Composite vs. Aluminum Baseball Bats
What Advantages do Composite Bats have over Aluminum Bats? And are they worth the extra cost?
Composite bats do offer distinct advantages to aluminum bats but they will certainly have a shorter life as they can, and probably will, break. They’re also much more susceptible to the cold. All bats warn you to not use them when the temperature is below 50 degrees. For aluminum bats it’s just a safety valve for the manufacturer. For composite bats it’s the real deal.
Here’s the short version of the advantages composite bats offer. For a detailed, in-depth analysis click here Composite-vs-Aluminum.
- The Swing Weight is More Easily Controlled: The closer the bat’s balance point is to the handle; the easier it is to swing. Composite bats make it easier to shift mass around from barrel end to handle to control the location of the balance point and thus the swing weight.
- Bending Stiffness May Be Tuned: Higher bending stiffness means that the frequencies of the bending vibrations for the lowest bending mode fall into the range where the hands are most sensitive to vibration. Composite materials, however, give the manufacturer the option of lowering the bending stiffness of the bat, without changing any of the stiffness properties in the barrel which affect performance. This means that one might be able to design a bat which would “feel” better or sting less by adjusting the bending stiffness.
- Trampoline Effect May Be Tuned: Composite materials have a distinct advantage over aluminum in that they are anisotropic, which means that the elastic properties of a composite material are not the same in all directions. The stiffness in the longitudinal (along the length of the bat) and circumferential (around the barrel of the bat) directions can be modified pretty much independently of each other. This means that you can make the barrel of a composite bat soft while still maintaining the stiffness in the handle.
- Bending vibrations Are More Highly Damped: The damping rate dictates how quickly the amplitude of a vibrating object decays. The damping values for all-composite bats or bats with composite handles are at least twice as high as aluminum bats, and some composite bats have as nearly 10 times more damping than aluminum bats. This is partly why composite bats are advertised as having a “more forgiving sweet spot.”
- No “Ping” Sound: Oddly enough kids have become so accustomed to hearing the ping their initial thought is this bat sounds like wood. Hence they think it has no pop. Don’t be fooled. Plus the sound will remind the “old-timers” of their youth baseball days.
For everything you need to know about baseball bats visit Baseball Bat Reviews.
About the Author:
I’ve spent a lot of time over the years searching for quality information for Baseball Bat Reviews.
I’ve spent a lot of time coaching with my two sons playing ball over the last 12 years and have seen used and researched many baseball bats. I’ve always tried to stay on top of the latest innovations to avoid the hype, tricks and quite honestly the unnecessary costs.
My goal is to give you quality information that wasn’t available to me over the years. I hope you find it useful.
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Rawlings 5150 Composite -12 31/19 Youth Baseball Bat $205.00 |
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Youth Composite Baseball Bat Mattingly Beast 29″/17oz $229.99 |
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Youth Composite Baseball Bat Mattingly Beast 30″/18oz $229.99 |
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Youth Composite Baseball Bat Mattingly Beast 31″/19oz $229.99 |
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Youth Composite Baseball Bat Mattingly Beast 32″/20oz $229.99 |
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Youth Composite Baseball Bat Mattingly Beast 30″/18oz $229.99 |
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Youth Composite Baseball Bat Mattingly Beast 30″/18oz $229.99 |
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Worth Mayhem Baseball Bat -12 Composite New Youth 29/17 $79.95 |
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New 32″ DeMarini Youth Composite Wood Baseball Bat $59.99 |
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NEW Rawlings YB51XP 30/19 Youth Composite Baseball Bat $176.99 |
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Youth Composite Baseball Bat Mattingly Beast 30″/18oz $229.99 |
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2011 Combat B3 Youth -12 Composite Baseball Bat 29/17 $199.00 |
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2011 Combat B3 Youth -12 Composite Baseball Bat 30/18 $199.00 |
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2011 Combat B3 Youth -12 Composite Baseball Bat 31/19 $199.00 |
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2011 Combat B3 Youth -12 Composite Baseball Bat 32/20 $199.00 |
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2011 Combat B3 Youth -10 Composite Baseball Bat 31/21 $199.00 |
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2011 Combat B3 Youth -10 Composite Baseball Bat 32/22 $199.00 |
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Guidecraft Arizona Diamondbacks Toy Chest $179.99 Your little Diamondbacks fan will go wild for the officially licensed Arizona Diamondbacks Toy Chest from Guidecraft! This stunning toy box displays the official logo and colors of the Arizona Diamondbacks! Hand-crafted and hand-painted, this ultimate fan furniture is sure to become an instant heirloom. The Diamondbacks Toy Chest features a spacious interior with dividers and bench-style seating a… |
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Major League Baseball – Angels Table & Chairs Set $169.99 You will receive a total of one table and two chairs. Dimension of the Table: 28W x 28D x 21H Dimension of the Seat: 12H Finish: Red and White Material: Wood 3pcs Angels Kid’s Table and Chair Set MLB Collection Officially Licensed Major League Baseball furniture Each piece in our collection displays the official logos and colors of your favorite team. Hand-craft… |
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Major League Baseball – Giants Table & Chairs Set $169.99 You will receive a total of one table and two chairs. Dimension of the Table: 28W x 28D x 21H Dimension of the Seat: 12″H Finish: Yellow and Orange Material: Wood 3pcs Giants Kid’s Table & Chair Set MLB Collection Officially Licensed Major League Baseball furniture Each piece in our collection displays the official logos and colors of your favorite team.Hand-crafted… |
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Easton LCN8 Stealth Comp CNT (-13) Youth Baseball Bat (29 inch/16 oz.) $222.80 CNT Carbon Nanotube technology and patented IMX¿ – Integrated Matrix technology strengthens composite structures, optimizing designs and materials for maximum performance. Patented Extended Plex¿ design lengthens the sweet spot to provide maximum performance along the entire length of the barrel. Easton’s patented Opti-Flex¿ CNT composite handle technology provides maximum handle flex ¿ three … |
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Mattingly V-Grip Youth Maple Baseball Bat 31 $69.99 The Mattingly V-Grip⢠Maple Youth baseball bat has a 2 1/4″ barrel diameter with a 15/16″ handle diameter. All of Mattingly’s wood bats are made from the finest billets. Billets are hand selected by a Certified National Lumber Inspector providing the best quality hard wood billets on the market…. |
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Mattingly V-Grip Beast Youth Baseball Bat 29/17 $229.99 The Mattingly V-Grip⢠Beast Youth singlewall composite baseball bat is a -12 drop with a barrel diameter of 2 1/4″. It meets BPF 1.15 standard and is approved for all youth assoications. Mattingly Beast bats are 100% composite – the highest performing material on the market. The Beast barrel is tuned for maximum trampoline effect, perfect balance, minimal vibration and extended durabilty. … |
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DEMARINI DXCFT CF3 TBALL YOUTH T-BALL BAT DeMarini CF3 26/15 (-11 Drop) Tee Ball Bat, NEW! DeMarni’s DXCFT CF3 -11 Baseball Tee Ball Bats are designed specifically for use in Tee Ball with an ultra lightweight -11 design and new, outstanding graphics. This DeMarini Tee Ball bat features a Positack Moisture Absorbing grip that delivers a secure grip and reduces vibration. The Rotation Index on the barrel of this tee ball bat reminds player… |
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