Aluminum Vs. Composite Baseball Bats
Baseball and softball players select bats for a variety of reasons. A bat's ability to deliver the best results when it makes contact with the ball is often at the top of the list. However, a bat is a personal tool, and the choice between an aluminum or composite bat usually comes down to which one a player finds more comfortable.
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History
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Traditional single- and double-walled aluminum bats have been around for decades. The first attempts at composite bats involved a mixture of plastic and graphite, but those attempts in the 1980s did not outperform traditional aluminum bats. It has only been in about the past 10 years that these graphite, aluminum composite bats have caught hold.
Speed
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Modern composite bats provide a balance point to the bat that is closer to the handle, making it easier to generate bat speed. Also, tests of composite bats indicate that the speed of the ball off the bat is better than from an aluminum bat.
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Durability
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Durability is one of the biggest drawbacks of composite bats, as they tend to break and wear out faster than aluminum bats. Since they still have a higher cost, many hitters still tend to prefer the traditional aluminum bat.
Considerations
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Composite bats were banned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and can't be used in college baseball games. The NCAA has noticed a significant rise in the number of home runs and in batting average since these bats came into widespread use.
Titanium
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In 1993, the major bat manufacturers introduced a high-performance titanium bat that outperformed traditional aluminum bats by a significant level. Safety concerns very quickly caused all major leagues and organizations to ban the use of the titanium bats.
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