The bats used by Little League baseball and softball players have similar dimensions. The bats used in advanced levels of baseball and softball display significant differences regarding the length and weight, physics professor Daniel A. Russell of Kettering University in Michigan notes. Softball bat manufacturers produce specially designed bats to meet the needs of slowpitch and fastpitch softball players.
Significance
The size of the ball used in baseball and softball accounts for the differences in the bats. Professional pitchers have the ability to toss the compact baseball over 100 mph. This requires the batters in baseball to use a lightweight bat, which they can swing quickly. The larger diameter of the softball causes the ball to travel slower through the air. Softball players need a wider bat that correlates with size of the softball to successfully make contact.
Function
Whether you participate in baseball or softball, the bat fills the same basic function. Each player on the offensive team steps up to bat against the pitcher. You attempt to hit the baseball or softball using the circular barrel of the bat. Use the bat to score points for your team by hitting the ball into the playing field. Angle your bat to aim the ball away from the fielding players.
Types
Wooden baseball bats remain the standard used in Major League Baseball. The wooden construction makes it harder to hit the ball as far. College and high school baseball teams use aluminum bats. Softball bats often have a composite construction. For example, half-and-half softball bats often have a metallic handle with a wooden barrel.
Size
Kettering states that adult-sized aluminum and composite softball bats often feature a 12-inch long handle. Academy Sports and Outdoors, a retailer based in the Southeast, notes that the softball bat features a barrel that can have a maximum diameter of 2 1/4 inches. Bats used in adult slow-pitch softball weigh from 26 oz. to 30 oz. Bats used in professional baseball weigh from 28 oz. to 31 oz.
Prevention/Solution
Unlike aluminum and composite bats, wooden baseball bats often break due to incorrect hitting procedures. The sharp chunks of a shattered bat can cause injury to yourself as well as defending players. Avoid hitting the ball against the skinny handle of the wooden bat to prevent breakage. Painful vibrations can occur when you hit the ball against the handle of a metallic bat. Use the middle of the barrel when striking the ball into the playing field.
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