Understanding Bat Materials
Just like everything else, baseball and softball bats are manufactured with a variety of options in order for every player to find a fit that best suits them. At United Cycle, we not only have the variety right here in the store for you to look at and touch, but we also have well trained and experienced staff who are eagerly waiting to spread their expertise.

Aluminum
Aluminum is lightweight, which increases control and bat speed. Balls travel farther with aluminum compared to other metals. Aluminum is durable and not prone to cracking or breaking. The ability to better distribute the weight allows the manufacturer to increase the “sweet spot”, the hitting zone on the bat’s barrel that gives the maximum energy transfer to the ball.

Wood
United Cycle boast the best selection of wood bats in Alberta and offers four different types of wood bats.

Ash:  Most wood bats today are made from Northern White Ash generally harvested in Pennsylvania and upstate New York. It is graded for quality with straight grain being the most important criteria. Major League grade is of course the best and also in short supply. Most of what you will find is called Pro Stock, or a similar name. Pro Stock is actually Minor League wood, a grade below what the big leaguers on television are using. We carry both the Major League and Pro Stock grade wood bats as well as some bats a step below Pro Stock (Adult Grade) in case price is a concern.

Maple:   Maple is still relatively new to baseball but gaining in popularity quickly. Some players even say that the ball even jumps off the bat better than ash and it doesn’t flake like ash bats either. They cost a bit more, but when made properly and from the right material, know as Rock or Sugar Maple, it is absolutely worth the extra money simply because it tends to outlast ash bats many times over, so in the long run, because they last longer, they’re less expensive. We also carry the three grades of maple bats to suit everybody’s needs and price range.

Bamboo/Laminate:   Bamboo and laminate bats seem to take a lot of mis-hits without breaking. They have a good sound and don’t require being taped for batting practice or cage work as they don’t flake or split easily. Some come with a fiberglass boa wrap covering the lower 15 inches of the bat to further prevent breakage. Great for use as a batting practice bat to save the life of you ash or maple bat.

Composite:   We are also carrying composite wood bats. These are bats made with a composite handle and core with a maple overlay barrel. These bats are great for wood bat leagues offering the feel of a wood bat with the durability and performance of a composite bat.

Composite
These days, composite bats come in a wide variety of state of the art materials including graphite, carbon fibre, and glass fibre.

Within the composite category, bats are further divided: half and half bats (composite handle, alloy barrel), overlay bats (alloy bats with composite barrel shells), and full composite bats.

Composite bats are more durable than their aluminum counterparts and offer higher performance than alloy bats. The wall on a composite bat allows greater flex, translating into greater distance.