how to break in a composite softball bat

While there are several illegal methods of breaking in a composite softball bat, the method approved by the American Softball Association involves hitting at half speed from a tee and gradually working up to full-speed swings for a total of 200 repetitions. Remember to rotate your bat either a ⅛ or ¼ turn with each hit. The higher damping rate causes the bat to have less vibration and a more forgiving sweet spot. Bat rolling is an accelerated break-in method. When breaking in a composite bat, it is important to start off at about 50% power and gradually increase as your swing count rises. First: You more than likely have not fully healed from the soft tissue and muscle injury from the previous injury 3 weeks ago. An alloy bat is game ready the day you buy it. 9 comments. Slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. Step 1: Tap Gently. Do this for about another 75 hits. In order to maximize performance, experts recommend a break-in period for any new composite bat in order to strengthen and compress the fibers. 0 Comments Add a Comment. These bats need to be broken in to perform at full potential. This should only take about 50 good, solid hits to achieve the estimated 200 hits required to properly break in your bat. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Each type of composite bat is a little different, but as a general rule, a break-in period is about 100 ball strikes. Just picked up a 2017 Freak Platinum balanced (ASA). But as composites break in they get hotter. Hit 50 balls off a tee using about 75% power. Bats that are created out of composite materials will need a break in process, while alloy or aluminum bats will be ready to use at the time of purchase. Composite bats have been around as early as the 1980s for use in slow-pitch softball. Cracks that run up through the middle of the bat generally cannot be repaired, and hurt the person using them. The first thing to remember is that bat rolling is illegal if you’re playing in a high school or collegiate league. If so, watch and learn how to break it in properly from a two-time All-American. This will damage your bat and also void your manufacturer’s warranty. History. Top brand products and manufacturers all over the USA who produce these bats every year with updated versions. The carbon fibers in the barrel are stiff out of the wrapper, and need to be loosened up before they will reach peak performance. Ask a friend to help out in case you get tired. Most times, however, the logos will serve as a good enough guide as illustrated below. Hitting an aluminum bat with a ball too dense (cold) is a possible dent. Any tips or recommendations on breaking in a new bat? There you have it. Make sure your bat needs to be broken in. With advances in modern softball bat technology, some new model bats now require a break in process. Use a Game Ball When breaking in your new bat it is important to use a regulation ball that would be legal in a game situation. save hide report. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 105,490 times. Adjust it to pitch slowly and without an arch so you don't have to change your form to make contact. In the past, softball players have been able to purchase a softball bat that was ready for use immediately. Juicing your softball bat can help you hit harder and boost your game. The technique of rolling the bat involves inserting the bat between two rollers, Softball bats can break when the ball is hit a certain way, resulting in cracks on the bat. As an example of how seriously associations are taking this issue, the ASA recently changed their bat certification policy. Learn more... Composite fast pitch softball bats are constructed of carbon fiber and reinforced with plastic. To create this article, 17 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. How to Grip a Softball Bat. A composite bat is mostly played in a baseball or softball game. April 26, 2017 Bat break Composite Fitness softball Sports. best. A. Softball bats made from composite material don’t reach their peak velocity exit speed until they’ve been used multiple times. It definitely isn’t worth the trouble. Breaking in your composite bat is fun, easy and can be done in about an hour. In softball, the right grip is the starting point to a successful swing. Step 1. Check with the American Softball Association to ensure your bat meets the organization's standards for legal equipment. Miken responded in 2002 by developing their own composite softball bat. They do get better the more you … Breaking in a baseball bat is one of them. Do Accelerated Break-in Techniques Really Work? Composite Bat Break-In Guide 1. Finally, has breaking-in improved the performance of your composite bat? How to break in a composite bat and a softball bat. Composite bats have been around as early as the 1980s for use in slow-pitch softball. This will ensure the entire barrel is broken evenly and adequately. This will ensure the entire barrel is broken evenly and adequately. Breaking in your fastpitch softball bat shouldn’t take longer than a typical practice session. Not only is it illegal, but it will ultimately shorten the lifespan of your composite bat and effectively void your warranty. A composite softball bat is usually lighter and has a higher damping rate than an aluminum bat. best. The easiest way to break in your composite bat is to take 100-200 swings with soft toss or tee practice. Softball Bat Surface Cracks Is Your Softball Bat Really Broken? The result of a ball too dense on the composite is a crack and, then, the bat’s ultimate failure. But when you start looking into composite bats, likely your greatest weapon for success, the following tips on how to break in a bat will allow you to work your new lumber up to its fullest potential. Anything else such as the yellow dimpled balls in batting cages may slow the break-in process or even worse, damage your bat and void your warranty. That is a composite bat. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. If you feel your bat isn’t fully broken in, take as many practice hits as you need to complete the process. For this reason, composite bats need to be broken in before regular gameplay. Just picked up a 2017 Freak Platinum balanced (ASA). You break it in by hitting about 200 softballs. 3. 100% Upvoted. 1 Answer Active; Voted; Newest; Oldest; 0. Once you’ve completed 150 proper hits at half the power, you can now work your way up to hitting at full strength. Breaking in your composite bat is fun, easy and can be done in about an hour. So, in order to get your bat ready for game time, you should go through a break-in process to make sure you maximize your bats potential when it counts. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Work with your coach or a friend to swing 50 times this way. It's my first slowpitch and composite bat. Around 2010-2011, bat manufacturers began using a new process that would allow their bats to break in much more quickly. At first, the ball will sound like it came off a wooden bat but with proper effort and care you can break them in to the point where it sounds more like a rifle shot. share. #1 The bat sounded like a potatoe cannon. Hitting half-speed pitches, especially when they have an arc, can mess with your form and timing. Rubber mallet is too much bro. ADVANCED BAT BREAK IN SERVICE $29.99 applied to any bat purchased Add this to any bat order, the option is located above the add-to-cart button. 0. You don’t need all day to break-in your composite bat; an hour at most would be enough. To create this article, 17 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. Reason I am asking is I am getting ready to get my DD a new bat and would rather she use it in the cages if she can to help break it in but my other DD used to use her composite bat in the cages and it broke in half at the neck. However, with composite baseball bats, things are different. Softball bats can break when the ball is hit a certain way, resulting in cracks on the bat. Many fast pitch players hesitate to use a new composite bat in the middle of season, thinking that the break-in process is too time consuming. We have also given them to friends or teammates in need. During this step, use only 50% of the power you’d normally use to hit a baseball. Make sure to rotate the bat ¼” between each hit. To start off with, composite bats have a much longer break-in period than aluminum bats. Over the past 10 years, incidents of doctoring bats have increased significantly, endangering player’s lives (particularly pitchers)in the process. Rolling-One of the most popular ABI techniques is bat rolling. Don't be tempted to skip the process of breaking in your composite bat, since a fresh bat won't perform as well as one that's been broken in correctly. Never hit pitching machine balls (the ones with dimples) or wiffle balls with it. Softball players have a variety of techniques that can be used to break in a composite bat to improve its performance. This powerpoint presentation describes how to prepare a composite slowpitch softball bat for use in game play. This would break in the bat effectively, but it might not be great for your batting form. This means that bat companies have to ballance the bat's 'pop' with lifespan and maximum performance guidelines. ADVANCED BAT BREAK IN SERVICE $29.99 applied to any bat purchased Add this to any bat order, the option is located above the add-to-cart button. Jul 31, 2017 - How to Break In a Composite Fastpitch Softball Bat Any tips or recommendations on breaking in a new bat? When you buy a wood bat or an alloy bat, you don’t need to worry about breaking it in. They could build a bat under the 98mph max and roll the bat before they sell it to bring the bat up to max performance, but that would decrease the durability or lifespan of the bat. As the process further compresses the barrel, it creates additional flex or trampoline effect on impact with the ball. References. However, if you're not quite willing to use it in a game, use it during batting practice a few times to make sure you're used to the way it hits. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. This process requires about 150 – 200 good solid hits. How to Break in a New Fastpitch Softball Bat. As of October, 2007 all composite bats are now being artificially broken-in using a barrel rolling technique before they are sent to the Sports Science Laboratory at Washington State University to be performance tested for certification… To make the process go faster, have someone help you by setting up new balls on the tee before every swing. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. This thread is archived. If this isn’t possible, look for a pitching machine that can take real baseballs as opposed to rubber cage balls which may ruin your bat. We think it likely other composite bats run similar in terms of break-in and changes in exit velocity. Time and patience is required but a rubber mallet can compact the fibers in a bat to make it more powerful and responsive. Fast pitch softball bats that are 100 percent alloy, or that have an alloy barrel, are good to go right away, with no break-in period needed. You would just roll the bat through a rolling machine a few times on each pressure increment. Composite bats, on the other hand, require a break-in period. In most instances, you can use the logos on … 200 hits shouldn't take long if you practice regularly. Bats that are 100% alloy or with an alloy barrel are game-ready right out of the wrapper and will not require a break-in period. Cracks that run up through the middle of the bat generally cannot be repaired, and hurt the person using them. This article has been viewed 105,490 times. Next, take about 75 swings either off a tee, soft toss or front toss. However, composite bats need to be broken in to reach their maximum potential. Repeat at least 200 times—the more, the merrier. How Do I Break in My Composite Bat? If you are buying an aluminum Fastpitch bat, there is no break-in necessary. Don’t break in your bat hitting a tree or rolling it on the ground. It is recommended that you also rotate the bat ¼ inch between swings. Sort by. Slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. This ensures an even break-in for your softball bat. Once your composite softball bat is broken in, use it only for games and not during batting practice. Hit 50 balls from soft-toss using about 75% power. Step 1: Tap Gently. #3 ASA bats just dont "need" to be broken in anymore. Good Luck :-) After each hit, rotate the bat between 1/8 and 1/4 a turn. When breaking in our drop 10, 2018 Rawlings Quatro USABat, we did notice a marginal increase in ball exit speed (about 1 mph faster after clocking 200 swings when breaking it in). With composite barrel bats, you will have to spend some time getting them ready to perform at their peak. [1] X Research source Composite bats, however, have carbon fibers that need to be loosened before the bat reaches optimum performance. You will want to use a regular regulation ball during the break … Our main goal is to make your shopping experience the best possible. Dead bat is an excuse either to get a new bat (probably 90% of the time) or for a bad swing. Quatro @ JustBats.com Quatro @ Amazon Quatro Review Posted How Do You Break In A Composite Softball Bat? Please leave us a comment below. The hottest a composite bat will ever be is the last swing before it breaks. Rolling the bat would increase the cushioning effect on the joint and maybe increase the lifespan of the bat as a whole, but not the barrel. These are valid questions, but the need to break in a bat is simple: Composite bats just aren’t at their full potential until they’ve been through at least a couple hundred hits. (See our full 718 Select Review). Most notably, Louisville Slugger developed a slow-pitch bat that was awarded best performance at the 2001 Bat Wars. Composite bats are hotter 1,000 swings in, so it’s understandable that the new standards force bat manufacturers to leave a little breathing room to be fair. After the soft toss hitting drill, ask a pitcher with a good arm to accompany you to the field. Make sure to rotate the bat ¼” between each hit. When breaking in your new bat, pick only regulation balls that are legal for use in an actual game. You can take more than 100 swings if you desire. Breaking in your composite bat is fun, easy and can be done in about an hour. While hitting the ball, rotate the bat. Use these tips responsibly to break in your composite softball bat properly. Interested in shopping for a new composite baseball or softball bat? If you start to crush the balls at full strength right at the start, you run the risk of cracking your composite bat. Did you recently purchase a new composite baseball bat? A composite bat requires a break in to have its best rebound. You need hit at 40 miles per hour or faster. Similarly, check out our recommendations for best baseball gloves as well as our comprehensive guide on how to break in your baseball glove. History. 6 Steps to Break-In in a Composite Baseball or Softball Bat. wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. One way you can juice your softball bat is by using a bat rolling machine. In the past, softball players have been able to purchase a softball bat that was ready for use immediately. Cover every angle that you can. Everyone knows that bats get hotter after about 500-800 hits. As you can imagine, bats breaking in quickly often comes with a price in the form of durability. Next, take about 75 swings either off a tee, soft toss or front toss. You’ll need to hit 100 to 150 baseballs to correctly break in the bat (baseballs not batting cage balls). In this guide, you’ll learn the following: Why you need to break in a bat. It is also important to rotate the bat about a ” on every swing. However, breaking in a new bat shouldn't take more time than a routine practice session. Start at a low power rate, about 40% power before working your way up to top power before getting to your last couple swings. To break in your bat, you’re going to: Hit the ball off a tee; Soft toss against a fence; Have a teammate pitch to you; Most bats have a rotation index on them that’ll serve as your guide during this easy 3-step break-in process. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Breaking in a baseball bat is one of them. Sort by. The carbon fibers in the barrel are stiff out of the wrapper, and need to be … Keep in mind that juiced bats are often illegal during a game, so only use one for fun. How do I break in a new bat? % of people told us that this article helped them. Any bat that is noticeably altered by rolling, vising or hammering will be disqualified for use. The correct hand positioning is crucial in achieving a sturdy but loose grip. And as such, we suggest you break in your composite baseball or softball bat with at least 200+ hits to get better performance. Never swing a composite baseball bat unless its at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. Do this to ensure the entire barrel of your bat is being broken in uniformly. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. These bats require 200+ hits which could take a long time. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/0\/08\/Break-in-a-Softball-Bat-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Break-in-a-Softball-Bat-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/0\/08\/Break-in-a-Softball-Bat-Step-1.jpg\/aid1146288-v4-728px-Break-in-a-Softball-Bat-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"