Bat Speed and Durability

[PJ Moran]

I'm 63 and fairly new to the game. I have had my bat speed measured at 53 mph on average.

I have come to the realization that I will never hit a home run, and chasing that extra 10' of carry with high dollar bats makes no sense. I now have three bats. I purchased them all as new, but discontinued and discounted models. One is full endload, one is 1/2 oz endload, and the other is balanced. Three different brands. Two are 27 oz and one is 26 oz. One is one piece while the others are two piece.

I don't dislike any of them, and they all do fine when you hit them properly. I do prefer the feel of the two piece bats, though.

I have read many comments about bat failure, and that a bat has just so many hits in it before it "gives out". I don't disagree with that, as a concept. I have read that some bats are more durable than others, but at the expense of performance. I wonder what the real performance difference is.

Regardless, I wonder if given my very low bat speed, durability is even a factor in my case. In other words, will I EVER wear out a bat (I practice ALOT!)? Do I need to factor in durability when making future bat purchases? If I'm happy with my bats, will I ever need to buy another one (again given my low bat speed)? Do I need to "save" my favorite bat for games and use the others for practice only?

 

[dunno]

IME, Depends on several factors.

IMO, Don't let others use your bats Rotate your bats constantly
@ 53mph, you likely won't break any bat ever

I would be willing to bet your bats' sweet spots are not fully developed yet
Reasoning is bought some senior bats from a retired player had been using in leagues and tournaments since new (7+ years) dirty and chipped with original grips, but had little or no stress fractures and the sound and pop was like a bat out the wrapper. Its taken over 1600 swings so far to get them bout' where I like 'em

If a senior bat doesn't make a hollow "Pock" sound upon impact its not at its full potential. Usually they have obvious lateral paint stress fractures the entire sweet spot length

You will know when its properly broken in as it will hit 30 or more ft further (ymmv, 2eho) than it did when new and the sound can also be described as a hollow "crack" - time to "game only" the bat

On the other hand if it makes that sweet impact sound extra loud and your losing distance usually means the bat is past its prime some guys sell them then and could have a developing diagonal "zipper" crack

What exactly are the bats your swinging? The difference between a broken in popular senior bat and an average broken in so-so senior bat is maybe 40 feet depending on your power. Power is cool to watch but no biggy in senior ball the best hitters gap all day and avg. .800+ lol

Just sharing not preaching personal experience currently own and breaking in 19 different senior bats over 8 years and retired only 1

If your happy with your bats thats a good thing guys get sucked into buying newer and better but its said a $500 bat wont cure a $5 dollar swing.
good luck!

 

[ShortYellowBus]

Everyone has a different opinion on this topic. I can generally agree that a 53mph swing speed is considered roughly average; monsta non linear bats perform best at swing speeds under 65mph so you’re right in that demographic. But I digress.

A balanced 12” barrel bat can improve your swing speed. If everyone had the skill, bat companies would only be selling 12” barrel bats. With that said…

Bats are designed to be used in a very specific way: the ball should be a certain core and the ball should only impact the sweet spot on the barrel. Players who have less swing skill can’t always hit the middle of the barrel. Thats why bats have cracks that start near the taper. Even the impact on the endcap will cause the whole bat to flex unnaturally and make the weak points in the bats develop into problems sooner rather than later.

I’ve said it many times that not all bats work for everyone. You’ll just have to find what works best for you.

 

[PJ Moran]

IME, Depends on several factors.

IMO, Don't let others use your bats Rotate your bats constantly
@ 53mph, you likely won't break any bat ever

I would be willing to bet your bats' sweet spots are not fully developed yet
Reasoning is bought some senior bats from a retired player had been using in leagues and tournaments since new (7+ years) dirty and chipped with original grips, but had little or no stress fractures and the sound and pop was like a bat out the wrapper. Its taken over 1600 swings so far to get them bout' where I like 'em

If a senior bat doesn't make a hollow "Pock" sound upon impact its not at its full potential. Usually they have obvious lateral paint stress fractures the entire sweet spot length

You will know when its properly broken in as it will hit 30 or more ft further (ymmv, 2eho) than it did when new and the sound can also be described as a hollow "crack" - time to "game only" the bat

On the other hand if it makes that sweet impact sound extra loud and your losing distance usually means the bat is past its prime some guys sell them then and could have a developing diagonal "zipper" crack

What exactly are the bats your swinging? The difference between a broken in popular senior bat and an average broken in so-so senior bat is maybe 40 feet depending on your power. Power is cool to watch but no biggy in senior ball the best hitters gap all day and avg. .800+ lol

Just sharing not preaching personal experience currently own and breaking in 19 different senior bats over 8 years and retired only 1

If your happy with your bats thats a good thing guys get sucked into buying newer and better but its said a $500 bat wont cure a $5 dollar swing.
good luck!View attachment 73245

My first bat was the green Worth Wicked shown in your photo (27 oz.). My second bat is a 2020 LS TPZ, which is 26 oz with 1/2 oz el (white pearl/ gray in color). My most recent bat is a '21 Suncoast Melee Diamond balanced 27oz.

The latter two are two piece bats and I like the feel of them more than the Wicked. The TPZ is very loud on impact. The other two are "normal" sounding. The TPZ is not a senior bat, but it was designed for the 52/300 ball we use (I thought it was a senior bat when I bought it).

The TPZ probably feels the best, followed by the Diamond. According to Suncoast, the Diamond is a durable bat compared to the Max, etc. All three have 13" barrels. I figure I need more margin for error than a 12" offers.

I use the Wicked for tee practice (most reps). I use the TPZ for live BP (25 hits weekly). The Diamond is my gamer only because it's the newest and I don't want to "wear it out".

 

[dunno]

Those worth wickeds take a while to open up and have longevity don't know anyone that has broken one.
IME, they seem limited in distance compared to adidas and old dudley lightnings.

Maybe your comfort is 26 oz. If you get a chance to swing a 25.5 or 25 you might feel better speed and control.

I tend to "save" my best bats for when it counts but realistically getting older and weaker so saving for what?
Will never crack them all and if so just buy another there's alot of used bats going around already broken in and for cheap.

Collecting and using different bats is a retirement activity that brings both satisfaction and pleasure. We worked hard to get to retirement and no shame in spending some money on what makes us happy in what little playing time we have left lol.

Recently unwrapped my newest acquisition the easton helmer hitman 44 26 oz senior two piece.
243 hits off the tee its changing sound and shows no wear but has a noticeable endload. If they had one in 25 oz would order another.
$53.82 taxed and shipped on Amazon right now.

 

[defos]

Collecting and using different bats is a retirement activity that brings both satisfaction and pleasure. We worked hard to get to retirement and no shame in spending some money on what makes us happy in what little playing time we have left lol.

Doggone it, I didn't need to see that in print! I've bought 2 bats in the last 5 months, and keep trying to talk myself into or out of buying another depending on the day. I have around a dozen I could/would use, and I get about the same results no matter which one I use.

 

[PJ Moran]

At this point, the only reason I would buy another bat would be because one I have is "worn out" or cracked. Chasing an extra 5ft of carry makes no sense to me. It's about finding the bat that fits my swing and my game, and I think I have done that.

I will get more enjoyment out of the game by becoming a better hitter, not by having the "hottest" bat.

 

[gaternation]

If you have a 53 MPH then you have no worry about breaking a bat. You can swing away and not worry about wearing out or breaking any bat, even a senior bat.

 

[defos]

At this point, the only reason I would buy another bat would be because one I have is "worn out" or cracked. Chasing an extra 5ft of carry makes no sense to me. It's about finding the bat that fits my swing and my game, and I think I have done that.

I will get more enjoyment out of the game by becoming a better hitter, not by having the "hottest" bat.

That's the way I think, too, despite what I said above. I didn't buy or even try a composite bat until 2014 or '15. My alloy bats fit my swing, and I didn't see a need to change. I'm still not convinced I've gained anything. I bought 2 Mikens that summer, 1 intentionally and 1 "accidentally" when I placed a bid just to get the bids past the reserve. (And, no, I did not know the seller.) The 2nd bat was my favorite, and it was my main bat for 3-4 years. I sold it to arter itis, who sold it to Uncle Mosk, who sold it back to me 4 years after I had sold it. I used it almost exclusively this summer until one day in late June when our opponent for our 2nd game of the day didn't show. We took bp since we had the field.

On one of my bp swings, the bat made a dead thunk just like it had a couple of weeks earlier when hitting off the tee. My teammate who was up next and I agreed that didn't sound good at all. He handed me his Krecher. I liked the way the ball came off it despite it being a 27 oz, not a 30 like I'm used to. Short Yellow Bus had posted pics of some 30 oz bats he had, one of which was a Mach 1, which is similar to a Krecher, but with a stiffer handle. I bought it, and started smoking line drives with it all over the field - usually right at a fielder, but they were good line drives. That bat had 350 hits, and now has about 500 on it. I hit 60 balls off a tee 2-3 times a week. I don't want to put 120 hits a week on the Mach 1, and I'd like to break one in myself. Problem is, they're almost impossible to find. I was able to buy a 28 oz with about 150 swings for a good price. It's not broken in yet, so I'll use it for bp next spring until it is. If not for that thunk in bp, I wouldn't have bought either of the Mach 1s. I later determined the only dead spot on my Miken is right above the taper where I shouldn't be making contact anyway, otherwise it's fine.

 

[dunno]

At this point, the only reason I would buy another bat would be because one I have is "worn out" or cracked. Chasing an extra 5ft of carry makes no sense to me. It's about finding the bat that fits my swing and my game, and I think I have done that.

I will get more enjoyment out of the game by becoming a better hitter, not by having the "hottest" bat.

You said your fairly new to the game. It can be addicting for some and others take it or leave it.
If you get the bug, then you will probably improve and naturally will be looking for a hotter bat as your success may crave more distance and exit velocity.
Should you get to that point ask a team mate if you can take some swings with his senior Adidas melee or OG Dudley lightning legend!

 

[PJ Moran]

I got the bug, alright. But, I doubt I will "crave more distance and exit velocity". At 63, I presume I'll get weaker and slower each year, and I am at peace with that. I can still be a valued player if I hit the ball solidly most of the time and inflict death by a thousand cuts. Like I said before, I will never hit a home run, so the smart thing is to get good at hitting 'em where they're not. I don't see how hitting it five feet farther will accomplish anything.

 

[defos]

I've been blessed. At 68, I'm still playing with and against 20 and 30 year olds. I ever was a big home run threat, but I used to hit far enough to get a lot of doubles, triples, and more than my share of inside the park homers. I don't hit that far or run that fast anymore. Part of my problem comes from having played in the same league for over 20 years. I've played against enough guys that most teams have figured out how far I'm likely to hit now, which makes it harder to hit it where they're not. I hit to all fields, so they don't know where I'll hit, just how far. Yes, another 5-15 feet won't make much difference, but higher exit velo certainly can. When the outfielders move in, the gaps between them get narrower. If I can get the ball into, and maybe through, the gaps faster, I'll get more hits and more RBIs.

FWIW, I bought the last bat I'll probably ever buy Friday.

 

[ogWarlock78]

FWIW, I bought the last bat I'll probably ever buy Friday.

don't be a tease. What'd you buy?

 

[defos]

arther itis read my earlier post and offered me a 30 oz 2021 Mach 1 for a good price. Should be here today. Don't know how many hits are on it, but it can't be too many since the original grip is in good shape. Those grips don't hold up well at all. Between this one and the 28 oz I bought last month, I'll have bats to BP with while finishing the break-in on both. I wanted a bat to break in from new, but 2 lightly used ones will work. I'll have 3 gamers around the time the season starts.

Why 3 of the same model? Consistency - no adjustments needed between bats, except for the weight. I lost track of how many 30 oz alloy Supercells I have for the same reason. If I need/want a different feel/endload I can swing my old Mikens with a 1 oz endload or my Combats.
The Mach 1s are one of the few Worth bats with the stiffer Flex 100 handle. It's the only 2 piece bat I've liked because I don't like the flex.
Also, I have this weird mindset when I find something I like. If one is good, two is better (gotta have a backup), and three is better yet.

 

[jhitman]

What we be a good senior bat for me? I am 66 yearss old, have bat speed in the 80's or low 90's, like endloaded bats with larger barrels. I have only owned a Melee2 a while back and liked that a lot. I also have heard good things about the new Mario Foster bat and it has a 13" barrel. I would love to demo a few to see, but the bat rep that would allow us to demo is no longer available. Suggestions welcomed......

 

[96packers]

Wig Popper!

 

[lpurcella12]

JHITMAN, I'm 63 with 350' power. I don't know which you should buy, but I would stay away from the black '24 Miken Johnny Bailey. It will hit the heck out of the ball. I hit a several 400' shots with the wind in El Paso and Phoenix in the past few weeks, but broke the bat with around 50 swings. This is the second '24 JB I had. The barrel completely broke off the first after 28 swings--20 in BP at around 75% and 8 in games. I notified Miken/Worth and they actually sent me a replacement. All I had to pay for was shipping back to them for inspection. I got the second bat and took 5 bp swings. Then 48 game swings and the bat blew up. Huge break a few inches from the middle of the barrel. Great bats, but at your swing speed, I would suspect the JB won't last very long. A team mate also had the barrel break off with less than 100 swings and he hasn't hit a home run in a decade.