Both sides have some valid arguments as both types of bats offer some benefits. Many coaches believe the bats, more old-school and with less "pop" than earlier aluminum versions, will be more suitable for teaching. The main reason college baseball uses aluminum bats is to save money on replacing broken wooden bats. Another key reason why college baseballs use aluminum is due to safety considerations. There are four types of bats that are commonly used by college baseball players: aluminum, composite, wood, and metal. Metal bats offer a greater trampoline effect, resulting in longer and harder hits for the batter. Aluminum bats, more properly known as metal bats because today . The biggest difference, besides the metal-vs. -wood thing, is that aluminum bats are hollow, while wooden bats are solid. There are actually many injuries that occur due to aluminum baseball bats. Finally, metal bats are more consistent than wooden bats, meaning that the same results can be achieved with every swing. The speed of the ball off by the aluminum bat is much faster as compared to the wooden bat. Choose wood bats that are light and light in weight, are well-fitting, and have a long lifespan. ","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Density and intensity are the key differences between ash and maple bats. Under such conditions, a baseball will travel 92.3 mph as it comes off a wood bat, 95.6 mph as it comes off a bat meeting the new BBCOR standards, and 100.7 mph as it comes off a bat meeting the old BESR standards, according to Smith's calculations. It has no bend, its really rigid. There is a chance of injury to players or fans as a result of the ball striking them. The weight and length of wood bats are only regulated by weight and length rules, which are not as stringent as those of metal bats. What Is A Foul Ball? In the Major Baseball League, the teams used wooden bats, since aluminum bats dominate the baseball game at the lower levels. Baseball players use wooden bats made from a variety of materials. It made the bats lighter in weight and stronger in hitting the ball. There may be additional changes, such as requiring pitchers to wear protective equipment. Therefore, such bats are preferred in little college leagues. Casual observers might note the discernible THUD of those bats which most metal bats make when hitting a ball in contrast to the typical PING. These bats dont wear down in true supervillain fashion. It may come as a surprise, but the answer is yes metal bats are still the standard for collegiate baseball. Metal bats are also approved by the USSSA; these are occasionally used in youth tournaments. The first metal baseball bats were made in the mid-1920s, but they performed much like starched scarves when contacting baseballs. This DOESN'T mean that they cannot use a wood bat in their games. Those who excel at stealing bases and defending will be required to perform well. In the college baseball season of 2011, the National Collegiate Athletic Association permitted only aluminum alloy bats during the game. The hardness and resilience of aluminum bats result in higher speed and performance when the ball comes off the bat. Minor league baseball does not use wooden bats, as they are more expensive and less durable than the aluminum bats that are commonly used in professional baseball. Because aluminum is so much lighter than wood, a player can swing the bat much faster and harder. Materials and Size: The Easton Ghost X -3 Adult Baseball Bat is made of composite material making it durable and lightweight. It is available in two options: 30 or 32 long. Since the 1970s, aluminum bats have been the dominant brand in youth and amateur baseball. on: function(evt, cb) { Well, there are actually a few good reasons for this, so lets take a look. However, in college baseball, aluminum bats are used. window.mc4wp.listeners.push( Are you going to penalize him for hitting the ball too hard? The ban of this type of bat will help keep the game safe and entertaining for all concerned. The composite bat is the pinnacle of the madness. That's the highest it's been since the record 1.06 in 1998 and only the second time the figure has been 1.0 or higher. The reason why high schools and colleges use aluminum bats over wood is to cut the costs of purchasing . On October 31, 2002, the media reported that the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association was considering banning the use of aluminum bats in high school. Not surprisingly, the dominance of aluminum bats in college baseball has to do with money. In college baseball, composite bats are permissible, but they must meet NCAA guidelines in order to be accepted. The NCAA switched to metal bats in 1974 in order to save money and increase the number of offensive players. Utilizing its experience in developing Major League Baseball titles EA Sports changes direction to develop a baseball game that is set among the ranks of the NCAA.<br><br>College baseball features aluminum bats that can produce deep hits, as well as the sought after "ping" from the bat after making contact. Notably, as of now, only wooden bats are allowed for the batters in Major League Baseball. Brandons family filed a lawsuit against the bat manufacturer Louisville Slugger. The Patchs argument against Louisville Slugger was that their kid had insufficient time to react to the ball since it came off their metal bat too rapidly. Most bats will begin to lose POP over time as a result of deterioration, and aluminum bats are no exception. Pitching has evolved in addition to pitching. The use of aluminum bats is possibly the most annoying part of NCAA baseball and maybe the most annoying on-field aspect of any NCAA sport in general. They are also, theoretically, more resilient than their composite counterparts to manipulation. Since it's much safer than metal ones, wooden bats have always been the staple of . Wooden bats can break and splinter, which can lead to serious injuries. At that time, the controversy between the metal and the wooden baseball bats was so heated that it resulted in threats of lawsuits between bat manufacturers, safety watch organizations, and the sport regulatory groups. So call it 25 bats for game use and another 25 for BP. Not all baseball bats are made up of the same material. (Solved!). Regardless, year in and year out players are recruited from college players to the Major league Baseball (MLB) teams. 7050 models of the baseball bats are a more advanced version of 7046 models. Terminology. Of course, the standard in the MLB is the wooden bat. forms: { No, aluminum bats are not used in minor league baseball. Bestbaseballreviews is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program,an affiliate advertising program performed to deliver a means for us to earn commission by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. If a professional baseball player were using an aluminum bat to hit with their tremendous swing speed, they would hit the ball even harder and further than they do already. Metal bats would not be a problem in MLB, where home runs are extremely difficult for hitters. The simple answer is Yes. Brandon Patch, an 18-year-old Montana high school pitcher, died in 2003 after being struck in the chest by a batted ball off an aluminum bat. If you cut an aluminum bat along its length, you would find a thin-walled barrel surrounding a cavity of air. Fast-forward another decade to the late 1990s, and more advancements in aluminum bats were dicing up NCAA record books. Now, the 7055 models of the baseball bat have more zirconium for increased levels of durability. These developments made the BBCOR Bat the only bat style available for high-school and college baseball. It provided equitable playing conditions while also making the game safer for players and spectators alike. The NCAA has adopted a BESR standard for Bat Exit Speed Ratio, or BESR, for the time being. Whats more important, after all, but time for a change. Outside of the SEC, Big-12 and some Pac-12 schools where teams still have strong attendance figures there aren't a lot of loyal fanbases in college baseball. How can the NCAA regulate performance in this way? Which bats are better: ash/maple? (Explained In Detail! It has a length to weight ratio of -3 which makes it pretty much balanced enough for a better swing. That ball leaves the bat at such high speeds, that when it hits another player, it poses a serious risk of injury. Bianco expects the college game to be fundamentally changed in the coming years. Explained 2023. College summer leagues play with wood at the request of MLB. Almost 50 years after the introduction of aluminum bats to NCAA baseball, the chickens have finally come home to roost, and interest in the sport at a national level is at an all-time low. The discipline it takes to hit with a wooden bat is a world of difference from the lack of discipline it takes to hit with an aluminum bat. Below, Ill explain why does college baseball use aluminum bats and look into what each of these types of bats brings to the game. If you have ever watched an MLB game, you have probably seen a bat explode into splinters. College baseball teams have been able to take advantage of these benefits, leading to an increase in home runs and overall excitement in the game. With the new bats, power has fallen dramatically. Although the price of a single wooden bat may be less than that of an aluminum bat, aluminum bats are less likely to break, so an aluminum bat will be useful for more at-bats than an aluminum bat. Difference between softball and baseball bats? Hello, Im Paul, a 45 year old passionate baseball fan and the owner of this website. Minor league baseball teams use wooden bats exclusively, as do the major leagues. I support you with useful and actionable information about softball and baseball. If temperatures are below 50 degrees, consider a wood bat or a cheap aluminum bat. Baseball Rules & Plays Density and intensity are the key differences between ash and maple bats. Linked with that answer is cost ~ to avoid having to buy replacements for broken or cracked wood bats. This increases the teams chances of scoring runs. Additionally, bat size, weight, and length are also important factors in determining which bat is best for each player. The first aluminum bats were heavy and did not perform much differently than wood bats. This means that players may not be able to gauge the quality of their hits as accurately as with a wooden bat. Birch bats provide a combination of both qualities, and composite bats are typically made of materials that are lighter and more flexible than wood. Aluminum bats also feature a larger sweet spot than wooden bats, which means that the ball will travel further when hit with an aluminum bat. The Little League baseball organization, and all other organized entities that govern youth baseball, use aluminum bats primarily for their durability compared with wooden bats. It makes the baseball bat stronger and also increases its durability. As such, wooden bats werent as popular and are exclusively in a few lower and amateur leagues. Benefits Of Aluminum vs Wood Bats. Some aluminum bats are less than half the weight of wooden baseball bats. Hickory, which is the heaviest and toughest of all fattening tree species, was the first baseball bat. The California Senate will consider legislation banning the possession and use of bats this spring. Over 93% of NCAA CWS Series players used an alloy barrel. However, most do choose to go with aluminum bats. Actually, over time, they get stronger. (Answered! While aluminum bats have many advantages, there are a few drawbacks that should be considered. If good contact was formed, they would sometimes bend and dent. Additionally, aluminum bats may be more prone to denting and chipping, which can affect the performance of the bat. For these reasons, minor league baseball teams do not use aluminum bats. Which wooden bat is considered to be the most durable? So, why do college baseball players use aluminum bats? Without much, maple is the strongest and dense, while the ash timber is denser and more flexible. The NCAA changed the requirements for the aluminum bats by reducing the maximum allowed exit speed of the ball. While the aluminum bats can give a competitive advantage to the hitter, the NCAA has determined that the safety risks posed by the bats outweigh the potential benefits. Home Why Do College Baseballs Use Aluminum? Disclosure Furthermore, the hitting ability of college players is not yet on the pro level, so light aluminum bats with larger sweet spots allow them to better display their skills. And if aluminum bats become a reality in MLB, then god save the pitchers and fielders in the ballpark. However, it also has to do with the fact that aluminum is much lighter than wood. Regulations require that all bats used in official MLB games must be made out of a single piece of solid wood and cannot be made of metal. Metal bats are typically made from aluminum or composite materials, which makes them lighter and gives them a larger sweet spot, allowing for faster swings and more powerful hits. "}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Who is the creator of the first aluminum baseball bat? According to recent studies, MLB players can hit metal bats more than twice as far as wooden bats, with an average distance of 6.55 meters. Aluminum and other metal bats are prohibited in Major League Baseball for a variety of reasons. The idea of college baseball switching back to wood bats has been floated before, but never gained any serious traction. . Aluminum bats are far more durable than wooden baseball bats. According to the European Journal of Anesthesiology, an eye blink lasts around 0.095 seconds. College baseball still uses metal bats for a variety of reasons. In the MLB, at the highest level, wooden bats are used. Furthermore, sawed-off wooden bats travel slower than aluminum bats, and the cost of replacing them is significantly lower. Hitting a homerun is much easier done with an aluminum bat than with a wooden bat. The MLB has thus decided to prohibit the use of metal bats in order to create a fair environment for all players. You can generate much more force with aluminum. Because aluminum is so much lighter than wood, a player can swing the bat much faster and harder. At the moment, with all the benefits aluminum bats bring, its just not a realistic option. The BBCOR standard establishes parameters for the trampoline effect of the bat, as well as how the bats velocity changes with the trampoline. The part of the barrel best for hitting the ball, according to construction and swinging style, is often called the "sweet spot."The end of the barrel is called the "top," "end," or "cap" of the bat. Furthermore, aluminum bats are lighter than . Baseball bats are a positive trend, but they wont affect the outcome of future draft picks in the Miami Marlins favor. This article will explore the pros and cons of metal bats in college baseball and explain why they remain the go-to choice for Division 1 teams. Finally, aluminum bats have a broader sweet spot than wooden bats, making them more forgiving to hitters. There are some differences between college and professional baseball bats. Every new bat has a wider sweet spot which results in more power, better feel, and high performance. Therefore, at this time, as far as metal bats are concerned, only aluminum is allowed. The Patches run a Web site dedicated to Brandon, forever11.com, and are part of a national crusade to eliminate aluminum bats in amateur baseball in favor of wood bats, which they and many others . Therefore, after 2011, the NCA changed the rule for aluminum bats. } It allowed a mediocre hitting team (UCLA) to win on pitching. Something to take note of is that until 2009, many different kinds of composite bats were used in college ball. Metal bats has ease of Hitting. The game is faster, there are fewer runs, and the game times are significantly reduced. Wood bats break, while aluminum bats, relatively speaking, don't. The gap isn't as . The debate over the use of metal bats has spanned decades, with both sides arguing for and against them. The more skillful the player, the more important this is. Because metal bats can hit the ball quickly, our professionals just showed their skills to muscle a home run. However, coaches, instructors, and serious players should use wood bats, even if it's just for training or practice. The difference in materials the bats are made of may not seem like a big deal but it has a great effect on the gameplay both in college and in mlb. This is due to a number of factors. Wood bats do not need certification because they are made of only one natural material. Still, the introduction of the BBCOR standard made this much less of a risk. Metal bats are used because the manufacturers provide them to the colleges. Playing with wood bats allows college athletes to prepare for the next level of competition. However, the use of composite bats in college balls was banned due to player safety issues, something we will discuss further below. Metal bats are one of the most noticeable differences between college baseball and professional baseball, which was first permitted by the NCAA in 1975. But the problem with wood -- indeed, the reason college baseball switched to aluminum 40 years ago -- is cost. It also doesn't mean that if they use a wood bat, that it has to be -10. The league returned to wood bats for the first time in 1985. Major League Baseball players use only wooden bats, but college players use metal (aluminum) bats. Density and intensity are the key differences between college and professional baseball bats are used! 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