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Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Choosing a BBCOR Bat

Like many college programs, we had our bat/glove day this fall to give our players an opportunity to swing different models in an effort to choose the proper bat for each player.

While we let our guys choose which bat they really want (confidence is most important), we do steer them in a certain direction.

We have a 6’2”, 210 lb. lefty that has 95-98 mph exit velos and with some lift in his aggressive swing.

We have a 6’5” 230 lb. right handed frosh who has some length and some lift in his swing with 90-93 mph exit velos. He is raw and unrefined in his approach. We need to help him slow the game down and gain control of himself.

Then there’s the 5’11”, 190 lb. lefty senior who is built like a brick house with 95-99 mph bat speed and an uber-flat swing. His strength is as impressive as his bat speed. He is not as experienced at the plate, even for a senior, but could be a breakout star this year.

We have another 6’2” 190 lb. hitter who has 87-90 bat speed and above average barrel control. He has a more difficult time keeping strength and sequence in his legs. He is an everyday starter because of his defense and leadership and is on the precipice of being a good offensive player.

My point is, we all have varying levels of hitters with different swings paths, body types, bat speeds, experience levels and approaches.

What is consistent among all of these players? They all need to be able to control the barrel.

Entering a new conference, we now have a new bat contract with Easton, who offers some terrific options. The S1 and XL1 are at two different ends of the bat control spectrum. The XL1 offers slightly more exit velocity due to its larger barrel and more end-loaded weight distribution, but there is some sacrifice in bat control for a player lacking superior strength.

The S1 and Mako offered more barrel control with a more evenly-distributed weight. The S1 appeared to maintain more “juice” or exit velocity than the Mako, though the Mako had slightly more weight distributed towards the handle, leading to better barrel control and consistent hand path.

As they should have, all of our younger hitters chose the Mako or S1. The strongest and most experienced hitters chose either the S1 or the XL1.

When a hitter was undecided between the S1 and XL1, we reminded them that it didn’t matter if the XL1 had 5% more “juice” if they weren’t centering the ball on the barrel. Besides, the hitters hung up between models were upperclassmen who have terrific bat speed and strength. What became most important was choosing a bat that gave them a smooth, aggressive and confident swing without wondering if their bat was too “heavy” or end-loaded. 

Doubt is a stinky beast. Our hitters have bats that, more than giving them a shiny weapon to swing, enable their confidence.

Here’s a Sports Science video on BBCOR bats.


12 comments

  1. Without the proper knowledge about baseballbats it can be a very complicated situation. You may even buy the wrong bat and we don't want that. These tips will narrow down your choices to two or three bats at the most in which you can make a highly informed decision.

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  2. Best 2012 BBCOR Baseball Bats: My 2012 model year baseball bat recommendations are sorted by the composition of the bat and the price. I believe this simplifies a complex decision making it easier to pinpoint the bat that's right for you.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Without the proper knowledge about baseball bats it can be a very complicated situation. You may even buy the wrong bat and we don't want that. These tips will narrow down your choices to two or three bats at the most in which you can make a highly informed decision.Read more.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Almost any baseball player is going to need a great softball bat. In order to get a very good baseball bat a softball participant is going to have to check over a large choice of senior league baseball bats and figure out which one is the very best for for him or her because not everyone is planning to agree on one baseball bat being better than the others.

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  5. In the same way as other school programs, we had our bat/glove day this tumble to give our players a chance to swing distinctive models with an end goal to pick the correct bat for every player.

    ReplyDelete
  6. We have a 6'5" 230 lb. right gave frosh who has some length and some lift in his swing with 90-93 mph exit velos. He is crude and foul in his methodology. We have to help him back the amusement off and pick up control of himself.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Without the proper knowledge about baseball bats it can be a very complicated situation. You may even buy the wrong bat and we don't want that. These tips will narrow down your choices to two or three bats at the most in which you can make a highly informed decision.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Baseball and softball are alike in so many ways. The players make use of gear that look very similar; the playing fields look identical too; and the game play rules do not seem to differ much.sportmystery.com

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  9. I completely agree, especially now with the BBCOR regulations, none of the bats have a considerable amount of pop compared to each other. They're all about the same. I compiled a list of bats that I've personally used for anyone looking to buy and if you have any questions about them you can personally ask me!

    http://allhustlebaseball.com/metal-bats/#

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  10. There are very few sports where the proper equipment does not give you an edge in performance. This is true when it comes to the sport of baseball too. Many people think that you can just pick up any old bat to use and play the game well. In truth, there are certain bats that can take your game to a whole new level.
    Before choosing a BBCOR bat , we should know What is a BBCOR bat? It is a bat that has strict manufacturing standards applied to it when being made that deem it safe enough for both high school and college-level baseball players to use. Demarini and Easton have strong power on the market for BBCOR BAT.

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  11. A two-piece, single hybrid baseball bat with a flex handle and an adjusted outline. The handle is made with Demarini's new TR3 Strut composite material and the barrel with their SC4 amalgam. This is a quality bat with a demonstrated notoriety at each level. It is the bat of decision for most school players whose group utilizes Demarini bats.

    ReplyDelete