Not all wood is created equal.
A wood bat is only as good as its wood: the species, the grade of the billet and how straight its grain runs decide how it plays and how long it lasts.
Two bats can look alike on the rack and play nothing alike, because it is the wood inside that counts. A lot of the wood bats on big sporting-goods shelves are built to a price from lower grades of wood, and they usually don’t last as long. Spending a little more on a bat from a maker that picks its own wood, checks the grain and tells you the grade, makers like Sam Bat and MaxBat, usually gets you a bat that plays better and holds up longer. One good bat often costs less than two that break.
Wood bats
- Composite wood bats 12
- Custom-order wood bats 20
- Fungo bats 104
- Game wood bats, adult 1,319
- Game wood bats, youth 224
- Wood bat blems and seconds 11
Questions parents ask
- Maple, birch or ash: which wood bat is better?Birch for a first wood bat and a younger player: it forgives mis-hits.
- Is maple or ash better for a beginner's wood bat?Neither is the first choice: birch is, because it forgives mis-hits.
- What is the ink dot on a wood bat for?An ink dot on the handle shows the maker tested the grain slope.
- Can you use a wood bat in Little League, USSSA or high school?Yes: solid one-piece wood is legal everywhere without a mark.
- What length and weight should a wood bat be for a 14-year-old?−3, or −2 for a bigger, stronger player, at the same length a metal bat would be for your player's height and weight.
- What bat length chart do I use by height and weight?Use your player's height and weight, not age.
- What should I check before buying a used bat?Check four things before you pay: that the mark printed on the bat is one your league takes, that the model in that length isn’t on a decertified or withdrawn list, that the barrel has no cracks, dents or rattles, and that it’s the size your player needs now.
Swing videos
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