some1 told me to put athletic tape around the sweet spot to keep the finish on the bat if you use it for bp have any1 else heard of this? and what does it mean my the finihs of the bat? like does it mean just to make it last longer?

It helps, from the bat chipping, cracking, all that jazz. I put it on the hole barrel.

umm it is like an extra layer of protection, makes your bat heavier however. I just wrapped my woodie becasue i got a chip in it, and i want it to last longer.

o yeah i'm 14 years old 175lb. and like 5 ft 10in. i like to use a 32" bat but charts say i should use a 34". any1 else like my characteristics that use a 32" and not a 34" ? does it really matter? my 32" seem bigger than other 32" bats though.

It doesn't matter what size you use. For someone who is 5'10'' a 34 inch bat seems a little long. You just want a bat that you can handle and get it through the zone the quickest.

use whatever is comfortable

cub1jon,

What charts?

Bonds uses a 32" length, 30 oz wood bat.

Regards

BEAR this is the site with the bat chart. where did you see that barry bonds uses a 32". another guy on another said that using a shorter bat will take away some power.

http://baseball.eastonsports.com/sizing_guide/index.php

o yeah i use -3 so my bat is 32" 29oz aluminum. i bought a 33" weight:? for the offseason and bp

BB uses a 33.5-34

quote:

Originally posted by the next...1:
BB uses a 33.5-34

He also chokes up another inch or so...

Fresh white tape on your barrel of your bat also helps you after your BP session is over. After the round look at the ball marks on the tape to get a good idea of where you are consisitenly making contact with the bat. You may be suprized at how many balls you hit "out of the sweet spot"...

piaa_ump is right but it also prtects the barrel from chips. it also deademns the bat a little. There isn't as much pop in a taped bat than an untaped bat.

if only i knew this before...

I had a woodie that chipped on it's 60th pitch in the cages because i forgot to wrap it...

To clarify a couple things.....

The tape on the barrel is on wood bats. I've never seen it on aluminum but my son does have a protective sleeve for his aluminum bat to protect the finish.

The sizing chart cub1jon linked to is for aluminum bats.

For a reference cub1jon; my son (13u) uses a 32" -7.5 aluminum bat for game play but wood during BP. The wood bats are 33" but MUCH heavier but that helps build his strength and bat speed.

so this is all kind of interesting why is that dad writing in here? i guess its not that big of a deal until he starts arguing with us lol just playing!!! as far as the bats go ive always taped the barrel of my wood...unless i was playing in a wood bat tourney cause they wont let u use it then...and a 34" aluminum bat is big for a 14 year old no doubt...im 6'2 195lbs and i use a 33 and hit just fine...i have both 33 and 34 wood bats tho its all about bat speed

quote:

Originally posted by cougarbaseball:
why is that dad writing in here? i guess its not that big of a deal until he starts arguing with us lol just playing!!!

I peek in from time to time and TRY to keep my mouth shut. But sometimes I just can't help it. It's good to get feedback from players besides my son.

Just to let yall know (folks talking about barry bonds) He also used steriods. not to burst your bubble or anything.

It's not the size of the dog in the fight
It's the size of the fight in the dog.

Tape definitely helps protect ASH bats from splintering away. The reason it helps is because it holds the grains together. When you hit with an ash bat, the grains begin to seperate because of the intense impact and vibrations that are caused by a ball hitting the bat. That is why ash bats get weaker the more you hit with them. A Maple bat, on the other hand, gets stronger the more it is hit. Taping a maple bat will help keep the paint on, but really doesn't have any other positive effects to the bat. If anything, it can make the bat weaker by slowing down the natural strengthening of the wood. If you look at a maple bat that you have been hitting with for a while, and see an indention of the balls laces in it... that means it's a good piece of wood, and that the bat is getting stronger b/c the wood becomes even more dense than it was when the bat was purchased. So, my suggestion is to wrap an ash bat w/ tape, but not maple. I really suggest to switch to maple all together. They are usually more expensive than ash bats, but will last longer, and hit harder.

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