What is everyone's thoughts on the BBCOR bat. Has it affected the power output? Has it brought to light the true hitters? Seen no change from older types of bats?

 

What would you say is the best BBCOR on the Market. Is it the new Easton, Marucci Elite? What bats would you say has the most pop?

What is everyone's thoughts on the BBCOR bat. Has it affected the power output? Has it brought to light the true hitters? Seen no change from older types of bats?

 

What would you say is the best BBCOR on the Market. Is it the new Easton, Marucci Elite? What bats would you say has the most pop?

They have deffinatly made a huge difference in output as far as home runs are concerned. 3 years ago it wasn't UN common to have several players knock it out of the park in a game. 2 years ago when the new bat regulations were put in place the numbers dropped a ton. Last year they picked up some but not a lot. I don't know if the bats have more pop after they've been used awhile or not but it seems like after a year UN play some of the bats seem to have more pop.

BBCOR levels the playing field. Whether you have a $499 bat or a $99 bat, you have to swing it.

The only difference now is end load or balance. Or paint job. Or price.

BBCOR has effectively eliminated the "contact" homers that the previous bats made possible. The kids hitting long balls not because of their power or technique, but because of the equipment. It took the players maybe a year to adjust but now more and more kids are driving through contact and learning about bat speed again. It has been a welcome change in my opinion.

Can we just go to wood bats already?

right on papa bear!!! you hit the nail on the head.......or......the BAT on the BALL!!!!

Can we just go to wood bats already?

 

Never gonna happen. Schools just can't afford it. Quality wood bats cost close to, and a lot of times over $100. I watched a high school game last year where wood bats were used and at least 4 were broken. Wooden bats haven't been a part of high school baseball for over 30 years. For a while, the bats really did affect the quality of play. But the BBCOR standard has had an impact. Home runs are down, and the game is safer. You really have to square up on the ball to make good contact.

Frankly as was stated the cost of quality wooden bats are much too expensive for HS games, as far too many young players have no idea how to hit with them, after using the Aluminum bats for all their lives.

 

I believe the KHSAA/NHSF is going to have to redo their stats figures, as no one using a BBcor bat is ever going to break the records that now stand!

Lots of wood bat tourneys popping up every year, seems like the young players are fascinated with wood the way we were when metal bats made the scene.

Lots of wood bat tourneys popping up every year, seems like the young players are fascinated with wood the way we were when metal bats made the scene.

 

I don't know about fascinated, but wood is making a little bit of a comeback at the youth select level. Also, quite a few high school players use wood in the cage (at least my son and many kids on his team do) to save wear and tear on their game bats.

Frankly as was stated the cost of quality wooden bats are much too expensive for HS games, as far too many young players have no idea how to hit with them, after using the Aluminum bats for all their lives.

 

I believe the KHSAA/NHSF is going to have to redo their stats figures, as no one using a BBcor bat is ever going to break the records that now stand!

That is a point that really hasn't been addressed and you hit the nail On the head.

 

The record books need asterisks or something to seperate the Pre bbcor and bbcor age. The only way home run records will drop is if you have a true phenom come along. The numbers were so different just 5 years ago compared to today. I remember 3 years ago, my son played about half games varsity and half JV his freshman year and one of the games playing varsity a teammate hit 2 home runs in this game and another 2 the next 2 games. The next year with the rules change with the bats the same kid had 0 home runs the entire season.

 

Personally I like the change because of the safety issue. ,being a pitcher in the past was so dangerous with the ball coming off those bats, now at least it is closer to the wood bat.

 

It also teaches hitting techniques a lot better.

That is a point that really hasn't been addressed and you hit the nail On the head.

 

The record books need asterisks or something to seperate the Pre bbcor and bbcor age. The only way home run records will drop is if you have a true phenom come along. The numbers were so different just 5 years ago compared to today. I remember 3 years ago, my son played about half games varsity and half JV his freshman year and one of the games playing varsity a teammate hit 2 home runs in this game and another 2 the next 2 games. The next year with the rules change with the bats the same kid had 0 home runs the entire season.

 

Personally I like the change because of the safety issue. ,being a pitcher in the past was so dangerous with the ball coming off those bats, now at least it is closer to the wood bat.

 

It also teaches hitting techniques a lot better.

 

I don't agree with the statement that BBCOR (or wood, or less "live") bats teach you to be a better hitter. You don't change your swing because of the bat. You still have to grip it and swing it in a fundamentally sound way. What the old bats did though, was allow a less technically sound kid make better contact. Bigger sweet spots, higher exit velocities resulted in more cheap hits, and for those who did make good contact, better power numbers. Now, with BBCOR (or wood), if you don't make good solid contact, you don't get rewarded nearly as often, and it takes real strength and pop to drive the ball over the fence. I've never taught, or seen anyone teach different swing concepts based on the bats they were using. Good technique is good technique, whether your swinging a rocket launcher or a broomstick.

I agree with the ones that say BBCOR bats caused power numbers to drop dramatically in their first year and slowly they are coming back (although not to BESR levels).

 

On the issue of wood bats, I know a lot of players would love to use them in games. Many use them in the cage or practice as mentioned but due to the cost they can't use them in games. The Doc Morris Tournament in NKY used to be a wood bat tournament where all schools involved were given quite a few bats to use throughout the tournament. However, due to the cost of the bats and the fact that many of them ended up broken, the organizers did away with the wood bat aspect last year.

 

The game is getting expensive enough already for kids to play summer travel ball so changing to wood bats will just increase the commitment parents have to make and that's just not feasible.

Nku, if the bbcor didn't help change how some players hit then what would you say played a part in the numbers from year 1 to year 2? I think it made some hitters learn the proper technique rather than just continue what they were doing with the old bats.

 

I know some players that had bad habits at the plate that were ignored because of the older bats tend to mask some bad habits due to the sweet spot being able to cover up mistakes at times.

 

I think the proper techniques are magnified with bbcor which is why the numbers went up last year.