Who would be interested in wood bats and good balls again?

AWall13

Addicted to Softballfans
After last night I want to either retire or find/start a league that uses wood only and good balls, and see who can really play. Saw the definition of composite hero.

It was a rain make up for a week we were off anyway, but went to see my buddy's team and hang out. Their cleanup hitter I'd been hearing about all year as a 2 home run a game guy was who I was most interested in watching, but was surprised by how often he made weak contact, but also hit home runs.

Game 1:

1st AB- Foul ball behind backstop, foul ball over 1st base dugout, 330' line drive homer to RC

2nd AB-Pop up to 2B

3rd AB-Pop up to 3B

4th AB- 82 hopper to SS

Game 2:

1st AB- 315' home run to LC

2nd AB- Intentional BB

3rd AB- Moon shot 350' grand slam to LF

4th AB- Pop up to pitcher
 

TWmccoy

3DX Connoisseur
This is shockingly common. Guys whose swing is powerful, yet wildly inconsistent. I see guys who will go 375' one swing and pop up to the infield the next.

I do agree that composite bats and .44 balls are too much though. Using .52 300 balls will even that up a lot. No more weak contact resulting in HRs.
 

MarlSrSoftball

Into Semi-Retirement Still activebut not League
Sounds good to me. Just a note though the 52 balls really fly off those wooden bats.

That is why I don't mind pitching to pure power hitters. You will get the best of them most of the time. We have one on one of my teams. He has one thing in mind power the ball as hard as he can even though most teams play a 5 man outfield for him (No Fences). The shots look pretty but just an out.
 

TWmccoy

3DX Connoisseur
Sounds good to me. Just a note though the 52 balls really fly off those wooden bats.

That is why I don't mind pitching to pure power hitters. You will get the best of them most of the time. We have one on one of my teams. He has one thing in mind power the ball as hard as he can even though most teams play a 5 man outfield for him (No Fences). The shots look pretty but just an out.

Yes, they do. I enjoy hitting .52s with a wood bat. You can hit them out, but it takes a legit swing and a mis hit won't get the job done.
 

jbo911

Super Moderator
Staff member
I'd rather hit metal than wood. You can do more with it so there's more variety. Endloaded, balanced, more consistent weighting, and more durable.
 

chrometip78

The Hungarian Barbarian
52's are the best performing ball for wood bats imo & a lot of fun. Last thing I want to do is hit a 44/525 with a woody. Would love to see some local leagues with small fields go to wood/52 but that's just not a popular option around here.

Still plenty of cheating possible with metal, it's a false conception that it will fix anything with bat doctoring. And they can be made plenty hot, arguably hot as composite, but they become less durable than composite IMO.
 

east bay j

The Polish Hammer
I wish there was a wood league in my area, I would definitely join. If you want to make it more competitive and/or increase runs:
1) In men's leagues use a 9-man format vs a 10-man format
2) In coed men can only swing wood bats, woman can use any bat they want

JJ
 

jbo911

Super Moderator
Staff member
I'd be interested to see what a shaved metal bat and a 52 would be like. Yes, it doesn't stop the cheating like wood, but it does lessen it as they tended to fold up like a coke can, and not offer as much of an advantage as a composite would. I'd assume the people of that mentality would just keep playing where they could swing comps instead of shaving metal bats.
 

IMD28

The Veteran
I play in a wood bat league and it sure is a humbling experience for many guys. It is a great place for guys to learn to play the game because the bat won't bail you out from a bad swing. Then you put a composite bat in the guy'a hands after he is hitting the ball hard with a wooden bat and watch his reaction lol
 

starkbomber

Addicted to Softballfans
Played in my first wood bat tourney last summer and loved it! Feels way more satisfying hitting a hard liner or bomb with a wood because you know it was the swing. Wish there was more of it around.
 

TheKid33

Star Player
In one league I play in, I'm the only guy in the league who uses wood (old Worth Blu Blast). I got sick of it just being a warmup bat and never getting used, so I made it my gamer and it's really helped my swing honestly.
 

jbo911

Super Moderator
Staff member
Realistically, leagues have so much trouble getting enough teams to make I doubt this will happen except in the biggest cities.
 

BBBD1969

Bigger than the game.
Just popped back to this site after like 5 years away and can't believe this is still being brought up! LOL.

What's up Jbo?
 

jaymurr

Extra Hitter
My league does a drop-in 'glove toss' (gloves in the middle, randomly select teams) event on Friday evenings with wood bats. Very, very humbling.
 

ns09

Addicted to Softballfans
I'd be willing to bet this has more to do with the hitters swing plane than the bat
 

dtrotd

Coach
Sounds to me like the original poster is just jealous that he can't put it out there 350 feet.
So when he sees an inconsistent batter able to put it out there..."let's just take the good bats and balls away from everyone because I can't do it"
 

gaternation

Addicted to Softballfans
Sounds to me like the original poster is just jealous that he can't put it out there 350 feet.
So when he sees an inconsistent batter able to put it out there..."let's just take the good bats and balls away from everyone because I can't do it"

DING DING DING WINNER!!!!!!!!! Translation I am not as good and since I suck that means everyone must cheat so let's make the game really crappy by using wooden bats or singlewall. Holy crap I wish more of these tools would be honest about it.
 

smarkley3

Certified Trap Hoe
52's are the best performing ball for wood bats imo & a lot of fun. Last thing I want to do is hit a 44/525 with a woody. Would love to see some local leagues with small fields go to wood/52 but that's just not a popular option around here.

Still plenty of cheating possible with metal, it's a false conception that it will fix anything with bat doctoring. And they can be made plenty hot, arguably hot as composite, but they become less durable than composite IMO.

I would like to try wood, dont think I saw or used them sint the 1970s. As far as metal, single walls are hard to doctor and really make you hit the ball right for good results. Composites have changed the game, especially the mentality.
 

smarkley3

Certified Trap Hoe
If a guy cant get a base hit but puts them out a couple times a game would you play him over a good base hitter who was more consistent at bat and could play defense? That is the game changer in my eyes. Offense and defense.
 

jbo911

Super Moderator
Staff member
Sounds to me like the original poster is just jealous that he can't put it out there 350 feet.
So when he sees an inconsistent batter able to put it out there..."let's just take the good bats and balls away from everyone because I can't do it"

A good hitter can hit with anything. If the OP is a basehitter and can't hit homeruns going to wood isn't going to make him a HR hitter, but the guy he's describing will definitely become a .200 or less hitter. Unless you're playing at the absolute highest level you can let's not make it sound like he's some special breed of hater. He just wants to be able to play somewhere where the field of play is on his level. If you're not playing above your level, you could be doing the same thing by playing down.

He didn't say everyone should have to use wood. He'd just like a place to play where he could and guys like he's describing wouldn't benefit from the technology that's covering up their flaws currently. Big difference.
 
For all you know the guy slept in the yrd last night after arguing with the misses and was having an off day. Continue the binocular-tree canopy scouting analysis to track the trends if his gameplay, and then sell his scouting report after he makes conference
 

dtrotd

Coach
A good hitter can hit with anything. If the OP is a basehitter and can't hit homeruns going to wood isn't going to make him a HR hitter, but the guy he's describing will definitely become a .200 or less hitter. Unless you're playing at the absolute highest level you can let's not make it sound like he's some special breed of hater. He just wants to be able to play somewhere where the field of play is on his level. If you're not playing above your level, you could be doing the same thing by playing down.

He didn't say everyone should have to use wood. He'd just like a place to play where he could and guys like he's describing wouldn't benefit from the technology that's covering up their flaws currently. Big difference.

NO!!!!!
Look at the original post, the guy went 2-10 with 2 home runs. Which means he's already a .200 hitter.
He's just jealous that an inconsistent hitter went yard!
 

AWall13

Addicted to Softballfans
Sounds to me like the original poster is just jealous that he can't put it out there 350 feet.
So when he sees an inconsistent batter able to put it out there..."let's just take the good bats and balls away from everyone because I can't do it"

I've hit them at every level. I hit them with metal in high school, in wood bat summer ball after high school, and consistently in softball. My point is it's sickening how much technology can cover lack of skill these days so give us a decent ball instead of mush with wood bats and lets see who can play.

DING DING DING WINNER!!!!!!!!! Translation I am not as good and since I suck that means everyone must cheat so let's make the game really crappy by using wooden bats or singlewall. Holy crap I wish more of these tools would be honest about it.

The coach of the team and my buddy said the same thing. The guy has 15-ish homers in 12 games so far, but is hitting maybe .400. It's all he swings for.

If a guy cant get a base hit but puts them out a couple times a game would you play him over a good base hitter who was more consistent at bat and could play defense? That is the game changer in my eyes. Offense and defense.

This is the point I'm making. In a wood bat league. Joe schmo can't step up with a $300 boomstick and look like a hero. You need a full team of guys who play defense. You need guys that can hit backside and behind runners. You need guys who run bases. Wood bats would take the game back to true skill and fundamentally sound play rather than a guy who spends 3 days a week bench pressing, and 3 doing back rows and curls to look like some cartoon character pulling out a composite bat and going yard then not touching a bat for a week.

A good hitter can hit with anything. If the OP is a basehitter and can't hit homeruns going to wood isn't going to make him a HR hitter, but the guy he's describing will definitely become a .200 or less hitter. Unless you're playing at the absolute highest level you can let's not make it sound like he's some special breed of hater. He just wants to be able to play somewhere where the field of play is on his level. If you're not playing above your level, you could be doing the same thing by playing down.

He didn't say everyone should have to use wood. He'd just like a place to play where he could and guys like he's describing wouldn't benefit from the technology that's covering up their flaws currently. Big difference.

Someone who actually reads and forms opinions rather than be on the everyone is a hater bandwagon. Playing ASA with the 44/375 balls with the demarini doublewall and 2005 line of composites (OG Mayhem, OG Extended/OG Flex etc.) I was hitting home runs almost on command. Playing utrip that had more home run limits and tourney ball made me better as I learned to hit from foul line to foul line insted of dead pull and all for power. Hate that the game is going downhill because technology is covering lack of skill so everyone thinks theyre gods gift to the game.

NO!!!!!
Look at the original post, the guy went 2-10 with 2 home runs. Which means he's already a .200 hitter.
He's just jealous that an inconsistent hitter went yard!

Yes I'm jealous I'm not a .200 hitter. Brilliant.

I cannot go home happy after a day like that. 2 home runs is not the story. its hitting .200. Thats a bad day/night/tournament whatever. I don't have the freedom to go and swing for the fence every time at the plate. I'm expected to perform. I have a .200 I'm falling in the line up deservedly because I suck. If i start a day 0-2 I know I have to get on base my next AB
 

Muscles220

Addicted to Softballfans
I would love it.

To address you coment though, I had much more control and consistency when I could barely hit one over. I hit the. Over all the time at will. The more bat speed I developed, the more pop-ups and ground outs I hit. That's one reason I like heavy bats. They allow me to swing with everything I have, while keeping bat speed in a more easily controlled zone. The balls goes just as far in spite of decreased bat speed. It may not be the same for everyone, but for me it has nothing I do with composite bats. I would love to switch to wood and good balls because I'm tired of seeing midgets drop bombs with shaved bats hitting waved/frozen/re-stitched balls. Give then a wood bat, let them do whatever they want to the ball, and if they drop a bomb, I can't argue.
 

Muscles220

Addicted to Softballfans
DING DING DING WINNER!!!!!!!!! Translation I am not as good and since I suck that means everyone must cheat so let's make the game really crappy by using wooden bats or singlewall. Holy crap I wish more of these tools would be honest about it.

I love single-walls. Bring 'em on, I'll jack them anyway.
 

louconn

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
imo there is no such thing as composite hero. why? cause everyone can use them and not EVERYONE hits them out. why do people continue to cry about the use of equipment that is available to anyone? AWall, you're wanting to quit over this? grow the **** up. unless you've got a strong wind at your back, to hit a ball over 300'+, you still have to hit the ball hard enough to go 300'+. ****ty swing or not.
 

jbo911

Super Moderator
Staff member
NO!!!!!
Look at the original post, the guy went 2-10 with 2 home runs. Which means he's already a .200 hitter.
He's just jealous that an inconsistent hitter went yard!

Dude went 2-7 with 2 homeruns. I don't know anyone that's jealous that an inconsistent hitter went yard. I'm from the south though, and it's not uncommon for farm strong guys to do that. We're also smart enough to know they're not good, which is all he's saying. He'd like to see some skill put back into the game.

When I started playing league homeruns were very rare. It wasn't unusual for me to lead my team, and they were all inside the park. Now, I couldn't tell you the last guy I played with that couldn't hit it out. I guess the obesity rates are wrong, and we're all much fitter and stronger now though.
 
Top