Using a wooden bat is a more traditional approach than using the rapidly advancing technology of aluminum or composite bats. The Phoenix Bats website explains that many softball leagues in the United States have banned aluminum or composite bats. This effort aims to put players on an equal footing by requiring them to use wooden bats.
Sweet Spot
The Viper Bat Company, which makes wood baseball and softball bats, explains that hitters using aluminum bats can still make solid contact with the ball even if the pitch is out of the strike zone and the batter has to reach for it. Wooden bats can make solid contact only on a finite area of the bat, which helps hitters to learn whether or not they should swing at different pitches. The sweet spot and barrel are smaller on a wooden bat than on an aluminum one. Hitting a ball in the wrong spot with a wooden bat can cause a heavy vibration on your hands and can be fairly painful.
Types
Ash and maple are woods commonly used to make softball bats. White ash, found in Pennsylvania, upstate New York, northern Florida, Texas and Canada, is probably the most widely used wood for bats; it is also used to manufacture hockey sticks and tennis racquets. It is an extremely strong wood that can withstand heavy pressure, thus creating a more durable bat. Maple bats, which are denser and have more durability than ash bats, are also quite common; they are also cheaper than ash bats. Generally, these bats are made from sugar maple wood and are heavier than ash bats unless specifically crafted to be lighter.
Weight
Wooden softball bats vary greatly in weight. The Superior Bat Company website explains that multiple wood samples of the same type and moisture content can have different weights. A wood piece, prior to undergoing the bat-manufacturing process, is known as a billet; billets of different weights make bats of slightly different sizes. A billet for a bat that is to be 32 inches long and weigh 28 oz. will be larger than one used to make a bat that is 32 inches long and 25 oz.
Considerations
The bat should be approved by the Amateur Softball Association of America. Wooden softball bats are not as common as aluminum bats and may be difficult to find. Use a bat that suits your level of play and one that you can swing with little difficulty. Do not use soft maple bats; lacking durability, they are significantly inferior to hard maple bats.
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