What is a baseball bat drop?
If you’ve ever been shopping for baseball bats and seen a bunch of minus numbers and had no idea what it meant, then you’re in the right place.
All Baseball bat sales pages and websites list talk about a “bat drop” like you’re a pro. However, if you’re new to the sport, or buying for someone else, the first question to appear in your mind is “what does baseball bat drop mean?”.
In simple terms, baseball bat drop is the difference between the weight of the baseball bat and the length of the baseball bat, there are many other related questions that we’ll also look such as: how do we accumulate the weight of a baseball bat?
What is the purpose of the concept of a bat drop? What are the effects of high and low bat drops? And what is the average bat drop for a college level baseball bat? Luckily for you, I conducted my research and found answers to all these questions.
What does baseball bat drop mean?
Before we can understand the purpose of the bat drop concept we need to ensure that we fully understand what a baseball bat drop means. A bat drop is calculated by taking the bat’s weight in inches and substituting the weight in ounces.
So, if a bat length is 30 inches and the weight of a bat is 22 ounces the difference between the length and the weight is -8.
30 Inches – 22 ounces = – 8
Bat drop= -8
In simpler terms, the bat drop is a representation of the weight of a bat in comparison to its length, the higher the bat drop the lighter the bat.
To break it down, if we have two bats, both are measured at 32 inches long, but the bat drop of bat 1 is higher than bat 2.
Bat 1= -8
Bat 2 = -7
Bat 1 has a higher bat drop than bat 2, therefore bat 1 lighter.
How do we find the weight of a baseball bat?
It is likely that the weight of the bat will already be mentioned somewhere along the barrel of the bat, different companies have different bat weights. Easton will differ from Louisville and so on, the bat weight will be mentioned alongside the barrel somewhere.
What is the purpose of a bat drop?
So now that we understand what bat drop means, we now need to understand the purpose behind the concept and why it has been introduced. Can’t we just purchase a baseball without having to worry about it’s drop weight?
All slow pitch bats come in identical lengths, but different weight, so if you want to buy a bat that is perfect to be used in slow pitch you need to observe it’s weight. The recommended weight for a slow pitched bat is either 27 Ounces or 29 Ounces.
If, however, you want to buy a baseball or fast pitch but, then you need a bat that is 27 ounces in weight, but the length of the bat may vary so this why manufacturers produce bats with a bat drop weight to ensure that each player is able to find a bat suitable to their needs, height, strength and position.
What are the effects of high and low bat drops?
The difference between a high drop and low drop bats is straightforward; high drop bats require more force to hit a ball but they can swing at a high speed, the player is able to swing the bat at a faster speed. Low drop bats, on the other hand, are not as rapidly swingable as a high drop bat, but they require less energy, high drop bats are suitable for younger players who find it difficult to swing a bat at a faster speed.
Kids with more strength should opt for bats with lower drop weight these bats will swing slower but with higher impact.
What is the average bat drop for a college level baseball bat?
If you wish to play for high school or college league you need to make sure that your baseball is certified by the BBCOR, these bats will normally have a drop weight of approximately -3 a bat must have equal weight distribution so controlling the bat and swinging it is made easy. A lot of teens buy a bat that is too heavy for them and end up injuring their arm or disrupting their swing.
Final Thoughts
The above-stated answers the question “What does baseball bat drop mean?” it refers to the lightness of the bat as compared to the length, having the right bat drop makes it easier to hold a bat whilst playing baseball and allows swinging with impact.
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