• » print
• » report
• » email

As a 45 yr old guy trying to compete with kids 20 years my junior, I thought the decision that my league made (Lehigh Valley Men's Senior Baseball League) to switch to wood bats would quickly end my baseball career. I thought that I needed all the help I can get to hit those 80+ mph fastballs, and actually do something with it. Aluminum is very forgiving. Just watch these Little Leaguers in Williamsport every year take a pitch just above the hands and hit it half way up the bank for a homerun. As it turns out, I fell in love with the feel of a wood bat. But mind you, not immediately. You see, I live in the northeast, and those April practices can leave your hands stinging for hours. You definitely have to learn how to hit again with wood. Where the sweet spot on an aluminum bat could be 4 to 5 inches, a wood bat's sweet spot may be 2-1/2 inches at best. I know some guys in the league that never adjusted to wood. But they also are the ones who don't have to worry about their heating bills this winter.....they're burning their broken bats. I broke a bat the first game, but I used my 2nd bat the rest of the season. I do believe, however, the quality of the wood bat is crucial. You can buy these $30.00 ash bats off the retail shelf, but they probably won't last too long. I personally use a pro-stock grade maple bat made by BWP, a small company in Pa. If you search properly, you can find pro-stock maple bats for less than $60.00 on the internet. The feel of a properly stroked ball off a wood bat is awesome. There's no "tings" like aluminum.....you definitely know when you caught one just right. I ended up 5th in batting average and 2nd in homeruns. Not bad for a guy my peers nicknamed "Pops". I whole heartedly support any league who chooses to switch to wood. There's not a sweeter sound in the world.