View: "Rocks" are overrated in cold weather.

robokill

Manager
I've been BP-ing in 25F weather, and the high COR balls (Ultimate Evil, Evil BP 52/300) are killing the high comp balls (BP rockets, yellow and white worth grey dots (40/400,40/525)). The worth hot dot 52/300 are doing ok.

The white 40/525 worth grey dots are definitely the worst performers, didn't hit a single HR with them while I hit at least one with the other 5 ball types/brands. In "normal" weather the white grey dots are of course pretty hot.
 

ShortYellowBus

Well-Known Member
I agree with Normy.

Tell us what kind of bat (year/association)you’re using. Elevation, high or sea level?

How’s the bat?
 

TWmccoy

3DX Connoisseur
Sheesh, no kidding. Hitting in 25 degree weather with Grey Dots just makes me cringe thinking of how quickly and how badly I'd destroy any bat I hit them with.

Keep in mind, with Grey Dots you're relying almost solely on the bat to propel them. The ball itself has little to no elasticity/bounce in the core. Frankly, I prefer the performance of a good classic + or .52 300 over any lower cor/comp ball.

If a classic M ball performs well its because the bat you're using to hit that ball is hot. The ball itself doesn't bring much to the table. Classic Ms usually perform well in cool weather because the ball is maximizing the bat's trampoline effect.

C+s perform well in any weather because the core is very bouncy/flexible.

BTW, I can't think of any bat that would stand up to consistent BP with Grey Dots in cold weather. Those balls are heavy and rock hard.
 

Hiltz

Built for comfort
The white 40/525 worth grey dots are definitely the worst performers, didn't hit a single HR with them...

Gray Dots in the cold and you're not getting anything out of them? Man, they should feel like you're hitting golf balls with an oversized driver.


Sheesh, no kidding. Hitting in 25 degree weather with Grey Dots just makes me cringe thinking of how quickly and how badly I'd destroy any bat I hit them with.

I always used them in the offseason for breaking in old Eastons. When I got my '15 Torq, I didn't know any better and tried hitting them with it. There were chips of green paint floating in the air like snowflakes. .44/375 or less from then on.
 

robokill

Manager
I was using (all new stamp USSSA) a 28oz Easton L1 (SP13L1, black with green highlights), a 30oz 2012 Easton SP12SV100 Salvo, and a 26oz Demarini Maddawg, the former being a decent performer while the latter 2 are just ok. All 3 are holding up well, I am hitting off a tee though so that helps. Sea level. Not a power hitter, top shot was around 315feet which includes a 25 foot wind assist.

The white grey dots (and even the yellow ones) do feel very hard in the cold - my thought is that they must also have a dramatically lower COR in this weather. They were going on average about 15-20 feet shorter than the BP52s.
 

TWmccoy

3DX Connoisseur
I was using (all new stamp USSSA) a 28oz Easton L1 (SP13L1, black with green highlights), a 30oz 2012 Easton SP12SV100 Salvo, and a 26oz Demarini Maddawg, the former being a decent performer while the latter 2 are just ok. All 3 are holding up well, I am hitting off a tee though so that helps. Sea level. Not a power hitter, top shot was around 315feet which includes a 25 foot wind assist.

The white grey dots (and even the yellow ones) do feel very hard in the cold - my thought is that they must also have a dramatically lower COR in this weather. They were going on average about 15-20 feet shorter than the BP52s.


In 25 degrees pretty much any ball will feel like a rock. Frankly I think its a waste of good bats to even hit hard balls in that temp. Its a silly endeavor and you're probably not even doing your swing any good by hitting in weather that cold.

Read what I wrote above. When you hit .40 balls you're relying 100% on the bat to propel them. With .52s the ball does much more of the work.
 

robokill

Manager
In 25 degrees pretty much any ball will feel like a rock. Frankly I think its a waste of good bats to even hit hard balls in that temp. Its a silly endeavor and you're probably not even doing your swing any good by hitting in weather that cold.

Read what I wrote above. When you hit .40 balls you're relying 100% on the bat to propel them. With .52s the ball does much more of the work.
I did, nothing you said is news to me. The bats I'm using aren't "good bats" imo, so I don't care if they break and I'm hoping they may actually break in.
 

jbo911

Super Moderator
Staff member
Your forty cors must be so old they've turned to crap because there's no way a 52/300 should outhit them with a decent bat and ball. Either your bats are so not broken in they can't flex the bat with your swing or the balls are trash.
 

TWmccoy

3DX Connoisseur
Your forty cors must be so old they've turned to crap because there's no way a 52/300 should outhit them with a decent bat and ball. Either your bats are so not broken in they can't flex the bat with your swing or the balls are trash.

I can actually get better distance out of top quality C+s than classic Ms. C+s are more forgiving too. You can mis hit them and still get good distance.

Classic Ms don't fly at all if you mis hit them. With classic Ms you're at the mercy of whatever bat you're using.

Right now if I had to smash balls for absolute max distance I'd take Decker Shark C+s over ZN classic Ms. Regardless of bat.
 

robokill

Manager
Your forty cors must be so old they've turned to crap because there's no way a 52/300 should outhit them with a decent bat and ball. Either your bats are so not broken in they can't flex the bat with your swing or the balls are trash.
Yeah, this was far from a scientific experiment, there are a lot of factors at play (some of the grey dots were in awful shape, and I tended to work middle/oppo/line drives with the balls I perceived as crappier and go for pull side bombs with the "hot" balls). I tried to control for this in my mind but the human brain is of course prone to biases. THe age of all the balls is fairly even though, out of maybe 35 balls there are probably 4 newish Hot dot 52/300, 2 new white grey dots, 2 new yellow grey dots. The evil bp52s, bp rockets and ultimate evils and the rest of the grey dots/hot dots/gold dots are pretty old (2-5 years).

I went out again today in -1C/30F conditions, and the white grey dots were performing decently. My OP was based on a lot more than one BP session though.

BTW, bp rockets are 48 Cor so they're pretty high cor as well.
Yeah, my recent sample on the BP rockets isn't that big (bought a dozen in 2015 and am down to ~2-3).

I'm not saying high comp balls are absolute turds at 25-30F (OP may read that way, my bad), but I am definitely convinced they don't get hotter below about 50F and likely get worse, which is contrary to what I've read here.
 

WillW3

Starting Player
I can actually get better distance out of top quality C+s than classic Ms. C+s are more forgiving too. You can mis hit them and still get good distance.

Classic Ms don't fly at all if you mis hit them. With classic Ms you're at the mercy of whatever bat you're using.

Right now if I had to smash balls for absolute max distance I'd take Decker Shark C+s over ZN classic Ms. Regardless of bat.
You can’t be serious..
 

WillW3

Starting Player
Dead serious. Hit some Decker Shark C+ vs. whatever classic M you have and let me know what happens. Those Deckers are absolutely legit.
I’ll do it. I’ll even video it and walk it off like Rambo on the amateur LHB tour
 

Country469

Well-Known Member
Psychics getting ignored on SBFs for people's personal opinions has always been a thing. And always the lolz.
 

MPT23

Putting on the foil
I bp regularly in 35°-45° weather during winter where im at. Sometimes colder Distance with a 44 vs. a 52 is not even close.
 
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