Best Softball Bats Essay

Best softball Bats

Softball is a game that was invented in 1887 in Chicago by a group of women. It is derived from baseball but has a few difference from baseball in that it is played with a larger ball and on a smaller field. Other differences between the two sports is that the ball must be pitched underhand from 46 ft. and 43 ft. for men and women as opposed to what it is in baseball which is 60.5 ft.; there are seven innings in softball and in baseball there are nine innings. The governing body for softball in the US is the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) and in the world it is the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC). The sport is spread worldwide with 110 countries playing the sport.

Softball comes in two types i.e. Slowpitch

softball and Fastpitch softball. In Slowpitch softball the ball is bigger than the other Fastpitch one and it is the most popular sport of the two. The Slowpitch softball ball has to arch on its path to the batter and each team that is playing the game must have 10 players. Fastpitch softball is different from Slowpitch softball in that there are nine players in a team; the pitch is much faster and bunting and stealing are allowed in it as it’s not permitted in Slowpitch softball.
Softball bats
Fastpitch softball and Slowpitch softball are both played with softball bats. Although each type of softball has their own requirements for example there are Fastpitch softball bats and there Slowpitch softball bats. The softball bats are normally made of three things and they are aluminium, wood and composite. Some bats are made of half composite and the other half either aluminium or wood. Composite bats are made from carbon fibre polymer. The dimensions of the softball bats vary but they are generally 34 inches in length; 2 ¼ inches thick and they weigh from 26 Oz to 32 Oz. different players prefer different kinds of bats in that there are players who prefer to have bats with a smaller diameter which reduces mass and lets the player to have a higher swing speed. Others prefer the diameter to be its maximum so that they can hit the ball further.
Softball bats are heavily regulated by the industry standards. The industry standards come from Amateur Softball Association (ASA) and the reasons for the rules is because they want to protect the team players who are on the pitch and they give the players an unfair advantage. This is seen when a batter chooses a bat that has a thinner wall which lets him or her bat the faster and makes the ball go faster, further and harder.
There are players who are able to cheat when playing softball by getting bats that are loaded, painted and shaved. End loading a bat means that addition of extra weight at the tip of the bat making it heavier and when it strikes the ball it will go send the ball further and harder. Shaving refers to removal of the inner walls of the bat to improve elasticity. Shaving is done by a machine to improve the bats elasticity. Painted bats are the ones which have been painted on the regulated ASA symbol but the batters are illegal and don’t have been approved by the association.
Reasons to choose the best softball bat
Players out there girls and boys a like should take time to choose the right bat that it would suit them. Picking the right softball bat involves looking into things like the bat’s weight, length, material that it has been made from and if it can be used to be played in the league that the player will participate in. As such the player needs to pick a good bat for them be effective at playing softball. Here are some reasons why s/he should pick the right softball bat
Price: the price of softball bat range from $ 40 for used bats to $ 900 for brand new ones. There are also collector’s edition bats which are priced at $ 2000 and above. Price is an important factor as it depends on the player’s budget. The budget will determine what bat will be bought and the player would want a bat that is good for them going for the right price. Buying a cheap bat on the other hand won’t last long and the player might not reach his or her potential and will be forced to buy another one leading money being lost in the process
A good bat gives the batter stability in when they swing. Stability will be felt when the batter has swung a couple of times and they are getting into the groove – finding their sweet spot. With a bad softball bat it will take some time to get stability and until when they are finally comfortable. With good balance and stability the player can hit the ball further and harder,
When choosing a good bat the player should think about how durable the bat will be. Good bats are meant to last for a good period of time while bad bats wear out too quickly and you will not have full use of them before they become unusable. When the player is picking a new bat s/he should think how long the bat will last. Bats made of composite and aluminium normally last longer than those made of wood.
The more comfortable the player is with the bat the better /she will become at softball. The player should consider a bat that will last a very long time as the more comfortable they are with the bat the further they will be able to hit, have faster swings and lastly get the sweet sport much faster.
Choosing a Slowpitch or a Fastpitch softball bat
When choosing a softball bat for either Slowpitch or Fastpitch softball 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.
Difference between Slowpitch vs Fastpitch softball bats
The main difference between Slowpitch and Fastpitch softball is the pitch speed of the softball. As the name suggest Slowpitch softball means the ball is pitched much slower than Fastpitch softball. In essence when the player is looking at the differences in the two kinds of bats between Slowpitch and Fastpitch softball bats then these would be the main difference
Usage: both of the bats are used in softball but the main difference comes in the pitching speed. The pitching speed determines a lot on which bats the players can use. Slowpitch softball bats are made to hit softballs that are pitched at around 25 mph while Fastpitch bats are made to hit softballs that are pitched at around 85mph. These two different speeds make a big difference. As a result the players will find that Fastpitch softball bats are made for faster swinging and quicker reactions while the other one is for slugging the ball.
Weight: Generally Slowpitch softball bats are heavier than Fastpitch softball bats. The Slowpitch softball bats weigh around 26 to 30 Oz while Fastpitch softball bats weight 23 to 28 Oz. in the past Slowpitch bats were heavier weighing at 34 to 38 Oz but due to regulation changes they now weight at 26 -30 Oz
Size: the two softball bats, Slowpitch and Fastpitch have the same length and diameter but the difference comes as in the size range of the two. Slowpitch softball bats are normally 33-34” in length and the Fastpitch softball bats have a range of 32-34” in length. The range length in Fastpitch softball is wider as opposed to Slowpitch softballs.
When the player uses a Fastpitch softball bat to play Slowpitch softball the bat will get damaged quickly while if the player uses a Slowpitch softball to play Fastpitch softball then they won’t be able to get the most out of the bat.
Popular brands
In choosing which softball bats to player with either for Slowpitch softball of Fastpitch softball there are known brands that the player can rely on to use. These brands have done well over the years and many players attribute their success to using the various brands of softball bats. The major brands that produce good softball bats are Easton, Demarini, Miken, Worth, and, Louisville. As they are the major brands these tend to cost more than the lesser known brands but they give the players value in that they last much longer than the other types of bats. They provide all the bats that are need in that they provide composite bats, aluminium and wooden bats. One company is known for being better than the other for producing certain kinds of bats but the difference is negligible. These brands follow all the ASA guidelines for bat production and use and if the players are to buy from them it would mean that they won’t be breaking any rules. As they follow ASA rules that means they can be played in any other league as the ASA rules are very strict.