey area:
Yes there are alternate ways such as hitting a telephone pole or tree, vicing, heating,having it rolled, malleting the bat with a death blow hammer, shaving down the fibers inside the bat. Most of these are considered illegal.
***I will say hitting a telephone pole/tree or by mallet is equivalent to batting practice and does ensure an even break in process faster compared to hitting 200 balls. I don't condone it but i do know a lot of people that do it. You have to remember something that is potentially helping your child can be hurting another!

[SkeetsMi]

So Hookem74, you are saying people actually use a tree or telephone pole for as batting practice to break in the bats? Interesting. I am really learning a lot here so far, if anybody has anything else to add, please do.

Another question. Would you buy a used bat? I have a co-worker who has a used one for sale. I don't have the specs. on it at this point (he is on vacation). I do know it was used for one year and very well maintained. Is there anything I should stay away from or things to look out for besides the obvious cracks? Is sound a good way to tell if it was broke in correctly? Once again, any help is appreciated. Thanks again for the help so far.

[tom2p]

note - composite bats differ in type/method of construction/material and reliability
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purchase a used composite bat ? answer might depend on the manufacturer ..... some composite bats have a high failure rate .....
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if you are contemplating a move from the '$30 Wal-mart special' to a new bat, a quality aluminum bat may be a better first step ..... (regardless) kid should have at least one quality aluminum bat in his bat bag - regardless if you do spring for a composite bat ........
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again - it is not the type or cost of the bat as much as having the appropriate size bat - length and weight .....
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[Hookem74]

When buying used I look at the bat's reputation as far as durability. Sometimes you can get a great deal because the bat is not even broken in yet and they gave up on it.
A general rule is stay within $50-75, I would never pay more than $100 for a used bat..too many places like ebay, craiglist,etc to find them cheaper!
I have several that I have scored at garage sales,ebay,etc bats worth over $200-300 for less than $50

Another option is last year's model is usually a whole lot cheaper and has enough general feedback, so you know exactly what you are getting. Many online sites have deals b/c they are needing to get the newer models in. Buying in the fall/winter is generally the best time

Tom is right, the bat itself doesn't make the kid, if he can hit, he can make any bat look good.
I myself am not completely sold on composites bats for baseball. I think the technology is getting better but far behind compared to the great results I've seen in softball. There are some great alloys out there that will hit right up there or better than the composites

Last year on my godson's 12 yr old team we mostly used a Catalyst,Synergy,Techzilla,Stealth and EXO for the first half=8 homerun (my godson just 2) Hits were good but nothing out of the normal

From the advise of a friend I switched them to older alloys that were king back in the day
In the second half we used a brand new 2000 EASTON Z-Core Connexion sc500 alloy and a couple of older model TPX bats=38 team homers with my godson finishing with 12.

This year for his junior league & select team most still prefer alloys over composites, the team's homeruns have all been with alloys, not to say there haven't been any great hits with the composites just a matter of preference

for composites I do like the combats and Demarini's CF3, in this area it's mostly Stealths & EXOs which have had good results to.......not impressed with Miken Burn, Worth titan

If you do choose to get him a composite also consider a cheaper older alloy to keep handy in the bag, sometimes the balls are just too soft and a composite will absorb the ball resulting in a lesser trampoline effect. While an alloy will do the exact opposite by crushing it.

Easton composites you can actually squeeze the barrel and hear the crackle. lets you know its broken in! Some other brands will make the same crackle noise to

A good composite will give u anywhere from 800-2000 game hits by then more than likely he would have outgrown it.

A "broken in" composite it suppose to outhit an alloy by 15-20 ft which I've seen in fastpitch but the jury is still out on the baseball side.

**watch out for composites that have inner aluminum sleeves, we purchased a worth titan that is a total log, can't break in the composite frame b/c the sleeve won't allow it resulting in no trampoline effect!

[tom2p]

Like the Z Core - baseball and softball (versions).
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Oldest kid liked the Z Core - used one on-and-off with success. Few other players in the same org also used the Z core.
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TPX Omaha Scandium XS - at least one in the bat bag - always.
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Not sure if the Wicked Insanity has an alloy inner sleeve, but this bat appeared to have a fair amount of pop. Another fav bat of my oldest kid.
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