The Pros and Cons of Playing with a Wood Bat
Up until a few decades ago, when someone mentioned baseball bats, that the bat was made of wood was a given. The game started out being played with wood bats of varying sizes and shapes until trial and error gave rise to bats of the size, shape, weight, and diameter we are used to seeing today. Pro baseball players still play with wood bats exclusively, but that is not necessarily the case in youth and high school leagues. It has become popular for younger, amateur players to use metal bats in their games. The metal bat versus wood bat debate has raged since metal bats were first introduced, and though wood bats are more traditional, that doesn’t mean they are the clear winner of the debate. Each bat has its selling points; playing with a wood bat has both pros and cons.
The pros to using a wood bat are many. First, for new players, learning to play with a wood bat means they are learning the game the way it was devised, and the way the pros play it. Even if the player doesn’t have Major League potential, it can be argued that they are learning “real” baseball and not a modern facsimile. If the player does have the potential to take their game beyond the Little League field, then if they learn to play with a wood bat right from the start, they will not have to re-learn the game to advance. Metal bats are much lighter than wood bats, and a player that is comfortable swinging those lightweight bats will find they must re-learn hitting all over again if they need to play with a wood bat.
Because wood bats are heavy, they require players to maintain a higher level of conditioning than do light, metal bats, a tool that will be helpful to them in any sport they play. Additionally, the weight of the bat helps the players learn to control their swing and achieve a more technically correct hitting technique. There is less of a chance of developing bad or lazy hitting habits using a wood bat, since it is more demanding.
Wood bats are also safer than metal bats. The exit speed, which is the speed with which the ball comes off the bat when hit, is much, much higher with metal bats. Fast balls hit with metal bats have caused injuries, and even deaths, in youth and high school baseball leagues across the country. The problem is so severe than many local leagues are taking the matter into their own hands and banning metal bats on their fields. Because metal bats are so light, they are also easily flung when a player makes a hit, putting catchers and umpires at risk. This is especially a problem with inexperienced players. The heaviness of wood bats mean balls comes off them more slowly, and they are harder for players to throw far when they hit a ball.
That is not to say they wood bats are without their problems, however. The very things that make them safer than metal bats can also make them more difficult to play with. They can be too heavy for very young players to pick up, and the weight of the bat increases the likelihood of overuse injuries in players who are just learning to hit and practicing repeatedly. Wood bats also have a much smaller “sweet zone” – the part of the bat best for hitting the ball – than metal bats do. Young players and new players may find wood bats frustrating to learn with and may find earlier success playing with a metal bat. This factor can be especially important to a very young player who is struggling with the confidence to play the game. Wood bats are traditionally more expensive than metal bats; though this is price difference is rapidly changing, as metal bats get more and more costly.
Metal bats and wood bats each have their good points and bad points. Which one you choose depends largely on your goals. If your goal is to learn to hit quickly, then a metal bat may be the right choice. If your goal is to keep the possibility of progressing to any kind of professional level, then learning to use a wood bat is an absolute necessity.
