Wood Vs. Metal Bats for Kids

The use of aluminum bats has been a controversial topic in baseball leagues for many years, but in the youth leagues aluminum bats are much more widely used. There are a few differences between the different materials, but there are also a lot of placebo effects from certain bats when they are used. This means that, despite the differences, a lot of it is personal choice.

  1. Weight

    • Aluminum bats are a lot lighter than wooden bats, which is a major reason why they are more popular in youth leagues. The lighter weight of the bat means it is easier to swing and make corrections to the swing.

    Durability

    • Wooden bats will break but aluminum will not. For higher level players this may not matter so much, but when a kid is learning to play the game, parents will not want to be buying a new bat every few weeks. This is especially true with cheaper ash wood bats, which are the most commonly used.

    Swinging

    • The center of gravity of a bat is a vital aspect in how easy it is to swing. Because aluminum bats are lighter, the center of gravity is much closer to the handle. This makes it easier to swing.

    Sweet Spot

    • Wooden bats compress when they are hit by the ball, meaning a lot of the ball's energy can be lost when it is hit instead of being converted to speed. Because aluminum bats are hollow, the bats act more like a spring when striking a ball. This means the sweet spot is larger on a metal bat.

    Hitting

    • There is a school of thought that suggests aluminum bats do hit the ball farther as they can be swung at greater speed. The flip side of this is that wooden bats, in the right hands, are capable of hitting just as far because the greater weight of the bat is transferred into the momentum of the ball. One of the main arguments about restricting metal bats is the danger the increased ball speed will have on the pitcher and outfielders.

    Price

    • The price of both wooden and aluminum bats varies widely depending on the brand. There are both cheap and expensive versions of both materials so there is no price benefit to be got from choosing one over the other.