When using a pitching machine for hitting practice the "standard" rule has been to NEVER use composite bats when hitting rubber, dimpled balls. However, over the past couple of seasons I've run across several teams that allow their players to use them in this way! I think $ 300.00 is a steep price to lose a bat! What are your thoughts?
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When using a pitching machine for hitting practice the "standard" rule has been to NEVER use composite bats when hitting rubber, dimpled balls. However, over the past couple of seasons I've run across several teams that allow their players to use them in this way! I think $ 300.00 is a steep price to lose a bat! What are your thoughts?
Think Hitter has some info on this. Hope he chimes in.
Pretty common. Bat mfgs say not too, and also say not to use if temp less than 60F or some other ridiculously warm temp. But could be they want to limit warranty claims. Some cages go to higher speeds than most bats would ever see in real play.
They claim the dimpled balls have different compression and thats bad. Most teams will soft toss dimpled balls anyway, and even baseballs since they are smaller and harder to hit well.
Usually play at least once with temps in upper 30s every year in the fall, no one ever uses different bats, though in that temp the composites do seem sluggish (could be the girls though).
Many girls will use last yrs bat as their "practice bat" though for all practice.
Not good for it most likely, but it doesnt have to last forever either, 1 season for many. Quite a few break anyway without abuse, just poor design or flawed mfg. If it had reputation for failure I wouldnt push it. If its under warranty I dont know if a mfg would take the time to investigate why it failed either though.
They claim the dimpled balls have different compression and thats bad. Most teams will soft toss dimpled balls anyway, and even baseballs since they are smaller and harder to hit well.
Usually play at least once with temps in upper 30s every year in the fall, no one ever uses different bats, though in that temp the composites do seem sluggish (could be the girls though).
Many girls will use last yrs bat as their "practice bat" though for all practice.
Not good for it most likely, but it doesnt have to last forever either, 1 season for many. Quite a few break anyway without abuse, just poor design or flawed mfg. If it had reputation for failure I wouldnt push it. If its under warranty I dont know if a mfg would take the time to investigate why it failed either though.
We use the same bat. Manf says no, but as Hitter posted, if you use soft scrum and take away the residue they have no idea what you were hitting. The issue we have with kids and bats. They have it in the car and then take it out and use it. Never store it in the car. My dd's has it in the house, and she has a bat that has 3 years on it. Keep in the mind they just get hotter as they break in and the new ones will never match what you have now. We bought a rip it for when the temperature is below 60 in this area, which is common in high school ball.. We have been hitting baseballs in the cage for years and no issues. Last night she had the machine set at 70, just for the fun of it. .
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Wouldn't you want to be using the same bat in practice that you would use in the game for consistency purposes? I understand composite bats are expensive but don't really know if they degrade that much more using them in the batting cages?
Coach K
Durometer - A measure of the hardness of a resin. It is measured on a numeric scale with numbers ranging from lower (i.e. softer) to higher (i.e. harder).
The durometer of the ball is the concern and a few years ago the white dimpled baseball that looked like golf balls was hard as a rock and was destroying bats. Most of the older cages did not have carpet and just had concrete so these would last forever.
I think it might be called the ABC however the ball was softer and has latitude and longitude lines and dimples and uses a wheeled system to deliver the ball and the ball moves more like a pitcher is throwing it because of the lines. We have used that cage over all others and Erik teaches out of the cage. We never had an issue using those balls composite or aluminum.
We clean the bats using a product called Soft Scrub along with a pad used for cleaning Teflon coated pans and it makes them look like new.
I always want our girls to hit hardball in the cages as most softball machines I have seen in the Midwest do not throw fast enough and the location can not be changed.
When I was on tour with the CNST we used cages in Sacramento at a place called the Arena, they used the ATEC machines that could be adjusted as to location and speed by the hitter and the balls were softer and we had no issues. Great place to practice in also.
The bat warranties are a joke, especially in Ohio as we play in 35 to 45 degrees during our spring time and it is normal and the temp varies however it is 50 to 60 degrees for most companies last time I checked.
If the balls are hard you will have issues with your bat, any softball bat is my opinion.
As to cost Coach K, teach them how to use a $7 dollar hammer before you purchased a high end bat as most would never see or benefit from the technology they hold in their hands and that is my opinion and not a shot directed at anyone. It is what I have experienced my self over the years.
Thanks Howard
Yes . SoCalSoftballdad. Hitter just beat me to it!
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