Composite Versus Alloy Baseball Bats. } "palette": { Studies also show the batting averages of players who use aluminum bats are significantly higher than if they use wooden bats. There is a perception that wood bats break regularly. The bats can actually lead to differences in player performance - let's dive deeper into these differences: In addition to the power gained from increase bat speed, the aluminum bat has a larger sweet spot. } The only solid part is the handle, which is filled with a black, rubberlike material. Find a local qualified private coach today. Metal Baseball Bats vs Wooden Baseball Bats 2001. This generates extra force behind the ball. But the above-mentioned article has an excellent bibliography including a couple of books and a bunch of respected journals. new LazyLoad({ Wood vs. Aluminum Bats - An Issue of Safety - South Orange, NJ - Risk of injury to young players is at the heart of the debate. Another reason is that baseball purists don’t think the aluminum bat has a place in professional baseball. Should metal bats be banned? Aluminum bats can also be made lighter than wooden bats. I love some of these answers. A. Hi Adam. Q. note 2020: All three of those links are now broken, but the "Why Aluminum Bats Perform Better than Wood Bats" article, is now available at https://www.acs.psu.edu/drussell/bats/alumwood.html. Studies show that ball speed is higher for balls hit with an aluminum bat than those hit with a wooden one. Baseball bats are made of either wood, or a metal alloy (typically aluminum). It sounds like aluminum bats are clearly better than wooden ones, so why aren’t they used in the MLB? "background": "#237afc" See our recommendation for aluminum bats: Marucci CAT8 (-8) USSSA Baseball Bat - 2019 Model. 1 1. Still, they can become dented and distorted so they do need to be replaced on occasion, but not nearly to the extent that wooden bats do. Contrastly, aluminum bats are intentionally light, which produces golf-like swings from metal bat hitters. I need to know if there are any books on the subject that can be used as a reference. All information presented is for general reference and does not represent a professional opinion nor the policy of an author's employer. -- a roundtable with a seat for you. Aluminum bats are obviously more durable than wooden bats. Great laughs. A. Hi Karol. new LazyLoad(); The debate doesn’t end at just wood and aluminum, though. Wood Bats (23) Fastpitch Bats (21) Youth Big Barrel Bats (21) Gloves (19) Bat Rules & Regulations (16) Guest Posts, Profiles, Q&A (16) Training (14) Slow Pitch Bats (11) Bat Care (10) USA Bat (3) USSSA Bats (3) Baseball Gloves (1) Deals (1) Home Blog Baseball Bats. "popup": { As pretty much any hitter who has used both metal and wooden baseball bats can tell you, metal bats are vastly superior. How Google uses data when you visit this site. Wooden bats are heavier on the striking end, while aluminum bats are heavier at the handle. The data also shows that not all metal bats are the same. A metal bat’s sweet spot can be as long as six inches of the barrel, while a wood bat only offers 2.5 to 3 inches of prime contact area. Many believe that college baseball players should play with wooden bats to prepare themselves better should they get signed by a professional team. www.kettering.edu/~drussell/bats.html. An aluminum bat will hit the ball farther BECAUSE, of the speed the ball comes off of the bat. Adam H [last name deleted for privacy by Editor] - Hanover, Pennsylvania. Former Houston Astro Ron Cacini discusses the differences and dangers of using an aluminum baseball bat vs using a wooden baseball bat. Kudos to that teacher! Metal vs. Wood Bats in Youth Baseball. Moment of Science (https://indianapublicmedia.org/amomentofscience/play-ball-aluminum-vs-wooden-baseball-bats) . Metal vs. Wood: Baseball Bat Battle Brews. Wooden bats often break during professional baseball games. In a batting cage study, Greenwald et al. window.cookieconsent.initialise({ Good luck! Metal bats are used in the youth leagues through college because it's cheaper - they don't break. Youth baseball players can practice with both kinds of bats to decide whether they prefer the crack or the ping. Q. The sound is truly distinctive and entirely different from the ping of the aluminum bat which is used in youth, amateur, and college baseball. This issue doesn’t exist with aluminum bats since they don’t break. Introduction/purpose: Although metal baseball bats are widely believed to outperform wood bats, there are few scientific studies which support this. Metal bats have a "trampoline effect" One reason is to maintain the accuracy of records. Fans of the MLB often cite the crack of the baseball bat as one of their favorite sounds. My child wants to do a research paper on the subject of wood bats vs. metal bats, and whether the metal bat should be banned. The data shows an average batted ball speed for wood bats (W) around 98.6-mph, while balls hit with metal bats (M1-M5) left the bat with speeds averaging between 100.3 mph and 106.5-mph, up to 8-mph faster than wood bats. The proper weight gives wood bats balance, which allows hitters to drive the ball. Even as many studies will show varied results when comparing the effectiveness of metal bats against wood bats, firsthand experience supersedes anything recreated in a laboratory. Wooden bats often break during professional baseball games. "background": "#fff", The internet alone is not enough for this teacher. Width of the sweet spot for metal and wood bats is the same. "text": "#237afc" I need a ton of information on this so if you can help that will be excellent. Manning says when the company began comparing statistics between wooden and aluminum bats, it found team batting averages went up about 20-points and home run production almost doubled for teams with aluminum bats. Composite bats are lighter than aluminum and wood bats, allowing power hitters to reach their potential with each swing. Not only does this mean they can get to pitches faster, but they can also generate more power with an aluminum bat. A really in-depth study of the physics, "Why Aluminum Bats Perform Better than Wood Bats", is available at May 19, 2008, 4:36 PM • 6 min read. }, To me, balls flying out of the field right and left is not entertaining baseball. Hey, I am doing a essay on metal bats and the causes that it has with major league players using them when the pitchers are throwing so fast. Personally, I might as well have gone to the plate with a wet sock than a wood bat. Ed. If major leaguers switched to aluminum bats, production would spike and all kinds of hitting records would start getting broken. I even reached out to Driveline Baseball to see if they have experienced the same thing or had any answers. The debate is one that shall continue for as long as there are different kinds of bats. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Disclaimer: It's not possible to fully diagnose a finishing problem or the hazards of an operation via these pages. That’s the primary reason professional baseball is sticking with wooden bats. The aluminum absorbs the energy from the ball when contact is made and sends it right back, giving it a higher 'trampoline effect" compared to a wood bat. "button": { By BEN BRUDEVOLD-NEWMAN. As a result, hitters using a wood bat have much less margin for error. 5 years ago. The internet is largely anonymous & unvetted; some names may be fictitious and some recommendations might be harmful. Given that aluminum bats have this bigger wonderful area, it is easier to strike rounds that go further and much faster than it is with a wood bat. I need a ton of information on this so if you can help that will be excellent. Safer: Sure, wood bats can shatter, but aluminum bats increase the velocity of the ball off the bat … Is there enough scientific evidence to ban metal bats for youth and college baseball … 03/15/2016. ©1995-2020 finishing.com, Inc., Pine Beach, NJ   -   About finishing.com   -  Privacy Policy Many parents and volunteer coaches are confused about the economics of wood and metal baseball bats. There are some good responses to this question at the If you need a product/service, please check these Directories: Jobshops Capital Equip. Consult'g, Train'g, Software Environmental Compliance. This issue doesn’t exist with aluminum bats since they don’t break. Physics Archive (https://www.anl.gov/education/learning-center/classroom-resources), and at Still, they can become dented and distorted so they do need to be replaced on occasion, but not nearly to the extent that wooden bats do. This is why they use aluminum at the lower levels of play. It’s an accepted fact in the professional game that wooden bats will break and more will always be needed. April 2, 2007— -- Dustin Satloff, 13, has a curious affinity for baseball. One day I tested swing speeds and exit velocities with metal vs wood bats and the findings confused me. ---- School Your Kids: 5 Lessons on Being a Team Player. Posted By John M. Sadler | Baseball, Equipment, Legal, Risk Management, Teams/Leagues. The aluminum vs. composite debate is just as fierce. Do metal bats pose a significantly greater risk of injury to pitchers and infielders resulting from greater bat exit speeds and reduced reaction time? But the tradeoff is the baseball projects faster off the metal bat, which may cause injuries to infielders - in particular, pitchers - that wouldn't happen if a batter was using a wood bat. elements_selector: "iframe" But, batted ball speed is higher with metal bats for impacts away from the sweet spot. They agree with my thoughts but didn’t know why. The Baseball Bat Bro OG's test out a Baum Bat vs other high-end wood bats like the Louisville Slugger CB35 & Victus V110 maples. window.addEventListener("load", function(){ found that baseballs hit with a metal bat traveled faster than those hit with a wood bat, but the factors responsible for this difference in bat performance remain unidentified. Q. If you cut an aluminum bat along its length, you would find a thin-walled barrel surrounding a cavity of air. }); This makes aluminum bats more effective in baseball because the lesser weight at the striking end allows for additional spring, and results in greater velocity, but one must remember this is a benefit in repelling. })}); Not a lecture hall ! Anonymous. The biggest difference, besides the metal-vs.-wood thing, is that aluminum bats are hollow, while wooden bats are solid. The differences between the two bats don’t stop at the sounds they make. [last name deleted for privacy by Editor], (https://www.anl.gov/education/learning-center/classroom-resources), (https://indianapublicmedia.org/amomentofscience/play-ball-aluminum-vs-wooden-baseball-bats), ©1995-2020 finishing.com, Inc., Pine Beach, NJ, How Google uses data when you visit this site. The ball travels farther. Aluminum bats are also said to have a larger 'sweet spot' than a wood bat has. A problem with the internet is that it finds the answers without the student needing to understand the question, and that's a very bad study habit to re-inforce :-(. This means that baseball players can swing an aluminum bat with much more speed than they could with a wooden bat. And, of course, learning how to help people with questions like this is the reason librarians go to school :-) & Install'n Chemicals & Consumables Coach Spotlight Interview: Three Sport Coach Pierre B. Hey, I am doing a essay on metal bats and the causes that it has with major league players using them when the pitchers are throwing so fast. It’s an accepted fact in the professional game that wooden bats will break and more will always be needed. The History of baseball-bats (The birth of a controversy) wood-bats as opposed to the metallic aluminum-bats thus we now have the tug of war as to which bat is being used thus a controversy brewing. Composite Bats. 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