Baseball Bat Buying Guide

Success at the plate often comes down to this: making consistent hard contact against live pitching. To do this, it’s important to swing the right bat for you. That means a bat that’s long enough to cover the strike zone, light enough to swing with ease and heavy enough to generate power.

Weight

Weight is possibly the most important factor to consider when choosing a bat. A bat that is too heavy is harder to swing, causing a loss in momentum, reduced distance or a miss altogether. If a bat is too light for a player, the player could miss out on the extra force they could generate from a heavier bat. Most slowpitch bats weight between 26 and 30 ounces.

A factor you may not see, but will definitely feel is the swing weight of your bat. Bats can fall along the swing weight spectrum, from light to balanced to end-loaded. End-loaded bats shift extra weight toward the end of the barrel, creating more whip-like action on a player’s swing and generating more power. Balanced bats have a more even weight distribution, allowing for potentially greater swing speed for many hitters. This is preferred by contact hitters who want more control of their swing.

Construction

At Baseball Outlet we currently stock one-piece alloy bats. One-piece bats are one complete piece of composite or alloy material and are often used by power hitters as they provide less flex on contact.

Alloy is a mixture of two or more metals, and has been commonly used in slowpitch bats for years.

Pros of Alloy:

  • Stiffer feel through the swing zone
  • More durable material
Bat Approval

The bats that we stock carry the ISF Certified stamp approving them for league play.