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teddyballgame said
on 2/19/2008 Wider grain counts are better. Tony Gwynn said one of his favorite bats that lasted for a very long time had a 7 grain count...but then again, Ted Williams said he favored a medium grain count. Don't worry about boning a bat with a finish, your goal is to close up the pores in the bat and compact the wood to be harder and less likely to chip and flake. Use a bottle or another bat, press hard as you rub with the grain. Hit with the label up or down, it doesn' t matter one iota which, but it must be up or down. Maple bats cost more, but will last longer as they are a harder wood than is ash. Make sure you get ROCK or SUGAR maple as other maple is softer and why bother with the price increase? Hickory is also coming out and is supposed to be hard like maple. Talking to reps at Louisville Slugger, Maple and Ash wood hit the same as far as distance goes.
Anonymous said
on 3/11/2006 The less grain the better! A good grain count is about 14. Professionals use about 8-14. Look at the top of the bat, where the cup is, and count that way. Tighter grains chip more.
Anonymous said
on 12/15/2005 Do not bone bats with finishes! It will crack the finish. To bone a bat, your best bet is to use another bat. Always hit with the label facing you. You want a tight grain bat. It makes it stronger.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 Grain is bad wood, it is where the air pockets are. Get bats with widely spaced grains. Note that this does not apply with maple. For maple bats, the weak spots in the wood look like little knots on the surface. These knots are usually a little lighter in color than the rest of the wood. Back to grains on ash, there is a reason one of Griffey's bats had 3 grain lines!
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 You want to hit with the label facing up so you will be hitting with the grain. It is the hardest part of the bat.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 Select your favorite bat, and using black electricians tape, mark two small "X" marks on the barrel of the
bat in the sweet spot area. When hitting, attempt to make contact with one of these two spots. You should
be able to see the results of your work, by observing the barrel. It is best to use a new bat when first
applying tape. Focus on making contact at these marked spots. This is critical with a wood bat. Mark your spots about 2 inches apart.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 Get bats with the grain closer together, it means the grain takes longer to grow, so it's stronger.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 Hickory is 20% stronger than ash and has much more hardness and flex which means it will not break as easily and the ball will go farther.If you can find the wood (2 yr. naturally seasoned)a lathe and operator you will have a fantastic baseball bat.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 You can also use a rolling pin or some other hard surface to bone your bat if you don't have another bat or bone available.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 You should always hit with the same spot. If you hold the bat with the label facing you, always hit with the label facing you.