Everyone knows that most of the professional players prefer wood. Wood is not only preferred for its classic look and feel, but also for its performance. Sure, it has been said that wood is not very forgiving, even creating painful mishits and sometimes even shattering. Wood bats also tend to have smaller sweet spots that are harder to key in on, and, as mentioned are less forgiving.
However, pros that do take the time to practice with wood bats and get to learn their features in and out will say that nothing beats the handling, the performance, or even the feedback of a wooden bat. That’s why you see so many ash, maple and hickory bats floating around out there. Players love to practice with them with the aspiration of one day mastering them.
However, wood is not the only material at your disposal as a baseball player, and for some of the reasons mentioned above, some people prefer aluminum or composite bats, for baseball or softball. Check out some of these advantages that aluminum Louisville Slugger baseball bats can offer over wood.
- Aluminum Is Lighter
Right out of the gate aluminum bats come in hot with the indisputable fact that they are usually much lighter than similar wooden bats. This makes them easier to practice with, more responsive in the hand, and more nimble through the swing.
It also means that players can achieve a greater swing speed with aluminum bats which can in turn result in heavier hits and better performance. This is also tied to the mass of the bat, so there is a tradeoff here, but with a lighter bat and a higher swing speed, good things can happen.
- Aluminum Bats Have Larger, More Forgiving Sweet Spots
Pair the ability to get a higher swing speed with the fact that aluminum bats have a larger, more forgiving sweet spot and you have a real winning combination. Even if the bats weren’t lighter and didn’t handle better, you’d still be dealing with a larger, easier-to-locate sweet spot.
That’s the kind of feature that so many players gravitate towards. Identifying the sweet spot on a bat’s barrel takes time and commitment and a lot of practice. Aluminum bats make it easier for less experienced players to deliver serious hits, and in the hands of an experienced player, an aluminum bat can be even more deadly over the plate.
- Aluminum Is Tougher
Then there is the relatively obvious fact that aluminum bats are extremely tough. This was one of the first reasons that these bats became popular in the first place, as aluminum is largely non-reactive, is resistant to corrosion, and is just flat-out stronger than wood.
Aluminum bats require effectively no care, and an aluminum bat you buy today and throw in a shed will be ready to roll in a hundred years. Wood requires much more care and maintenance.
- They Are Generally More Affordable
One more thing to note is that, while some higher-end aluminum bats can be expensive, they are still generally more affordable than wood. If you’re looking for a beginner bat that can take abuse and keep on delivering, then an aluminum bat may be what you need.
These are some of the benefits of aluminum bats as compared to wood, although there are other options out there in other alloys and composites. Take a look at HB Sports’ collection at HeadbangerSports.com to find a broad array not only of brands like Louisville Slugger but also of materials. Whether you need a bat for baseball, fastpitch, or even slowpitch softball, they have plenty to choose from in their collection.
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