Since the early days of baseball, bats have become quite complex both in design and in the materials they are made from. There are literally thousands of different bats to choose from for all levels of play, so making a decision about which bat is right for you can be difficult and dependent on many factors. Easton, for example, offers hundreds of different bats, including the Synergy line of mostly composite bats. These bats range in length and in weight. This is commonly referred to as weight drop, which is the difference between the length and weight. A higher weight drop means more power and bat speed.
Youth
These bats are made for players who range in age from about 7 to 12. Bat lengths are between 28 and 32 inches, with weight drops between -7 (heavy) and -13 (light). Easton makes the IMX, the IMX Power Hitter and the Speed models of Synergy bats that are appropriately sized for this age range.
Senior and Above
Senior league bats are used by kids who are approximately aged 10 to 13, and they are characterized by a weight drop of between -5 (heavy) and -11 (light). Lengths of senior league bats range from about 28 to 32 inches. Easton makes the Synergy BSN11, BZN11 and Speed models specifically for senior league baseball players.
Easton makes the Speed and the BCN1 for high school-age players, which includes the 13 to 18 years of age range. As of 2010, however, all composite baseball bats, including the Easton Synergy line of bats, have been banned by the NCAA for use in games.
Design
The entire Synergy line of bats is made using a one-piece design. All of the bats offer a high flex rating (90) for maximum handle stiffness. Kettering University performed a study on handle flexibility and was not able to conclude whether a flex handle improves bat performance. According to the study, those who prefer stiff bat handles believe that it helps with bat speed and swing.
Materials
All of the Synergy bats are composite bats, meaning they are made of a synthetic carbon-fiber material. Composite bats are lighter in weight than aluminum bats, but must be broken in properly to ensure maximum performance. BaseballCorner.com recommends 100 to 200 solid hits using a pitching machine and rotating the barrel of the bat 1/8 of a turn after each hit.
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