I hear the question all the time, “Which is better for kids, the aluminum baseball bat, or the wood baseball bat?” It can certainly be the source of many heated debates on both sides of the issue. So, let’s take a quick look at their differences and then you can decide for yourself.
In Little League Baseball everyone thinks that the aluminum baseball bat is the best thing since sliced bread. I’ve heard many coaches, players, and parents as well, talk about these bats giving their kids the ability to hit the ball farther than ever. You’d think they were ready to go to the big leagues. I believe they are a little mistaken though. Yes, an aluminum bat will give you more power, but a $200 bat isn’t going to get an offer from the St Louis Cardinals anytime soon.
One thing is for sure, an aluminum bat will go farther than wood. In fact, it is approximately a 10% increase. The baseball also comes of the bat much faster and with more power. Well, that sounds great for any hitter, but it can come with a cost. Many bad habits can be created with their use over the course of several years.
The truth of the matter is, it’s really all about the sweet spot on a baseball bat. That’s the area on the barrel of the bat that will really makes a ball fly with maximum force and velocity.
Every bat, regardless of whether it is aluminum or wood all have a sweet spot. The difference is that the sweet spot on an aluminum bat is bigger than on the wooden bat. You’ll also find that it’s more forgiving. This is something that is important. It gives kids of all abilities a better chance to hit the ball. Even with poor hitting habits you can be a more productive hitter than you can with a wood baseball bat.
The downside is that you can get used to hitting with an aluminum bat and later fail miserably at the pro level. There have been many cases of excellent college hitters that use aluminum bats, then fail at the pro level because they couldn’t hit with a wood model.
The best method is to use a combination of both wood and aluminum. How can you accomplish this? Use a wood bat for practice time, and then during the game switch to using an aluminum bat. I think you’ll really like the results. Hopefully this will help you in making the decision of which bat to go with.
