MADE IN THE USA US Flag
ProXR Knob Get the ProXR Knob on any custom bat. More »
Search CART
×
stadium with sunray.jpg
Blog

Wood Bat Barrels vs Aluminum Bat Barrels

WOOD BAT BARRELS VS. ALUMINUM BAT BARRELS

We want to shed some light on a common debate…”Wood bat barrels vs. aluminum bat barrels.” Please keep in mind that wood bat barrels and aluminum bat barrels are completely different animals. Because aluminum bats have a hollow barrel, those barrels can be designed larger.  Aluminum bats have hollow barrels. So that typically makes them swing lighter than a wood bat barrel.  And because the aluminum barrel compresses when making contact with the baseball, a trampoline effect helps propel the baseball. Wood bat barrels on the other hand have a solid barrel, and the baseball will compress (instead of the barrel) when making solid barrel contact. Because there is no trampoline effect from wood bats, we need to think of ways to help give the player more lift and carry when hitting a baseball. The way to do that is to put more backspin on the ball, and you don’t need to be a seasoned professional in order to do this.

Big Barrel vs. Small Barrel

This brings us back to the “big barrel vs. small barrel” argument and the “wood bat barrels vs. aluminum bat barrels”. Which is better? Well, because the diameter of the smaller barrel has greater curvatures than the bigger barrel, you’re able to put more backspin on a baseball with your natural swing. This gives the ball more lift and carry, which translates to more distance.  The smaller wood bat barrel also forces the player to be a more disciplined hitter.  If you swing at bad pitches you will sting your hands or break your bat when swinging wood.  By nature you will have better plate discipline and and strike zone awareness.  Whereas hitting a ball squarely with a large barreled bat can often result in the baseball “knuckling” off the barrel, limiting its’ distance.  Every level of professional baseball is played with a wood bat.  So if you’re serious about baseball, swing wood!  Check out MaxBat pro series wood bats:  https://www.maxbats.com/shop/bats/baseball/?pro-series

 

Ball compression on a wood bat barrel

Ball compression on a wood bat barrel

Categories: Baseball Bats, Maple Bats, Metal bats, Wood Baseball Bats, Wood Bat

View Post

Engineered Innovation

Engineered Innovation

At MaxBat we produce each and every wood bat in-house at our state of the art facility in Central Minnesota.  We take great price in all steps of our manufacturing process.  Below we’ll highlight some of the things that make our wood bat so popular.

*Power Game

The barrel is the business end of the wood bat.  When building your custom model, you can choose from 3 different barrel sizes.  Ranging from medium barrels (utilizes harder / strong wood which leads to a more balanced bat), to XL barrels (lower density piece of wood to achieve your desired target weight).  The barrel size is completely up to you, but know that you get the highest quality piece of wood when choosing a bat model with a medium barrel.

All MaxBat wood bat barrels are bone hardened.  We use a patented bone hardening process as one of our finishing touches!  Our custom engineered barrel compression machine increases and maximizes the hardness of the wood.  Harder wood = greater results.

*Get a Grip

The MaxBat handles vary in diameter, from thin, medium, or thick bat handles.  Thin bat handles will shift weight to the barrel end and also help the player generate a bit more “whip”.  The most common handle diameter is a medium handle with a diameter of 15/16 of an inch.  The thick handles, 1 inch or more, give the bat more of an “old school” as this was the norm back in the day.

The style of the knob varies slightly; this will impact the bat’s balance.  It will also change how the wood bat feels in the players bottom hand.  We also offer non traditional knobs that each have there own advantages. The flared design of the X-Knob helps protect the hamate bone from bruising, and greatly increases the bat’s balance. Because of the shape, and where it comes in contact with your lower hand, the X-Knob can ultimately increase overall bat speed too.  Pair any wood bat model with ProXR grip technology to deliver an exclusive level of hitting performance! True innovation creates a knob that works with a batter’s hands to create a smoother swing, resulting in increased bat speed and exit velocity. This unique design causes less pressure in the batter’s wrist and hand, thus being a benefit to the health and comfort of the player. This knob ads the elusive edge every hitter looks for in their bat. U.S.  MaxBat ProXR is the definition of Engineered Innovation!  Pat. 7,744,497

*Precision Crafted

We use years of experience and expertise to pinpoint the desired weight for your custom wood bat.  When choosing your weight, we recommend a -2 weight drop with a cupped barrel end.  We can certainly make your wood bat a -2.5 or -3 but keep in mind the lighter the weight the less dense the piece of wood.  A -2 weight will give your wood bat a bit more pop and durability, but a -3 weight will give your bat a bit more balance and quicker swing speed.

MaxBat offers more length options that anyone in the wood bat market.  All adult bats are made in 1/4 inch length increments starting at 32″ and going up to 35.5″.  Several of our medium barrel adult bats are made as short as 30″.

MLB mandates all Maple and Birch bats, destined for a pro player, need to pass an ink-spot test.  We put this ink-test on all of our wood bats regardless of level of play.  When the ink-test in placed on the bat handle it bleeds into the non-visible tangential grains.  The straighter the grain, the stronger the wood!  Every bat MaxBat produces features our Engineered Innovation.

Engineered Innovation in MaxBat Manufacturing

MaxBat Manufacturing at it’s finest.

Categories: Baseball Bats, Custom baseball bat, Maple Bats, ProXR, Wood Baseball Bats, Wood Bat, Wood bat manufacturer

View Post

What is the benefit of boning a wood bat barrel?

Bone HardenedWhether you’re new to wood bats or not, you have probably heard players talk about boning their wood bat barrel.

Boning wood baseball bats has been around for a long time, and the simple definition is to compress the wood on the barrel in order to make a wood bat more dense.

Players back in the day used a large dried out bone to compress their bats, hence the phrase “boning” their bats.  The bone was bolted to a table or bench in the clubhouse, and the players would rub the wood bat barrel across the bone, while applying as much pressure as they could.  The outcome of this process was a wood bat barrel that had compressed grains/fibers, making the wood harder.

The obvious benefit to using a wood bat in which the barrel has gone through the bone hardening process, is that it will make that wood bat barrel even more dense than before.  A denser piece of wood is a harder piece of wood.  And using a wood bat with denser wood will make the ball come off the bat at a higher speed, and giving it more distance.

Any species of wood bat can be boned.  In the early days it was limited to hickory and ash, because those were the only two wood species used in wood bat production at the time.  Boning the barrels of hickory wood bats and ash wood bats would help prevent flaking and chipping of the grains.

At MaxBat, we designed and custom-built an automated boning machine to compress and harden each and every wood bat that we produce.  Just another way that we take your wood bat and make it extra special.

Categories: Maple Bats, Wood Baseball Bats, Wood Bat, Wood Bats

View Post

Gift Bats Unforgettable Gifts

Shop Gift Bats
MaxBat gift bats