Going To Wood Bat League

tzinc

Addicted to Softballfans
Any throughts on good softball slopitch bats for a wood bat league and what kind of balls we should use. Right now we are using worth hot dots are they ok?

Any other tips or thoughts on wood bat softball leagues.

They are hoping to eliminate long HRs will this work?
 

TWmccoy

3DX Connoisseur
.52 300 balls are the best to use for wood bats. They have enough bounce to actually fly decently. Guys will hit them out, but they won't be long HRs.

Make it unlimited HRs. Anyone who hits Hot Dots out with wood deserves as many HRs as they can hit.
 

Geezer000

Addicted to Softballfans
IMHO hot dots are the best ball for wood bats. I've used Mizuno and Marucci hardball bats and they work well. With the right swing they ball will still go 300ft+
 

TWmccoy

3DX Connoisseur
IMHO hot dots are the best ball for wood bats. I've used Mizuno and Marucci hardball bats and they work well. With the right swing they ball will still go 300ft+

People rag on Hot Dots a lot, but I actually find them to be pretty decent performers. They fly as well as most other brands of C+ or .52 300.
 

Geezer000

Addicted to Softballfans
People rag on Hot Dots a lot, but I actually find them to be pretty decent performers. They fly as well as most other brands of C+ or .52 300.

For sure. In Ontario the summer is always VERY humid so the hot dot is one of the only balls that don't really degrade during the day.
 

Jomatty

Starting Player
When our league first went to wood bats I bought 2 cheap LS bats to use for batting practice. I broke one on the third swing when I hit one off the end of the bat. The other one didn’t make it through the first round. Not only do these bats suck but softballs, especially anything other than 52’s break even decent bats easier than you would think. I’ve played a wood bat baseball league for years and only broken two bats, and I have broken a lot more softball bats in BP (league supplies bats for games). I had to accept that I was going to have to swing a heavier bat than I want to, because the lighter wood ones, especially the LS just don’t seem to hold up to any mis hits
 

Hiltz

Built for comfort
I’ve played a wood bat baseball league for years and only broken two bats, and I have broken a lot more softball bats in BP (league supplies bats for games). I had to accept that I was going to have to swing a heavier bat than I want to, because the lighter wood ones, especially the LS just don’t seem to hold up to any mis hits

It's not just that the softball bats are lighter, it's the fact that they're made with lower grade wood than baseball bats. If you want a softball-specific bat with decent wood, you need to go to one of the high-end custom bat makers ie. Phoenix, Viper, Max Bat, etc. Problem is, their bats are priced accordingly. This is one of the reasons I stick to baseball bats in my wood softball league. You can get them on sale in the $50-$60 range and the wood quality is so much better.
 

TWmccoy

3DX Connoisseur
It's not just that the softball bats are lighter, it's the fact that they're made with lower grade wood than baseball bats. If you want a softball-specific bat with decent wood, you need to go to one of the high-end custom bat makers ie. Phoenix, Viper, Max Bat, etc. Problem is, their bats are priced accordingly. This is one of the reasons I stick to baseball bats in my wood softball league. You can get them on sale in the $50-$60 range and the wood quality is so much better.

This is true. You can get nice wood softball bats, but most of them really are cheap junk. I've swung the dreaded Louisville wood softball bats, and they're terrible. Its like they use the lousiest pieces of ash they can find. I've literally dented the Louisville wood bats hitting hard balls. The wood is soft and doesn't hold up at all. One ball off the handle or end of the bat will crack it immediately.

IMO, the best wood softball bats have a bamboo handle and a maple barrel. The handle flexes nicely without breaking, and the maple barrel is resistant to denting/cracking.

The Corn Dog is probably the best option, but many wood bat leagues don't allow it due to the composite handle.
 
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EKIM

Member
Any throughts on good softball slopitch bats for a wood bat league and what kind of balls we should use. Right now we are using worth hot dots are they ok?

Any other tips or thoughts on wood bat softball leagues.

They are hoping to eliminate long HRs will this work?

I have a few different slowpitch specific wood bats for sale if you're interested
 
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