Last
updated 3/24/2008
Selecting
the Perfect
Fastpitch Softball Bat
The
Different Materials used in
Fastpitch Softball Bats
Page
1 of 2
Most
Fastpitch Softball Bats produced today are manufactured with one of
four primary categories of materials - each provides its own unique
characteristics:
- Aluminum
(this Page)
- Graphite/Titanium
Lined (this Page)
- Composite
Materials (Page
2)
- Amorphous
alloys - LiquidMetal (Page
2)
ALUMINUM
Most
modern aluminum Fastpitch Softball Bats are made of aircraft-grade aluminum
supplied by Alcoa or Kaiser. Variations in the alloy formula have resulted
in stronger alloys, allowing the manufacturers to design bats with thinner
shell walls, which in turn correspond to lighter weight bats.
Characteristics
of Fastpitch Softball Bats made from Aluminum
-
A
player favorite for several years, aluminum Fastpitch Softball
Bats come in a variety of alloys, each with a different weight
-
Aluminum
Fastpitch Softball Bats are thinner and lighter and thereby give
the batter increased swing control and bat speed. These lighter
weights also increase the bat's "sweet spot"
-
Generally,
lighter aluminum alloys are thinner and more durable
-
These
lighter aluminum Fastpitch Softball Bats also have ncreased durability
- players can save money since the bats are extremely difficult
to crack or break
-
Aluminum
Fastpitch Softball Bats, and those enhanced with other alloys,
also come in single-layer or double-layer construction increasing
durability
-
Double-layer
provide increased power since the ball rebounds off the Fastpitch
Softball Bat with more authority
-
Note:
Be careful of bats -11 or lighter that don't state the type of
alloy used. These bats may be made of an alloy too weak to support
the thinner wall needed for the light weight.
GRAPHITE/TITANIUM Lined
Material technologies have evolved
to use graphite and titianium to further improve the durability of
Graphite/Titanium Lined Fastpitch Softball Bats while at the same time
reducing the weight and the negative impact on the player swinging
the Graphite/Titanium Lined Fastpitch Softball Bat.
Characteristics
of Fastpitch Softball Bats made from
Graphite and Titanium
-
Graphite/Titanium
Fastpitch Softball Bats are lighter and stronger than aluminum
bats
-
Graphite/Titanium
are usually added to thinner-wall aluminum Fastpitch Softball Bats,
enabling the bats to be lighter and thereby increasing a player's
swing speed
-
Graphite/Titanium
Fastpitch Softball Bats have increased durability
-
The
batter's "sweet spot" is increased with Fastpitch Softball
Bats made with Graphite and Titanium
-
Vibration
and the sting of "ball shock" (i.e., the tingling feeling
in the hands that the player gets when she misses hitting the ball
in the "sweet spot") is reduced in Fastpitch Softball
Bats made with Graphite and Titanium.
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