Skip to main content

12 replies

Bat lifetime?

Nitric_AcidNitric_Acid100+ posts
I just read in another thread that an aluminum bat is good for about a year? I always thought that unless it was cracked or had dents in it, that bat was ok. I know it is possible to break a composite bat, like the EXO, and have seen it done. But do aluminum bats otherwise wear out? How often should one be replacing a bat used by a 15 year old?
Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

H HotCorner #1Member
I can tell you from experience that an Aluminum bats life is based on the amount of use it gets. If your son hits every day like my son, that bat will last about 1 year. Now most bat makers allow you to send it back and have it replaced if it goes bad within the first year, but only one time. Aluminum bats don't just wear out, cold weather and use are their biggest enemy! I hope this helps.
08Dad08Dad1,000+ posts
Depends upon how good a hitter the user is - some bats will last for years and years Smile

Seriously, it seems to me that the average life is decreasing and is about 6 months with use only in games by multiple players. If the bat is used in daily BP with baseballs, more like 4 months - if used in cages perhaps only 1 session Frown

08
G Gameth10+ posts
Here is a cool study on bats and break in period. You will all be surprised to note figure 4.

Bat performance increased up to the 500th hit and even after 1500 hits they still out performed their new performance.

This of course is news the bat companys don't want you to know.

Basically, if it aint broke..................


http://www.kettering.edu/~drussell/bats-new/Papers/TokyoDoctoredBats.pdf
Last edited by Gameth
Nitric_AcidNitric_Acid100+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by Gameth:
Here is a cool study on bats and break in period. You will all be surprised to note figure 4.

Bat performance increased up to the 500th hit and even after 1500 hits they still out performed their new performance.

This of course is news the bat companys don't want you to know.

Basically, if it aint broke..................


http://www.kettering.edu/~drussell/bats-new/Papers/TokyoDoctoredBats.pdf


I hadn't thought about it that way, but it makes sense. Hitting baseballs is like cold-working the metal, which makes it stronger, but more brittle. So as long as it isn't cracked, a used metal bat should have better performance than a new one.
FungoFungoHighly Regarded and Beloved Old Timer
Much depends on how hard a player contacts the ball. You could compare this to a 20 mph auto accident being less damaging than a 50 mph accident. I read the bat study and tend to disagree with some of the findings on the "broken in bat" findings. (much depends on how it’s broken in) Aluminum bats tend to lose their roundness especially if the batter fails to randomly rotate the aluminum bat prior to hitting the ball. Many players practice with wood and become “trademark conscious”. This trademark awareness carries over to when they switch back and forth to aluminum causing them to contact the bat repeatedly in the same spot causing the barrel to flatten very quickly. This can render the aluminum bat useless in just a few weeks. My son went through 4 aluminum bats during his last HS season.
(If I remember correctly I bought 2 aluminum bats and two were replaced at no charge). One had a three inch crack in the barrel befor it was 1 week old! Throw in 3 maple bats and about a dozen ash bats and I had a lot of splinters and scrap metal around my house in 2002. So, what is the lifetime of an aluminum bat? ----- ‘till it dies of course!
Fungo
G Gameth10+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by Fungo:
Much depends on how hard a player contacts the ball. You could compare this to a 20 mph auto accident being less damaging than a 50 mph accident. I read the bat study and tend to disagree with some of the findings on the "broken in bat" findings. (much depends on how it’s broken in) Aluminum bats tend to lose their roundness especially if the batter fails to randomly rotate the aluminum bat prior to hitting the ball. Many players practice with wood and become “trademark conscious”. This trademark awareness carries over to when they switch back and forth to aluminum causing them to contact the bat repeatedly in the same spot causing the barrel to flatten very quickly. This can render the aluminum bat useless in just a few weeks. My son went through 4 aluminum bats during his last HS season.
(If I remember correctly I bought 2 aluminum bats and two were replaced at no charge). One had a three inch crack in the barrel befor it was 1 week old! Throw in 3 maple bats and about a dozen ash bats and I had a lot of splinters and scrap metal around my house in 2002. So, what is the lifetime of an aluminum bat? ----- ‘till it dies of course!
Fungo


I agree! Just though the study was kind of cool and did point out that bats can actually increase in performance. Yes, if they break or dent all bets are off but there is no research showing they are only good for one year etc if there is no structural damage like cracks or dents.

My sons Vexxum has the rotational markers on the bat so you dont get into the habit of using the same area of the barrel for striking. Not that a 9 year old is going to use them.
Last edited by Gameth

Add Reply

Post
Baseball Sale Canada

Membership Required

We're sorry. You must be signed in to continue. Sign In or Register
×
Are you sure you want to remove from your Block List?
×
Loading...
×
When you block a person, they can no longer invite you to a private message or post to your profile wall. Replies and comments they make will be collapsed/hidden by default. Finally, you'll never receive email notifications about content they create or likes they designate for your content.
Note: if you proceed, you will no longer be following .
×
Advanced Search
Advanced Search
Link copied to your clipboard.
×