Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Aldeer General Forum Does a $300 BB bat really make a difference?

The OPs question wasn't about what MLB scouts look for in a hitter or what brand name college teams are using. He was asking is there a noticeable difference in the $300 bats from the el cheapo. My opinion was yes there can be a difference in production from bats even when they all fall under certain restriction guidelines. I supported my opinion with the fact that Nike allowed Alabama out of an exclusive equipment contract because the Nike bats were not performing to the level of others such as Easton and Demarini. Now please give some factual proof to support your opinion that all bats of the same material perform the same.

No, I did not play college baseball. So I guess by your standards there is no substance to my opinion.

Funny thread

I played after HS - It was the first year they introduced aluminum bats to college baseball. Funny thing --We all chose to use wood. Couldn't stand the way they sounded and stung our hands in the cold weather. They have come a very long way since back then.

My daughter's signing to go to UAH and play softball this coming fall. She went to Motlow for her first two years.

Yes the bats make a difference. It does depend on the players ability to play also. She is a pretty good hitter. She has broken several 300 dollar bats. This spring she is using an older cf5 that has lost its spring. To cold to swing her hot Easton.

We have spent a bunch of money playing travel ball. About equal to pay for her education anyways. We had Sunday morning services most of the time. I knew where she was. She learned that if she wanted to get better she had to work on it herself. Proud of both my daughters! Support and hug on them they grow to fast.

Congrats, Oleman! UAH has a fine program and Huntspatch is a good area. I'm sure she'll do well here.

Congrats on your daughter's signing! My nephew played basketball at UAH and loved it.

I don't know. Can you kill a turkey any deader with $1500 shotgun than a $250 gun?

I started off with cheap gun and as my skills improved (and when my bank account could afford it) I got better hunting equipment. Did it help me kill a turkey or duck of deer any deader? I doubt it.

On the baseball thing, I thank GOD my son was an average baseball player. I just don't think I could stomach going all over God's creation every weekend, practicing every single day, ect. God knew what he was doing when he gave me a son that enjoyed the game, was good at it, was competitive, had more than a few "sports center" plays, went to camps, paid for some private hitting lessons, ect but he wasn't an elite player. Therefore, I never invested in one of those "high dolla" bats. He always had good equipment, not cheap stuff but definitely not the high end stuff.

On the other side, Janet lived that life with her youngest son. Every day a practice. Every weekend a tournament. She never missed a game. But he was/is an elite player. He's playing for a D1 school and will probably get drafted someplace. She loved it. Still loves it. And when his playing days are done, she will miss it.

Dr. B

Ikillbux has always displayed a hatred for youth sports and those who participate in them. His obsession with people spend time with their children is very odd.

Dang, I started all this? I don't have a problem with spending your $$ on whatever you want, I just ordered my son one of the same high dolla bats. I was just amazed at the number of kids who have never been good hitters show up with a $300 bat like it was going to solve their problem. I preach to my parents to work with their kids at home and take them to the batting cage etc. I agree they make a difference, but like I was told about golf, "Son, you can't buy a game".

Yep

Yep

I read through some of this crap. All I know is if I spend $300 on a bat, who's business is it? The parent that buys it. That is who. I bet most folks on here moaning and saying it is stupid, don't have a problem dropping coins on a new bow, rifle, stand or anything else related to hunting??? And yes to answer the question, the bat does make a difference.

yep.... It did for my son and doing it for a freshman girl who plays High School Softball, Basketball and is a Varsity cheerleader. If I miss a few Sunday's doing travel ball during the summer well, God knows my heart and I give him all the glory.... And we have lessons on Cheer and softball. My kids have built great relationships through sports

This is not even a remotely correct statement. BESR measured exit speed and is no longer considered an accurate measurement of bat performance. That's why BESR is no longer used. BBCOR measures the trampoline effect or amount of actual bat compression at the moment of impact. The loss of energy at the moment of impact is what it actually being measured which takes the hitter's strength, bat speed and swing mechanics out of the equation. All bats must meet the bbcor standards right out of the wrapper. As the bats break in,some become hotter than others. As an example, an Easton Mako BBCOR bat takes about 300 swings to break in. This is true of all composite bats. At that point it is significantly hotter/significantly higher trampoline effect than it was when first removed from the wrapper. This is due to the composite fibers breaking down during the breakin period. That is where the difference is between a $400 BBCOR bat and a $100 BBCOR bat comes in. The more expensive bats are engineered and designed to meet the BBCOR standard when tested fresh out of the wrapper but exceed it during actual field use. There is a huge difference between a cheap BBCOR bat and and expensive BBCOR bat. Once you get above about the $250 mark,they play pretty much the same with some being marginally better than others but you can definitely tell a difference between a cheap one and a more expensive model. Bat manufacturers spend millions in R&D to come up with ways to meet the standards while having the hottest bat available. Market share is $$ and the best bats are in demand and drive premium prices. capitalism at its best.

Congrats....also some free education...My Daughter is a HS freshman lead off slapper and that is HER dream not mine, so our family will do what it takes to help her with it....

x2...Also you get out of sports what you put in...If the kid don't want "IT" and is not willing to work for "IT", it's not gonna matter how much the bat costs or how bad Mom and Dad want the kid to excel in sports. they probably won't...no matter how much they spend or the amount of pressure the parents put on their kid...The kid has got to want it for themselves...02

Do y'all really believe that? Nobody hates youth sports, nor those who participate in them, and nobody has an obsession with how others spend their time. I don't know y'all, and y'all don't know me, that whole line of thinking is just goofy. Can we be honest and say neither of us really cares about how each other spends time or money. But I do have an opinion about matters made public.

I played youth sports. My daughters were/are cheerleaders. I don't think my wife nor I ever missed a game. But that's all WE ever did. WE did not go to every practice. We did not enroll them in cheer/gym classes to which we had to take them constantly. THEY were cheerleaders, not us. You are making an unrelated and unsubstantiated leap. And you're just flat wrong.

Remove youth baseball from the argument. Insert ANYTHING, make it old ladies weaving baskets, and it would be inexplicable to me if substantial percentages of entire cities, all over the state, all over the country, spent most of their days for half or more of the year involved in it. And it would be odd if it took half the dads in our community to coach basket weaving. (Seriously, how can every dad I know in my city be a dadgum coach???) My ACTUAL POINT is relevant to youth baseball only because that's what the adults are clamoring over. I simply do not believe the attraction that adults have with it is only "involved parenting."

Look, I'm done, it's not important anymore. I've always heard "If you wanna know your idol, what's not funny to you?" This is clearly not funny to anybody. I have learned that I could blaspheme the Lord and not get as visceral of a response as this subject gets. And I'm sorry for hijacking the OP's thread.

I also played youth sports and my dad wasn't able to attend many of my games due to working shift work. I now know how it made him feel when he would miss a game...I hate missing out on anything my girls do.

My 8th grade daughter is a high school softball player (JV and was just asked to play with the varsity in some upcoming tournaments), volleyball player, basketball player, scholar's bowl participant, SGA president, PSAT (Principal-Student Advisory Team) member, President of the NJHS, has won or placed in the top 3 in the county wide spelling bee since she was in 4th grade, was 2nd in the county wide speech contest last year, and puts in numerous volunteer hours. My 8 year old is just now getting into playing sports, but previously took gymnastics, tap, ballet, and acrobats. I worked shift work since before my oldest was born and missed out on a LOT of her activities. I am now working 4 days a week and attend everything I am able to attend. Do I miss out on doing stuff I want to do? Absolutely, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. You only have so much time with your kids before they are grown.

Holy crap you copy n pasting, quoting goobers. Took me an hour to sort through this freaking post. Y'all suck, Quote function sucks, and yes bats do matter.
I buy last years model.