How to Choose Between Alloy and Composite Bats
When it comes to choosing the material of your bat, it’s pretty easy to choose between wood and non-wood. With the exception of those states that mandate its use, wood is typically reserved for the professionals, practice bats and tournaments. But once you settle on a non-wood bat, choosing a bat material may feel overwhelming. You can use the chart below as a quick cheat sheet to remember the differences:
Composite vs. Alloy Bats
Composite Bats
Composite bats are made out of a layered material similar to carbon fiber, which makes it easy to control the weight distribution of the bat. Manufacturers can make bats balanced (weight is evenly distributed) or end-loaded (the bat has more weight at the end of the barrel, giving it a heavier swing weight), depending on the style.
Pros of Composite Bats
- Reduced vibration to the hands, minimizing sting from a miss-hit ball.
- Tend to have a larger sweet spot and more ”pop”
Cons of Composite Bats
- Often more expensive than alloy bats, since the manufacturing process is more complex.
- Require a break-in time.
Remember that the pop won’t come until a composite bat is broken in. To break it in, follow these tips:
- It’s recommended that you hit between 150-200 hits with a regular baseball or softball, not a rubber batting cage ball.
- It’s also important to slightly rotate the bat each time you hit the ball, so you evenly break it in - this ensures your bat lasts a long time.
The above is the only recommended way to break in your composite bat. Methods such as hitting your bat against a tree or rolling it are not recommended and will damage the bat and void the manufacturer warranty. If you want step-by-step directions on how to break a composite bat, check out this useful guide.
Alloy Bats
Alloy bats, also called metal and aluminum bats, have been around longer than composite.
Pros of Alloy Bats
- Tend to be less expensive than composite bats.
- Do not require a break-in time, meaning they’re at their prime right out the wrapper.
- Often last longer and even when they get damaged, they typically dent, rather than crack. This means they can still be used once damaged, where as once it is cracked, a composite bat can’t be. As long as the bat is not damaged to the extent where a barrel ring can no longer fit around the barrel, the bat will still be considered legal.
Cons of Alloy Bats
- Tend to have a smaller sweet spot and less ”pop.”
A good rule of thumb is the more expensive the alloy, the longer the sweet spot is and the better balanced the bat will be.
If you like both alloy and composite, it’s possible to get a hybrid, or comp/alloy bat. Hybrid bats have a composite handle and an alloy barrel. The benefits of getting a hybrid bat are that you can get the composite handle, which reduces vibration, and the alloy barrel for the performance and cost savings.
The Difference Between One Piece and Two Piece Bats
- One Piece Bats: Typically stiffer and more balanced. The one piece design does not allow for more vibration control, so they will often have a lot of vibration on miss-hit balls.
- Two Piece Bats: Tend to have more flex and have less vibration.
Generally speaking, contact hitters benefit from one piece bats for the better balance, and power hitters benefit more from the two piece bats for the added flex. The choice between the two is based on your personal preference and hitting style.
Know exactly the type of baseball or softball bat you need to get swinging? Come check out our selection of baseball and softball bats to get yourself or the young player in your life a brand new bat. Or, if you still want to learn more about the different type of bats check our other guide on Bat Preference: Wood, Alloy, or Composite to figure out which type of bat is best for you. Don't forget to share this guide with your friends.
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About the Author
Baseball Monkey is a leading retailer of baseball and softball equipment for all ages and experience levels. Our expert team worked together to build a resource hub of information designed to help players navigate through the many questions that come with gearing up for the baseball season.
MonkeySports, Inc. has been serving athletes around the world since 1999. We offer expert customer service and product knowledge that comes from employing players who are passionate about the game, the gear and the customer. MonkeySports, Inc. has six established brick-and-mortar stores and six websites. Our online stores operate under the banners hockeymonkey.com, goaliemonkey.com, lacrossemonkey.com, baseballmonkey.com, monkeyteamsports.com and monkeyapparel.com.
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