Bat Feedback

Wooden bats help every hitter develop a more consistent hitting stroke. A hitter is forced to take a direct path to the ball so his swing is shorter, more compact and his bat speed increases. The feedback from a good clean hit is immediate- the ball jumps off the bat and the high pitched crack of the bat is distinctive. A poor swing has a dull sound and the ball doesn't have the exit speed or the distance.

Plate Discipline

Hitters learn to be more selective at the plate when they hit with a wood bat. A poor swing will cause the hitter's hands to swing from the vibration and often a poor swing bat will break due to hitting the ball off the end or the handle. Hitter's swinging wood bats quickly learn to swing at their pitches in the strike zone.

Strength where it Matters

Wood bats which are properly weighted and balanced to match each hitter's strength, hitting style and preferences allow a hitter to hit the ball where it's pitched to all fields. Hitters are not able to cast the bat (a long looping swing usually seen with light non-wood bats) and achieve any hitting success. They develop strength in their hands, wrists and forearms- the hitter's muscle groups v gaining the mechanical advantage of a super light big hollow barrel.

Develop feel for the Barrel 

With proper feedback from training and playing with wood bats, hitters can train themselves to produce a reliable  reproducible swing making contact on the sweet spot with consistency  When a hitter consistently squares a ball of the sweet spot of the bat- the feedback is immediate.

Nearly all professional hitting instructors and aspiring players understand the value of hitting with a wood bat in both practice and in games. This is the key to maximizing the time working your swing and developing that consistent short, direct swing which results in more sweet spot hits, more base hits and more power.

Start practicing with a wooden bat NOW. It's never too early to develop the strength and eye it takes to become an accomplished hitter. That is what the all-stars of today did. Youth players can check out our Youth Models.

Compare Maple v Birch

Maple is the choice of big league hitters who want to drive the ball further and hit the ball harder. It is a heavy dense wood that compresses the ball upon impact better than any other wood bat. 

Maple is a very stiff wood so if a maple bat is over dried and not made properly, it will be brittle and not have the pop or the longevity of a properly made, properly dried maple wood bat.

It' difficult and expensive to make maple bats. Only 40% of the maple billets we produce make the grade to become maple X Bats.

Compare Birch v Ash

Birch has become a choice of players who want the flex and forgiveness of ash wood bats but the performance found in maple wooden bats. Birch is harder wood than ash but not as dense and stiff as maple. It's the best wood choice of players who want performance and flex in their bats. It does not break as easily as ash and it's performance approaches maple. If you haven't tried birch, it's time you see why it's become the most popular choice of young players in the big leagues.

Compare Maple v Ash

Ash has been the wood of choice for many many years. The real reason is ash bats are easy to make, there's little waste which is good for the bat manufacturers and they break more than the other woods which is also good for the manufacturers. Modern players swinging ash are afraid of the breakage of improperly made maple bats and like the flex they get in their swing. Unfortunately, few players have the swing speed to flex the bat when they hit so this is not as much a factor for most players as it is for players at the highest levels of the game.

Compare Maple v Ash

Maple bats outperform ash 15-20%- the balls exit the bat faster and carry further. The grain on ash bats tends to cup and separate with a lot of use (that's why you see players taping the barrel so they can get more than 2 days of hitting out of their ash bats). Ash bats crack easily from both end hits and jam shots to the handle while maple bats resist breakage on hits to the handle much better. Ash bats are more flexible and some players like that feel enough to sacrifice longevity and performance.