The most durable softballs

Hiltz

Built for comfort
Well I'm sure you have seen countless accounts relating to newer composites of:

- "This bat wasn't hot out of the wrapper but after "X" amount of swings, it has opened up."

So either the generalization that all newer bats (or most) no longer require any breaking in is incorrect....or, the people insisting that after hits the bat has improved, are just plain crazy or misinformed.........lol

Newer composites do get "better" after some swings, but they're good enough to game fresh out of the wrapper. Compared to 10+ years ago when a lot of bats were pretty much unusable when new and needed hundreds of swings to even start getting good.

If you buy a newer bat and play where you're going to see compression testing, any BP swings you take are gonna chew up the life expectancy of your bat.
 

mcia

Addicted to Softballfans
Newer composites do get "better" after some swings, but they're good enough to game fresh out of the wrapper.

This is generally what I thought based on what I've read. So my question is how would one find the line between getting a bat " more game ready" with BP hits vs. putting the bat away for game use only? I mean bats don't continue to get hotter and hotter until failure do they?
 

mcia

Addicted to Softballfans
Different poly cores in the BP52+ Vs game balls.

In layman's terms, what's the difference other than what one may assume being, as mentioned, one is made not as well as the other OR the BP 52 + is less damaging to the bat than the game ball. I'm simply trying to understand this, nothing more.
 
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jbo911

Super Moderator
Staff member
This is generally what I thought based on what I've read. So my question is how would one find the line between getting a bat " more game ready" with BP hits vs. putting the bat away for game use only? I mean bats don't continue to get hotter and hotter until failure do they?
Yes, then they either fail or bust and then its done. You don't want to waste game swings in practice do you? If you don't play that much or swing that hard you might be cool with that. None if them last forever. Bp it till you're happy with the performance, but leave some meat on the bone.
 

BruceinGa

always online
My theory is for every bp swing that is one less game swing.
I swing old Dudleys, very durable. I probably have 3000+ swings on each of my three Dudleys. Many times in bp I'll put the Dudleys down and pick up my Nightmare or even swing an old utrip bat such as a booger.
 

Hiltz

Built for comfort
This is generally what I thought based on what I've read. So my question is how would one find the line between getting a bat " more game ready" with BP hits vs. putting the bat away for game use only? I mean bats don't continue to get hotter and hotter until failure do they?

With most newer bats you're basically getting 90%+ performance fresh out of the wrapper. Sure you can take some BP swings to get it closer to 100%, but if you compression test you're only gonna get a few hundred swings. So what's more important to you; only gaming a bat that's redlining or getting more swings before your bat fails?
 

BruceinGa

always online
Nightmare, you can hammer some nails with that thing then take BP with no worries Lol
Lol! Bobby, when it was new I would agree. Now that I've put thousands of swings on it my Nightmare is as hot as my Dudleys. The sweetspot is smaller though.
 

mcia

Addicted to Softballfans
With most newer bats you're basically getting 90%+ performance fresh out of the wrapper. Sure you can take some BP swings to get it closer to 100%, but if you compression test you're only gonna get a few hundred swings. So what's more important to you; only gaming a bat that's redlining or getting more swings before your bat fails?

I'm not particularly concerned with failing compression testing....but I get your point.
Is the Evil BP 52 + a ball that can be used for bp if one wanted to swing a newer composite bat without cutting the life of the bat down?
 

yellowmein

BP on a Tee
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I'm not particularly concerned with failing compression testing....but I get your point.
Is the Evil BP 52 + a ball that can be used for bp if one wanted to swing a newer composite bat without cutting the life of the bat down?

Yes hit the bp52+ and it will save a lot of wear and tear on your new bat.

You can hit any 52/300 or 52/275 for bp and it will save you some money on buying new bats all the time.

If you hit anything that is a 40 or 44 cor it will break down your bats fast.

Most newer bats will not pass compression testing for very long if you are hitting softballs with 40 or 44 cor.

52 cor balls are like bouncy rubber balls

40 cor balls are like golf balls

The 52 cor ball was made for several different reasons. One of the reasons was player safety. The 52 cor ball still has the ability to break bones on impact but it happens a lot less often compared to when a classic m (40 325) hits a player.

So imagine hitting a tennis ball (52)
Compared to hitting a golf ball (40 or 44)

Which ball will compress the bat more on impact?

Hope this helps.

To solve your problem

Just horde bats like people horde toilet paper. You can never own too many bats.

When you find a bat you love buy 3 of them and save them for game use only.
 

ShortYellowBus

Well-Known Member
@mcia

Bats have composite layers pressed in with “glue” and they start out firm. To loosen up the layers, people would roll them or shave the inner layers. This caused it to be less firm, and behave like a trampoline. This was true for bats made before 2017. I’d say that’s where bat technology eliminated rolling and shaving.

The 2020-2021 bats have been engineered to be the thinnest walls possible; some USSSA bats fail compression testing with zero hits, NIW. With the bats being that close to failing, swinging them prior to mandated compression testing would be a mistake.

I would estimate that there’s a lot of rec league with ASA rules hitting the 52’s, who don’t necessarily have the budget to expand into compression testing. With non-linear bats, the bats tend to hold passing compression longer if hitting only 52/300 balls. All the new ASA bats are designed to hit the 52’s very well, but unfortunately they become very brittle with 40’s and 44’s.

The USSSa classic M plus is a 52/275. It’s almost the same as a 52/300 ball. I don’t work for evil, but I’d say the bp52+ and the 52/300 game ball perform the same. Bp52+’s would be an excellent choice for extended bp with the new bats. I only have bp balls that are 52’s.
 

mcia

Addicted to Softballfans
Whats the difference between the Evil BP 52 and the Evil BP 52 +....both orange/yellow
 

tonys1

Moderator

Check the comments section - the .52+ replaced the original .52's

Per BP Hero: "the 52+ will stay closer to specs when temps fluctuate, which is in turn safer for your asa only bats when it comes to colder temps."

Owner of Evil Sports still a dumbass.
 

mcia

Addicted to Softballfans
Thanks for the video post...looks like the 52 plus replaced the older model 52....

As for the owner of Evil, I have seen negative comments etc....unfortunately I have no opinion one way or another as I'm not really familiar with the validity of such comments.

That being said, I assume you may be suggestive of a different ball, not from Evil, which would be what?
 

mcia

Addicted to Softballfans
And so kind of back where I started lol...

Can I expect these non-association SB12s which are .47 375 cork center to impact the life of my "newer" composite especially if hitting off a tee?
 

Bobby Buggs

SBF Site Sponsor
mcia, Tonys doesn't know the first thing about me. SB12 is without a doubt the safest thing you could hit. When I came out with the BP rocket back in 07 it was built to allow people to get game quality BP swings without killing the durability of your bat. People also wanted a ball that flew well as they liked some reward while hitting BP. The BP 52 followed the Rocket as the associations switched to 52s and still people wanted a ball the flew well but didnt destroy bats. Theres not much more I can really say. 52+ is a better 52 C0R poly as we learned and advanced our blending.
 
mcia, Tonys doesn't know the first thing about me. SB12 is without a doubt the safest thing you could hit. When I came out with the BP rocket back in 07 it was built to allow people to get game quality BP swings without killing the durability of your bat. People also wanted a ball that flew well as they liked some reward while hitting BP. The BP 52 followed the Rocket as the associations switched to 52s and still people wanted a ball the flew well but didnt destroy bats. Theres not much more I can really say. 52+ is a better 52 C0R poly as we learned and advanced our blending.
Hope the 52+ is more consistent than the original 52. Just ordered a dozen, like literally right now after reading the post.
 

mcia

Addicted to Softballfans
mcia, Tonys doesn't know the first thing about me. SB12 is without a doubt the safest thing you could hit. When I came out with the BP rocket back in 07 it was built to allow people to get game quality BP swings without killing the durability of your bat. People also wanted a ball that flew well as they liked some reward while hitting BP. The BP 52 followed the Rocket as the associations switched to 52s and still people wanted a ball the flew well but didnt destroy bats. Theres not much more I can really say. 52+ is a better 52 C0R poly as we learned and advanced our blending.

Thank you for the explanation...
 

MAT25MAT

Addicted to Softballfans
I have hit sb12s for a lot of years before we switched to the 52/300. As they are your best option because they are cork center and soften up a lot for 44/375. But they are still to hard for the new bats! I used to use the flippers and they were good but I would break a couple a year (playing twice a week).
 

mcia

Addicted to Softballfans
I have hit sb12s for a lot of years before we switched to the 52/300. As they are your best option because they are cork center and soften up a lot for 44/375. But they are still to hard for the new bats! I used to use the flippers and they were good but I would break a couple a year (playing twice a week).

I'm using the non association white ones that are .47, not .44 like the yellow one.
 
No but thank you for ordering with us.
Local company and good products. I use a Bamboom and Caution in wood bat league and tournaments and this is my second dozen BP’s in the last 5 years. I’m not a big time player like a lot of people claim to be on here so my opinion don’t mean much but I’ve been a big fan since I first tried Evil.
 
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