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Online now: 2 members: Randy17, TABLE SETTER 11; 79 anonymousDiscussion: The care of senior bats
| Posted | Discussion |
| Sept. 22, 2015 tall_thunder Men's 50 82 posts | The care of senior bats Does leaving your bats, like the ONE, and Ultra 2, in your garage hurt the performance of the bats. Last tournament in Phoenix, temps were 104, the balls didn't seem to come off my bats like they use to. I keep my bats in my garage, where it gets pretty warm. Any opinions. |
| Sept. 22, 2015 garyheifner 649 posts | I have absolutely no insight on this that is factual. However, if heat hurts them, why do guys put them in bat warmers on warm days?? I live in the north, I would like to think leaving them in a garage or trunk during winter months would lead to expansion and contracting of materials that would weaken the fiber etc. I did happen to hear a guy in Dalton say his U2 was OK out of the wrapper, after break in swings was hot and now seems to be backing off. Maybe bats wear out in time like something else ??? Oh, I remember, Senior Players. |
| Sept. 22, 2015 E6 in AZ Men's 50 91 posts | You know Randy, I wondered if it wasn't the bats at all but some of the balls that went bad. I hit a few balls that left the bat like an old 14 inch ball (just kind of wobbled out). |
| Sept. 23, 2015 swing for the fences Men's 50 1224 posts | I would bet your bats are fine.. it was most likely the Balls you were using.. in 104 degrees the Trump Stote loses MPH off the bat.. |
| Sept. 23, 2015 Bruster55 Men's 60 109 posts | I think the humidity had more do to with it than anything. The air was thickkkkkk. |
| Sept. 23, 2015 B94 Men's 50 138 posts | As others have said the balls being left in the heat is the detrimental factor. Having your bat somewhere warm shouldn't negatively affect it at all. |
| Sept. 23, 2015 Turbo 34 Men's 50 47 posts | Definitely the ball. Composite bats are at their hottest right before they break! The last 50 swings are the best. In U-trip Conference tournaments and other Worlds like WSL and so on they bat test for bats exceeding the .240 compression limit. Most of the Conference players only get two or three tournaments before their bats fail because the walls are flexing beyond the limit. |
| Sept. 23, 2015 garyheifner 649 posts | Turbo Interesting comments. I went down to Joliet Illinois to watch USSSA young guns play. They crush the ball. But, I watched some of the check in for the bats to be marked and placed in barrels for the umps to control. Guys were walking up with brand new bats in the wrapper and failing the test. Go figure. $300 down the drain. |
| Dec. 9, 2015 phantomf4j 42 posts | Well guys, as far as composite material is concerned, here is my 2-cents worth. Aviation (both military and general aviation) have been using composite materials for decades and leaving them out in all weather all across the world. I even know of one instance where a composite homebuilt airplane was left to the elements out behind a guys shop. It was retrieved after years of sitting in the Texas heat. It was cleaned up, inspected and put back together. It passed inspection and flew again. I realize bats and airplanes are radically different, but the material is not vastly different. I do not really think composite materials are effected at all by being in the garage in a bat bag or leaning up against the wall. That stuff is pretty tough. |
| Dec. 10, 2015 hemi racer Men's 65 237 posts | Doesn't seem relevant for you guys in warm weather parts of the country, but have read that extreme cold can be detrimental to senior bats. So most of us in cold weather areas keep ours inside for the winter. |
| Dec. 10, 2015 17Black Men's 60 414 posts | I'm not a bat engineer :) I live in Northern Ohio. It gets real cold in the winter (sub zero often) and hot in the summer (95+) In the past, bats I did leave in the garage that went through BIG temp differences in short amounts of time, seemed to break/crack much faster the first time in use during spring. To me the bat is expanding/contacting over and over when left in a garage. One guy on one of my teams left his bats in his trunk all winter, and one of the bats was cracked the first time he looked at it in the spring??? If you live in a place like south Florida, and temps are relatively constant, it might not be that bad? The past three seasons I've brought my bats in the house and kept them in a closet------------the bats seems to last longer?? Or the bats are made better than they used to be??? Just an observation?? |
| Dec. 11, 2015 neck10 714 posts | you need to keep bats clean I see some guy's doing it between at bat's not me but I do think keeping your bar clean(just keep an old towel in your bag just wipe it off before you hang it up or put away.try not to throw on diamond dust,throw in grass. |
| Dec. 11, 2015 sheik03 5 posts | This past season I was told that the new Dudley Lightning bats kept their "tackiness" if they were cleaned regularly....I bought a six-pack of sponges that I was able to keep wet and wipe off my bat between at bats....the sponge was also easy to wash and reuse....I found that the towel would get dirty and actually seem to do more harm than good as the tournament went on.... |
| Dec. 13, 2015 garyheifner 649 posts | Sheik good idea. picked up a 6 pack of sponges at the dollar tree store for a $1. |
| Dec. 14, 2015 hemi racer Men's 65 237 posts | I was vigilant about cleaning my Dudley after ever tournament, but tackiness finally disappeared after the second season. |
| Dec. 14, 2015 Bubble Gum 122 posts | hemi racer I am willing to wager that you will agree that your Dudley is every bit as good WITHOUT that tacky crap on your bat. It is just a unnecessary gimmick~ |
| Dec. 14, 2015 miken44 90 posts | i have always kept my bats inside summer and winter never leave them in truck this past august broke my ambush almost three years old with countless swings maybe just the care also always kept them clean between at bats and games may all senior players and families have a very merry christmas and a happy new year |
| Dec. 14, 2015 crusher Men's 75 524 posts | A lot of bat damage occurs when the grass is wet and ball rolls across infield coming back to batting practice pitcher. The wet ball pick up sand grains. Then when you hit that ball the sand puts little chinks in composite bats. |
| Dec. 14, 2015 Allan55 102 posts | Years ago, I was told to bring my bats inside the house for the winter if I wanted them to last longer. I was also told the cooler weather would weaken bats left in the garage. This made sense to me, because I found myself breaking bats within the first month of the new season. Keep in mind I was not swinging the bat in the early morning games when the weather was under 80 degrees. I would swing kid bats instead. Once I established the ritual of babying the bats, they started lasting longer. As for the bats getting weaker with time,I had a couple of bats I would only use in the World Tourney once they were broken in, and they lasted years with no drop in pop. The balls used are a different story. Some of the balls get too hot and they will not go anywhere. If the balls are wet or cold in the morning, they will break bats on a regular basis. |
| Dec. 15, 2015 hemi racer Men's 65 237 posts | Bubble Gum, your probable right about it being a sales gimmick. These bat companies work us old guys like a glove. Always the greatest and best bat out next. I did experience hitting more knuckle balls while the tacky was still prevalent on the bat though. |
| Dec. 15, 2015 Wayne 37 Men's 65 773 posts | I've been telling people this for a long time. Nobody ever paid attention. Heck, if an engine block can crack in cold weather, why not a bat? I've seen section rails on a railroad track expand in hot weather so that you had to beat the ends of the rails back with the replacement rail to stick it back in. Hard to do when the replacement section is 33' or 39', and four people. |
| Dec. 16, 2015 Eurskine Men's 50 185 posts | Through the years i have learned this....I treat my bats and Balls different. In the cold weather, the bats are in my closet,room temp...in the summer, they are in the Garage or in the back of my truck...they will last longer.As have been stated the composite is in danger in cold weather. Miken will tell you not to swing the bats if it is below 50 degrees..why, they will crack. It has been rumored that if you send it back,they will test the material to see if you used it in Cold weather.The walls are thin , and they cannot take the cold weather. Heat will cause considerable condensation in the balls,which causes the mush..and of course the only way to keep that from happening is keep it away from the heat...to room temperature...summertime Balls in the house..winter they are in the back of the truck or in the Garage.Last year in Dalton,the Balls was kept out in the heat...and they turned to mush....this is where that word condensation played a big part within the structure of the ball.One Team took it on their own, and put their SoftBalls in a ice chest....... (oops),,not suppose to do that...but an old trick to bring the balls back to the original .375 compression.... but it raised to .525 or higher...and that depends on how cold they got................Just My Humble Opinion. |
| Dec. 16, 2015 Wayne 37 Men's 65 773 posts | Heat expands. Cold contracts. |
| Dec. 17, 2015 Dbax Men's 65 2100 posts | We know this when George Costanza went in the pool. |
| Dec. 17, 2015 hemi racer Men's 65 237 posts | That was cruel Dbax, cruel! |
| Dec. 17, 2015 Wayne 37 Men's 65 773 posts | I don't take my bat into the pool. I just lay it on the lounging cars for everybody to admire. |
