Most players today understand there are different choices of wood that their bats can be made from. In recent years Maple wood has taken the dominate choice amongst ball players. However Birch wood is becoming even more popular as of recent.
So what is the difference between the two wood types? Which is right for you? Here is a breakdown of both wood types.
Maple Baseball Bats
Maple is a hardwood that is commonly used in furniture making and flooring due to its strength and resistance to wear and tear. In recent years, it has gained popularity in the baseball industry due to its hardness, density, and durability.
Here are some reasons why maple wood is used for baseball bats:
- Hardness: Maple wood is one of the hardest woods available, making it an excellent choice for bat production. Its hardness helps to ensure that the bat can withstand the rigors of repeated use and impact with baseballs.
- Density: Maple wood is also denser than many other types of wood used for bat production, which can help to provide greater ball speed and distance when hit correctly.
- Durability: Maple wood is known for its durability, which helps to make the bat more resistant to denting, cracking, or breaking.
- Aesthetics: Maple wood has a distinctive grain pattern and coloration that many players find appealing.
- Availability: Maple trees are commonly found in North America, which makes maple wood more readily available for bat production than some other woods.
Birch Baseball Bats
Birch wood is also a hardwood that is commonly used in furniture making and flooring due to its durability and resistance to wear and tear. In recent years, it has gained popularity in the baseball industry due to its unique combination of strength, hardness, and flexibility.
Here are some reasons why birch wood is becoming a popular choice for baseball bats:
- Strength: Birch wood is known for its high strength-to-weight ratio, making it an excellent choice for baseball bat production. Its strength helps ensure that the bat can withstand the rigors of repeated use and impact with baseballs.
- Hardness: Birch wood is a relatively hard wood, which helps to make the bat more durable and less likely to dent or crack on contact with the ball.
- Flexibility: Birch wood is also flexible, which can help to provide a trampoline effect on the ball upon contact. This can result in greater exit velocity and distance when hit correctly.
- Less expensive: Birch wood is also less expensive compared to some other popular woods like maple which can make it a more accessible option for amateur players.
In summary, maple wood's combination of hardness, density, durability, aesthetics, and availability makes it an attractive option. Where birch wood's combination of strength, hardness, flexibility, and affordability makes it an attractive option for baseball bat makers and players alike.
At ProBats, our manufacturing process maximizes the strength and hardness of all of our bats. So when we compare the two woods we like to compare it to a golf club. Some people prefer a stiffer shaft for their swing while others like a little more flexibility in the shaft to generate more club head speed when swung correctly. This is where we think the biggest difference between our Birch and Maple wood exists today.