BUYERS GUIDE

Choosing a Slowpitch or a Fastpitch softball bat

When choosing a softball bat for either Slowpitch bats or Fastpitch bats there are two main things that the players must consider. Those two things are weight and length of the bat. These two depend on the build of the players. Bigger players would prefer to use bigger bats as they are stronger and they would want to hit the ball further and harder. Smaller players prefer lighter or smaller bats for faster swings. The bats that are chosen should be comfortable to the players for a better swing.

Batters should consider the drop of the bats when they are choosing one. The drop is calculated by subtracting the weight from the length of the bat for example if the weight of the bat is 25 Oz and the length is 34 inches the drop of the bat would -9. The acceptable drop for bats for the ASA is between – 10 to -13. Anything more than that is not allowed as it gives the players an added advantage over the others.

When choosing a softball bat to play with, the players should make sure that they are following the league requirements. In each softball league they have its own rules and regulation about which bats that should be used when playing a softball game. There are several leagues out there from the ASA to ASSA and each of these have their own rules. An example of the rules that they have is about the drop of the bats and the make of the bats. Some leagues prefer players just to have wooden bats while others are more flexible and allow batters to have their choice in bats.

Softball bats are made from different materials. The materials that make up a softball bat are composite, aluminium and wood. All these materials have different merit for them being used for bats and they should all be considered when they make their final choice. For example aluminium bats have a better sweet spots and they are used by most beginners to learn how to play comfortably while composite bats last much longer as they are more durable as opposed to the other two. There are bats called hybrid bat which have been made from both composite and aluminium or wood. Making it have all the benefits of the two compounds.

When buying a new softball bat the player should make sure that the bat feels good to him or her. Having the right bat with the right feel it will make the bat be like an extension of the players arm. The longer the player bats with the softball bat the more s/he gets used to it and it will become a natural extension which is part of him or her.

The best way to choose a bat is to swing as many bats as possible to see what bat would work for the player. The more experience they have with other bats the better they would be able to make a decision. Older players know exactly what kinds of bats they are going to play with but the younger ones need more time to get a feel of what a good bat should be like.