Bat Sizing

LENGTH, WEIGHT, – AND WHY THEY MATTER

Success at the plate often comes down to this: making consistent hard contact against live pitching. To do this, it’s important to swing the right bat for you. That means a bat that’s long enough to cover the strike zone, light enough to swing with ease, heavy enough to generate power, and, of course, permitted in your league. In order to find the ideal size for you, consider the following guidelines:

Length

Weight

Length

Bat length is measured in inches from knob to end cap. A longer bat gives you greater reach, allowing you to hit balls on the outside part of the plate. However, longer bats also tend to have more mass towards the end of the bat that requires more power to swing them. We recommend swinging bats of different lengths to decide what option best suits your swing. The right combination of length and weight will help you reach your peak performance.

Many players mistakenly believe a longer bat means more plate coverage, but this is not always true. Since a longer bat often means a heavier feeling bat, a bat that is too long for you can slow down your timing and prevent you from catching up to and hitting inside pitches. When choosing your bat length, you should keep plate coverage in mind. You should also consider your swing and stance relative to the plate.

All slowpitch bats are 34 inches in length.

Weight

Bat weight is measured in ounces (oz.). A bat’s weight is often tied to its “weight drop” -- its length in inches versus its weight in ounces. For instance, a 32-inch, 22-ounce bat would be referred to as a -10 bat.

bat length (in.) – bat weight (oz.) = weight drop
As a general rule of thumb, the higher the competition or league level (meaning, from youth league up to the pros) the lesser the weight drop. A lesser weight drop means the bat feels heavier. So a -5 bat will feel heavier than a -10 bat.

Since slowpitch bats have a set length of 34 inches, they are not often referred to by weight drop and recommended weight is a matter of preference. Most slowpitch bats weigh between 26 and 30 ounces.

*This is for example purposes only. The best way to find the right size bat for you is to demo them, preferably against live pitch speeds.

**Manufacturing tolerances, performance considerations and grip weight may cause variations from the listed weight.

Bat Technology

WHAT GOES INTO A BAT?

A bat is a carefully-engineered tool that allows players to get the most out of every swing. Every component of the bat, from the knob to the end cap, is designed to maximize every ounce of performance. There are four main tech components you need to know for your bat: Material, Construction, Barrel Diameter and Weight Balance.

COMPOSITE vs. ALLOY

One of the biggest influences on bat performance is its material. Bats are made of metal, composites, or wood. Metal and composite bats, are typically made of composite or alloy material, are traditionally used for youth baseball through college baseball. Wood, meanwhile, is used throughout the professional levels, as well as for specific amateur and travel ball leagues/organizations. Please read below to learn more about bat materials and how they affect performance.

Composite

ALLOY

Construction

Barrel Diameter

Composite

Composite bats are made with a layered material (often carbon fiber) that is easy to distribute, giving us the ability to make bats with a variety of swing weights, from balanced to end-loaded.

Pros of Composite:

Minimize the sting from a mis-hit ball by reducing vibration to the hands
Often have a larger sweet spot than alloy bats

Alloy

Alloy is a mixture of two or more metals, and has been commonly used in baseball bats for years.

Pros of Alloy:

Stiffer feel through the swing zone
More durable material

Construction

Barrel Diameter

Leagues

Governing Bodies

Governing bodies (for example, the USSSA) set unique standards for bat performance. Bat manufacturers make bats to meet these standards. Each standard, however, is different. So, bats meeting one standard may not meet another. Bats are marked with logos identifying the standard which they meet.

Leagues adopt the standards they deem appropriate for play under their particular rules. League adoptions vary region by region, so we highly recommend consulting your coach and/or league official to understand the standard adopted by your league prior to purchasing a new bat.

The following information will help you understand the standard adopted by your league:

There are six major governing bodies for slowpitch softball. They are United Softball Association (ASA), United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA), Independent Softball Association (ISA), National Softball Association (NSA), International Softball Federation (ISF), and Senior Softball USA. The main three you need to know are USA, USSSA, and Senior Softball USA as their standards vary the most.

Shop USA Bats

Shop USSSA Bats

Shop Senior League Bats

MASS INDEX

CHOOSE THE BAT THAT IS RIGHT FOR YOUR GAME

We are introducing a new way to talk about Slowpitch bats. Mass Index. Mass Index allows us to categorize our bats based on their “functional swing weight”.

MASS INDEX: How a specific size of a specific bat will feel when a player swings it at full speed, off of game speed pitching.

The Mass Index number relates directly to how the weight is distributed in a bat. A bat with a higher Mass Index number will have a heavier swing weight and feel more end-loaded, giving you more power on contact. Conversely, a Mass Index number that is lower will correlate to a lighter feel when swinging, giving you faster bat speed and more control of your bat through the zone.