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Cricket bats are made from willow wood, could that be used for baseball bats as well?
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switchhitter
May 09, 2010
More important than grain spacing, although wider is better, is slope of the grain in the handle. The straighter the grain is in the handle and neck of the bat the stronger it is. The more angled the handle grain slope is the bat weakens exponentially. Also up and coming are birch bats. As strong as maple and as flexible as ash. -
teddyballgame
Jan 26, 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.
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teddyballgame
Jan 26, 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.
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Mar 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.
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Mar 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.
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Dec 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.
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Dec 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.
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Nov 22, 2005
Get bats with the grain closer together, it means the grain takes longer to grow, so it's stronger.
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Nov 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!
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Nov 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.
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Nov 22, 2005
Get bats with the grain closer together, it means the grain takes longer to grow, so it's stronger.
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Nov 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.
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Nov 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!
