The Differences in Metal Vs. Wooden Bats

Metal bats and wooden bats are not just different because of what they are made of. The two different types of bats have different applications, different physical properties and different proponents. The science of both types is still being studied and in college baseball, for instance, aluminum bats are being made to behave more similarly to their wooden counterparts.

  1. Bat Composition

    • Naturally, metal and wooden bats differ in composition. Metal bats are typically made of aluminum, but composites are common and changing technological understanding of bats has also favored alloys. Zinc, copper, magnesium and titanium are examples of some of the metals that are fused with aluminum to make metal bats, which are hollow and produce an audible 'ping' sound when striking a baseball. Conversely, wooden bats are solid, crafted out of chunks of solid wood. Wood bats are often made of ash, maple or pine. Unlike metal bats, wooden bats can crack during the course of game play.

    Usage by League

    • Little League teams often use aluminum bats in their contests, as do high school- and college-level squads. The reason, argues Stephen Ross, professor of sports law at the Penn State Institute for Sports Law Policy and Research, is that the long-term costs of aluminum bats are less than wooden bats, which have a tendency to break. Wooden bats are used in professional contests, including minor league games. There are also a number of NCAA-affiliated summer leagues for collegiate athletes that mandate the use of wooden bats.

    Performance Characteristics

    • Aluminum bats generally outperform wooden bats.

      Studies show that metal bats outperform wooden bats. Bat speeds generated from aluminum bats are about 3 mph faster than those from wooden bats, and as a result, a ball hit with a metal bat may travel as much as 8 mph faster at impact. This additional speed helps the ball travel farther. Metal bats also have a larger maximum impact location, otherwise known as a sweet spot. Additional arguments suggest that because batters with aluminum bats are better equipped to hit inside pitches because of quicker bat speeds, there is less likelihood of the batter getting out.

    New Bat Regulations

    • In an effort to better simulate game play at the professional level, rules instituted by the NCAA in early 2011 attempt to lessen the difference in metal and wooden bats. Specifically, the new bat regulations cut down on the "trampoline effect," which describes what happens when a baseball compresses as it hits a metal bats and rebounds to greater velocity. Although Little League had yet to adopt such regulations as of early 2011, it has outlawed composite bats, following the lead of high school and college baseball programs.