What Are Softball Bats Made of?

Softball bats have been around since 1887, but only since 1969 has the sport witnessed significant changes in materials used to make the bats. Here's a look at the history of softball bats and the use of technology to create bats made of aluminum, titanium and composite materials to improve performance.

  1. History

    • The game of softball was invented in Chicago in 1887, and for 82 years, the game was played with bats made of wood. Bats were made mostly of ash, but also pine and maple. In 1969, the Easton company (now Easton-Bell) presented the first bat made of aluminum (see Resources).

    Significance

    • It took about a decade for the wooden softball bat to nearly disappear. By the late 1970s, aluminum bats were used almost exclusively, and a decade later softball bat manufacturers began introducing bats made of materials such as titanium and composite materials.

    Considerations

    • The late 1980s saw the introduction of softball bats made of titanium, which proved stronger, denser and longer-lasting. However, the performance of some titanium softball bats caused them to be banned by softball organizations for safety reasons.
      Safety concerns are also surfacing over bats made of composite materials, introduced after 2000.

    Function

    • Composite bats can be made of various materials, including carbon fiber, glass fiber and Kevlar, and the more they are used, the better the perform. Some composite bats are not made entirely of composite material, but are encased with thin layers of the composite substance. Several bat manufacturers market products that can make a ball bounce back faster upon impact, as in a "trampoline effect."

    Fun Fact

    • Softball bats cannot exceed 34 inches in length, 2.25 inches in diameter or 38 oz. in weight.