You may have heard a few times that you should play with an end-loaded bat or with a balanced bat.
But, the main question is,
How does an end-loaded bat or a balanced bat affect your performance?
What type of bat should you buy if you’re a baseball power hitter or a softball contact hitter?
Let’s find out in this short article.
What Are End Loaded Bats?
End Loaded Baseball bats have become one of the most popular types of bats out there. In simple words, End Loaded Bats are bats where most of their weight has been concentrated near the end of the barrel.
When compared to other balanced bats, end-loaded bats tend to feel top-heavy. Though these bats can prove to be more challenging to control
The reason is that if swung at high speeds, it hits the ball with much greater power. Therefore, power hitters prefer end-loaded bats.
What are Balanced Bats?
Many softball and baseball batters prefer a more even length-to-weight ratio, and thus they arrive at Balanced Bats. These are the second type of bats that have become really popular. Being favored by contact hitters, these bats have their weight distributed evenly throughout the bat.
This is helpful as it helps the batters produce higher bat speed, something that has made it popular among most hitters.
One of the best points about these bats is that, unlike end-loaded baseball bats, it does not have to sacrifice any control whatsoever during the swing.
Difference between End-Loaded and Balanced Bats
The Main Differences
The difference between these two has proven to be tremendous since every single player- whether using a baseball or a softball bat– has their own preference. In more than most cases, these players are not able to play with another type of bat.
Swinging End-Loaded Bats
End-Loaded bats are definitely just for those players who do not miss the ball often. The reason is that batters who do not miss more often than not try for the maximum distance with their swing. There are a few things that give higher power than an end-loaded bat.
When swinging an end-loaded bat, one will notice that the top feels heavier. This is because the weight of the bat has been concentrated at the top. It produces much greater power when swinging the bat.
Swinging Balanced Bats
However, since not all batters are so skilled, many batters try for bats that have a balanced length-to-weight ratio, since this gives them greater control over their swing.
Greater accuracy helps them in their swing.
When swinging a balanced bat, one will not notice anything special since the weight is evenly distributed. This produces greater accuracy and control when swinging the bat for those who do not have the exceptional arm strength.
Do End Loaded Bats Hit Farther?
Yes, end-loaded bats hit farther than balanced bats. This is because end-loaded bats are top-heavy which means the weight is concentrated on the top of the bat rather than evenly distributed along the length of the bat.
With more weight concentrated towards the end of the barrel, this makes it harder to control but generates more power which results in farther hits and more home runs.
How to Tell if a Bat is End-Loaded?
Generally speaking, bats with smaller length-to-weight ratios are considered end-loaded. That means heavier bats with -9, -8, and lower weight drops tend to be very powerful.
End-loaded bats are heavier to swing and control since the added weight is concentrated near the end cap of the bat giving you more power to hit the ball through the zone.
Who Should Buy End-Loaded Bats?
End-Loaded Bats are not for everybody, as these take a lot of arm strength to be able to control properly. An added criterion for using them is that one must be skilled in batting, as end-loaded bats are difficult to control while swinging.
Power hitters in both baseball and softball are the perfect example of people who should use end-loaded bats. In fact, buying an end-loaded bat makes their job easier since they produce greater power when hitting the ball. This ensures the batter achieves the maximum distance possible with its swing.
Who Should Buy Balanced Bats?
Balanced Bats are more of a general product when compared to other types. This is because they have their weight evenly distributed. They offer greater control to the batter when swinging, thus increasing the accuracy.
Image Taken By: Eric Kilby
Balanced bats are the general type so there are almost no added criteria for using them. These are better for baseball and softball Contact Hitters, as they try for the maximum amount of control during the swing.
Contact hitters do not care about the distance but do care about making ‘contact’ with the ball.
Conclusion
Before choosing a baseball bat or a softball bat, one must decide whether he is a contact hitter or a power hitter and then choose accordingly.
Power Hitters prefer End-Loaded Bats, while Contact Hitters prefer Balanced Bats.
After thorough research, the player can decide between the two and purchase the one suitable for him, as these two are the most demanding bats made this year. The Louisville Slugger is optimized for contact hitters, while power hitters will find nothing to complain about the DeMarini Insane.
Which one are you, a contact hitter or a power hitter?
Let me know in the comments.
