Friday, April 17, 2009

How to choose baseball bat

By Teecee Birans

The baseball bat has been around for a very long time. It is to be expected then, that like other pieces of sporting equipment, the baseball bat has evolved over time to take its present form.

Originally, the players used to make their own baseball bat or get a wood maker to do it for them. This resulted in a huge variety of sizes, although the round baseball bat was always the most popular. With all this variety, the game was starting to swing in favour of the batter over the pitcher, so rules were instituted to bring the balance back. These rules included limiting the length and diameter of the baseball bat and requiring that the end be round instead of flat.

Today, the baseball bat is made of different types of wood or of metal, and which type is used depends on the players preference and on league regulations. (The different leagues have different takes on what kind of bat is acceptable.)

When choosing a baseball bat, there are several factors that need to be taken into account. The level at which the player is, is a good place to start. Also to be considered is the batters size and how comfortable the bat is for the batter. The next factor is obviously the cost, including how long the bat will be used, as younger players may need to progress on to heavier bats with time. A baseball bat can be matched to a player based on either his height or weight.

A baseball bat is measured using its length to weight ratio, which is a negative figure representing the comparison of a bats weight in ounces to its length in inches. Most leagues have restrictions on the length to weight ratio of bats that can be used to ensure the safety of players. This is because a lighter baseball bat in the hands of an older and bigger player could have too much power and potentially harm other players.

Before buying a baseball bat, the batter should always check the regulations for his league, as it could be a waste if it isnt allowed. There is a trend to resort to buying high tech bats to compensate for a poor game. The problem with this is that there is actually very little difference between the performance levels of these bats and even then it takes a good player to bring out the difference. So while bats change with time, the important thing is to enjoy the game. - 16887

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