Axe Pro Series Maple Wood Baseball Bat | PWR 243 Turn | Frostbite | Axe Handle

Dense and hard, the most common pro wood. Hits hard and holds up when the player squares the ball up; breaks rather than flakes when mis-hit. Quality varies a lot by maker.

Tip: Maple from a good maker is the best wood bat money can buy; maple from a cheap one is the worst.

Drop is length minus weight: a 30 in, 20 oz bat is a -10. A bigger drop number means a lighter bat for its length. Younger players use -10 to -13; USSSA 13U is usually capped at -5; high school and college are -3.

Tip: Check the drop your league allows before you look at anything else.

A big barrel (about 2.56 in and up) gives the most hitting surface. Its size does not decide the balance: some big-barrel bats are balanced.

An angled, one-sided handle shaped like an axe. It lets the bat rotate through contact and reduces wrist and hand torque; makers recommend it for bat speed and for players who get sore hands.

Tip: Worth a try for a player who complains of hand or wrist pain.

Extra weight toward the end of the barrel, so the bat swings heavier than its number. For some players it gives a better feel for where the barrel is; whether it suits yours depends on how consistently they deliver the barrel. End load is not barrel size: some skinny-barrel bats are end-loaded.

Tip: An end-loaded bat that feels heavy is the most common sizing mistake we see.

An ink dot on the handle shows the maker tested the grain slope. It is required for maple and birch bats used in pro ball and is a good sign of wood selection on any bat.