How Does a Softball Bat Differ From a Baseball Bat?
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Length
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A softball bat is usually a bit longer than a baseball bat. Most softball bats are in the 32- to 34-inch range and some may go an inch longer. Baseball bats are usually in the 31- to 33-inch range. Some hitter will choose to go an inch shorter, but few go with bigger bats. That is a far cry from the choice of some bats used in previous generations. Babe Ruth used a 36- to 38-inch bat and Dick Allen, who starred with the Phillies, White Sox and Dodgers, used a 36-inch bat as well.
Weight
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The weights of bats in softball and baseball have come down dramatically over the years. Composite aluminum bats are used almost exclusively in softball and they vary in weight from 23 to 28 oz. Baseball bats are either wood or composite aluminum. Wooden bats are somewhat heavier and required in professional baseball. The average weight of a major league bat is 31 to 33 oz. The composite aluminum bats weigh 29 to 32 oz. Generations ago, players like Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb and Joe DiMaggio used bats that weighed as much as 42 oz.
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Barrel shape and diameter
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The biggest difference between softball and baseball bats are most noticeable in the shape of the barrel. The softball bat has a longer barrel but it is also narrower than the baseball bat. The baseball bat is usually a full inch wider in circumference than a softball bat. Today's baseball bats have most of the their weight in the barrel and that leads to many of the long home runs seen today. The longer barrel on a softball bat is more forgiving. A player does not have to hit the ball perfectly in order to hit it squarely in softball. That is not the case in baseball, where the margin for error is much smaller.
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