Fielders Choice Articles
 There is no way in this small space to create a perfect guide to selecting a softball bat, but there is some information you should be aware of before you look further into it. If you are relatively new to softball bats, here are some general principles to keep in mind.
- Type of Bat- What types are available?
- Weight- What weight is right for you?
- Length- What length is right for you?
- Cost- Why is a particular bat the price it is?
All the above points are important when considering which bat is right for you. I am now going to break the process down, and put it into some easy steps, as the task can be quite a handful.
Step 1 – Knowing what the difference between a fastpitch bat and a slowpitch softball bat is.To start you off, a fastpitch bat is a different weight compared to a slowpitch bat. You can determine between the two by the weight. Fastpitch bats are lighter and generally weighing 25 ounces and lower. Slowpitch bats are heavier and generally a weight of 26 ounces and higher.
Step 2 – What types of bats are there to choose from? Firstly, softball bats are made out of different sorts of material, thus giving them a certain level or grade of quality. There is your aluminum bat that caters for the younger player. This type of bat is usually made much lighter in weight, making it easier to handle. They are more inexpensive and are of a lesser quality.
Another type is the composite bat. Composite is a more expensive, higher quality material that enables for an ultimate connection with the ball. It also provides maximum impact speed by releasing the stored impact just before actual impact with the ball.
The insert above is an example of an Easton Stealth Composite bat. As you can see, compared to aluminum, composite bats have a much greater sweet spot, allowing for maximum power and speed when making contact with the ball.
Step 3 – How to determine which weight is right for you? First of all, the weight of a bat is measured in ounces. When looking for a bat, you should pick it up and straight away notice whether it feels heavy in your hands or not. Then, make sure you take a few swings with it to see if you feel comfortable with the weight. If it feels too heavy, go down in weight and grab a lighter bat off the rack to swing, if it feels too light, take a heavier bat off the rack and have a swing. You should be able to determine what you’re capable of. If you want a fastpitch bat, you will usually be given 20 to 25 ounces in weight to choose from. If you want a slowpitch bat, you will usually be given 26 to 30 ounces in weight to choose from. There has been a common misperception that the heavier the bat, the farther the ball goes. This statement is false, the lighter the bat, the faster you can swing, therefore the quicker you swing, and the farther the ball goes. But obviously there is a point where weight and speed create an optimum, which is what you want to find for yourself.
Step 4 – How to determine which length is right for you? Looking for the right length of a bat is a much easier task when deciding which bat to purchase. Bats are measured in inches. Usually anyone over the age of 16 probably wouldn’t want to use anything shorter than 33 inches. Anything below 33 inches should be recommended to a junior player, for example a sub-junior player. The longest bat available to swing is 34 inches long. 85% of senior adult men and women playing, use a 34-inch bat.
Personally, Easton produce the best softball bats in the world, and have the best range available on the market. To me, they are the epitome of softball bats and have never let me down. In closing I hope this article has been helpful to you in making your task of finding the right softball bat.
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