Peacock Bat Company

The Peacock Bat Company, a relatively new bat maker based in Indiana, has just gone online. You can check them out by clicking on their logo to the right.

We've been in contact with company owner, Clay Peacock, thanks to FaceBook, and he is committed to quality ash and maple products. "I started Peacock Bats with the desire to improve the wood bat market," he says. "I don't have the desire to sell 10,000 bats a year if I'm not confident in my quality or in my product. I'm dedicated to ensuring that the bats that leave [my] shop are of a standard second to none...If I use this as my business motto, then I'm sure things will work in my favor."

Clay says they're still working on the customized ordering section of the site, but you should go check them out now and bookmark them for future reference. Peacock Bats run between $70 and $90. They've got discounts for quantity purchases as well. We like the 15% off 6-pack deal for $356.99 -- $46 less than a composite metal TPX Triton.

If anyone is looking to represent Peacock regionally, get in touch with them. Clay is looking for a few committed souls.

Happy New Year to all, and to all: be careful out there tonight.

New Year's Resolution: Post our master list of wood bat makers and re-sellers by the end of January.

What's In Your Bag? MaxBat Kicks Ash

Wood bats continue to grow as a trend for serious amateur players from high school through adult league. The must-attend, premier high school events run by Perfect Game are virtually all non-metal tournaments. Through their World Wood Bat Association (WWBA) group, Perfect Game hosts the National Underclass Championship and the World Championship in October every year where all the best players in the country step out in showcase mode to show what they can do with wood. And in July at the unparalleled East Cobb Baseball Complex in Marietta, Georgia, WWBA runs a series of age group tournaments with 128 teams per tournament swinging nothing but lumber.

We've noted here in the past that these games tend to be far superior in quality than metal bat tournaments. The reasons for this are obvious: metal provides players with far too many opportunities for cheap hits; and full barrel contact with trampoline power means the difference between a metal home run and a wood fly out. I've been to enough showcases and elite tournaments and heard scouts and college recruiters bemoan the use of super bats. "How do I make a judgment about whether this kid can hit?" a regional scout for the Red Sox asked another scout. The answer is, you can't. (Although, I've also talked to college coaches who say that they want to see kids hit with metal since that's what they use in NCAA competition).

All this said, amateur players who love to hit with wood are having a ball these days messing around with various bats from specialty companies. There seems to be a preponderance of maple in dugouts that I frequent. MaxBat is really picking up steam out there on local diamonds. Chase Utley, Shane Victorino, and Jimmy Rollins probably have something to do with this. But the company is also focused on the maple market and as such pay close attention to wood quality, looking to ensure straight wood grains and low moisture content. As with most top-notch bat companies, they provide a phenomenal number of options for customization. Certainly if you're after a maple bat, MaxBat is a company to check out. We like the moxy of their "Our Bats Kick Ash" campaign too (although ash bats have their merits without doubt).

It's close to Christmas now, but we really like MaxBat's special packages with multiple custom bats, plus accessories. These typically run between $200 and $350 and offer great products. There's a blemished bat package that starts at $135 for three. Check them all out here and think about the fact that you can buy a top of the line composite/metal bat for only $400.

See you on the field.

We're Back!

Hitting with Wood is back after a long hiatus. And we're more excited than ever to be bringing you leading edge news and commentary on the wood bat revolution.

Over the past year or so a great deal of new research has gone into the bat war phenomenon. We aim to bring you tidbits on that very shortly, but for now, with the holidays coming up soon, I want to alert you to pay attention to bat makers web sites. Many of them are having special sales and promotional opportunities. You need to support them and make sure they are filling orders.

One such company right now is Trinity Bats. We just received an email that they will be cutting folks great deals at the Quakes Baseball Academy in Laguna, California this weekend. Sadly, we're stuck on the East Coast with heavy rain and cold weather. But you can still check out Trinity's deals at their website.

Phoenix Bats is also doing a promo with free shipping and engraving, but you better hurry since Christmas is almost here.

And, sadly, we're dismayed to learn that Mike Randolph, one of our favorite bat turners, has decided to pull the plug on his Talbott Turnings Chesapeake Thunder operations. Mike's going back to making furniture. We wish Mike luck. And he's got his equipment for sale if anyone out there is looking to start a bat making venture. Make sure to check out the photo of some of his work at the top of the page!

See you out there soon...

Enter the $400 Bat

Louisville Slugger and DeMarini have done it. The $400 bat ($399.99 plus shipping and/or tax) is here. Amazing!

We are told that there is no performance difference between wood bats and metal alloy composites, but now we're being sold $400 metal bats that have cool names: "The Louisville Slugger 2008 Air Exogrid," "The 2009 DeMarini CF3 Black," and "The 2009 Louisville Slugger TPX Triton." don't ask me what the 2009 moniker is about...

Here's what Louisville Slugger has to say about their 2008 Air Exogrid:

New for 2008! For 7 of the past 9 years the National Championship at the College World Series has gone to teams swinging Louisville Slugger TPX bats exclusively. The TPX EXOGRID Technology increases the handle stiffness and strength without increasing the weight. To achieve this, the one piece construction design has metal that is trimmed from the handle in a grid pattern to reduce the overall handle weight. The metal is replaced with carbon inserts that are several times stiffer and lighter than the metal it replaces. For optimum stiffness and the heart of the TPX EXOGRID Technology, we then insert an internal carbon carbon fiber sleeve with unidirectional fibers that run the length of the handle. This step provides greater handle stiffness than aluminum alone ever could. Finally, the exclusive TPX EXOGRID Bi/Fusion Process begins by using a combination of heat and extreme pressure, the inserts, sleeve and metal wall are bonded together to work as a single, solid unit. The TPX EXOGRID is designed with the new St+20 Hybrid alloy which was designed specifically for the TPX EXOGRID.

Wow! Just like my son's Marucci...and my other son's Chesapeake Thunder.

Wood and Non-Wood Bat Myths and Misconceptions

On average, during the baseball season I track down two to three articles a week by journalists and laymen writing about the bat wars. One very strange phenomenon is that many of these articles regurgitate the same basic misconceptions and myths about bats and the players who use them. I'm not sure, but it appears that these journalists are reading some Master Article, recycling information that is just flat-out wrong. Here's what I'm talking about:

1) At least 20 articles I've read in the past year talk about the fact that good metal bats cost around $250. This is not really true. A good Little League-approved metal bat costs about $250 these days, but good high school (and beyond) metal bats range in price from $329-$399. Rarely is it pointed out that cheap metal bats are often as difficult to get hits with as wood and highly prone to damage.

2) Almost as many articles claim that wood bats break regularly -- "Players may shatter three wood bats, at $60 a pop, in a game." This may be true in an extreme case, but most high school players who play with wood in the summer go through three or four bats in the entire season. A number of players I talked to this past summer said they were still using the bat they bought in May (note, all of these guys were swinging top-quality maple which costs more like $75-$125 a pop).

3) The economics of wood, because it is breakable, have been called into question, especially for school systems who claim they will have to buy hundreds of new wood bats for their teams. This is ridiculous. Most players at all amateur levels buy their own bats. Schools will often purchase two or three metal bats for players who don't have the funding. Obviously, if a school is going to buy three Easton Stealths at $350, for the same price they would be able to order about 20 quality maple bats from any number of companies mentioned in other entries of this blog. (Note: the new 2008 Louisville Air Exogrid -3 is retailing at $399.99).

4) North Dakota's metal bat ban for high school ball came about for the most part because most of the ND season is played while it is still cold (ie, below 60-degrees Fahrenheit). Metal bats are prone to break in the cold and don't perform well at all below 60-degrees. All the bat manufacturers put that information in their bat care literature. This means, in essence, that using a metal bat in the cold is very likely counterproductive for hitters and the people who invested in the bat (usually parents). It also means that high school players who are paying attention to how their bat feels end up replacing their metal bats two or three times during the year (can you say, $1,000?).

5) An auxiliary component of the issue above, is that it just isn't true that metal bats last for several years. You can often tell when a bat is beginning to go just by the sound of the "PING" it makes. The trampoline effect begins to break down when the metal walls get brittle and have, essentially, worn down on the inside of the bat.

6) Wood wears down as well. There is no doubt about that. Many people believe that maple bats break more dramatically than ash bats because maple doesn't flex as much. Relative stiffness coupled with players who demand ultra-lite lumber and thin handles can create an "explosive" like phenomenon with maple. Bats break. Playing the game is not cheap. But for Little Leaguers who don't swing the bat that hard and don't face pitching much beyond 58 mph or so, breaking a wood bat is a very difficult feat of strength.

Bat Speed Doesn't Matter?
There are many more myths and misconceptions out there. According to Ari Fleischer and Steve Keener in a press conference they gave this summer, "Just because the bat is lighter and easier to swing doesn't necessarily mean that it's going to produce a ball that comes off the bat faster and harder." In other words, they're saying that it's not true that bat speed gives a hitter more power. Technically, that's true. You have to have strong hands to transfer the kinetic energy of your body into the bat and to absorb the vibration and energy of the bat as it is struck by the ball.

The thing is, right before Keener and Fleischer brought up the weight issue at their press conference, they were explaining why metal bats are so much better to hit with than wood: i.e., even weight distribution and a larger sweet spot with a trampoline effect. Add to all of that a lighter bat and, therefore, faster bat speed, and it would seem like these guys are talking out of both sides of their mouthes (remember that Fleischer is being paid by the companies that sell metal bats).

Hopefully during the '08 season as the bat wars heat up again and more and more players leave Little League and American Legion clubs specifically because they want to play with wood, we'll see better, more informed reporting.

See you out on the field. Spring training is only 61 days away...

Buying a Wood Bat: Younger Players

Every kid needs a wood bat for Christmas or their birthday. Whether we're talking about Little League standouts going into their last year, a six-year-old who will start tee-ball in the spring, or a high schooler who just plays for fun, owning at least one wood bat will keep young players in touch with the right way to play the game.

It's not too difficult to pick up a cheap-o Rawlings, Louisville Slugger or Easton at a sporting outlet, just make sure you're not buying something that's insanely big for your kid (read below on sizing).

But if you want to do something special this year, you may want to consider purchasing a wood bat from one of the choice maple bat companies that kids are talking about these days. The hottest bat manufacturers in most elite amateur's equipment bags come from:

Sam Bat - Barry Bonds' main bat company
Max Bat - Chase Utley's bat maker of choice
Marucci - Ryan Howard and Carlos Beltran swing Jack Marucci's products

These three are by no means the only game in town, they're just the "IT" companies right now. All of the bat manufacturers written about here at Hitting with Wood carry marvelous wood bat options for kids. Please check out the other entries.

Also, JustWoodBats.com says that if you are after something off the shelf and aren't worried about customizing, they probably have a deal for you. They carry more than 20 brands. Order directly, or give them a call. We love any company called Just Wood Bats!

Sizing
Generally speaking, kids' bats can be made any size. Little beginners should probably be swinging nothing longer than a 26-inch bat. Intermediate players who haven't hit their growth spurts yet should be looking to swing 26-30 inch bats. 28-inches is a good happy medium. Older kids with stronger hands and forearms should buy 30- 32-inch bats to play with and 34-inch bats for batting practice and spring training.

Most Popular Length by Age
Age	5-7	8-9	10	11-12	13-14	15-16
Length	24"-26"	26"-28"	28"-29"	30"-31"	31"-32"	32"-33"

Source: Superior Bat Company (makers of the A Bat)

Also, some of the better customizing opportunities we've seen of late can be found at:

XBats - maybe the mother of all customized bat

ABats - good customizing options, great reference material for the novice parent/coach

Zinger Bats - great teen selection, still working on their youth offerings

Numerous athletic equipment outlets offer stock bats that are relatively inexpensive. Try FogDog, Anaconda, Online Sports, and Sports Authority.

The entry below, "Hitting with Wood: a preparatory guide for young players," tells you everything you need to know about why wood bats are so important for young players. What we neglected to mention is that wood, as opposed to metal, is better to hit with in cold weather. When we see snow we think: "Time to get out the old maple club and do some outdoor tee work."

Cheers and Happy Holidays!

Hitting with Wood: A Preparatory Guide for Young Players

"...by virtue of the trampoline effect and lighter weight, metal gives the hitter power. With wood, the hitter has to give the bat power."

There's no question hitting with wood is different than hitting with metal. Go to a wood bat tournament and you can see lots of players swinging with their hands and upper bodies but not really turning on the ball and using the lower half of their bodies. With metal, over the years, the standard mantra has been "quick hands and bat speed." A great deal of nice contact at these wood bat tournaments by otherwise talented young players turns into ground outs and little flares to the short outfield that may or may not fall for hits.

Kids who know how to hit with wood make themselves very obvious: they load up, land soft, get the bat head into the zone aggressively and then turn on the ball driving it deep and hard (hips, gut, thighs and legs). Good contact means the ball is going to travel a long way. With wood, though, you often don't make good contact resulting in pop ups and dribblers. The hands more than ever have to be fast and true, but you also need everything else working to create power.

Hitting is a difficult art form. Good hitters have to work very hard to become masters -- especially when using wood.

So where does the young hitter begin? How do we teach young players who have learned to hit with metal how to hit with wood? Read on.

It's the hands!
I am not a baseball physicist, kineticist, or anatomy expert, but besides proper rotational technique, watching young hitters swing bats, it often seems to me that the secret to hitting with wood is hand, wrist and forearm strength. If these aren't working properly, then all the core conditioning and lower body strength in the world will be useless. Just as with tennis and squash, most young (eight-year-olds on up) baseball players do not have the proper muscle development to adequately make contact and transfer the full power of the rotating body back into the ball through their hands.

Wood bats are heavy, meaning the hitter may swing them a little slower in the beginning. They also flex and vibrate some, meaning that if the hitter's hands and wrist aren't strong, power again will be lost in energy transfer.

Young players (including teens not used to swinging with wood) need to spend a lot of time working out with wood bats and getting their hands, wrists and forearms strong. There are a number of training and conditioning tools for this, but nothing substitutes for the simple act of just swinging with wood. Below, I offer a list of a number of off-season and pre-season activities to help with this.

Fall Ball Heavy and Crazy
For kids playing fall baseball that is not tournament oriented, i.e., non-competitive or recreational leagues, whether or not others are using metal, I strongly suggest having your young hitter swing with wood exclusively. Talk to his or her coach and explain the situation. Hopefully they'll understand what you're doing. Don't bring metal to the field ever under any circumstances. Talk with your young player. Get them to understand that it's just fall ball and its all about working hard, training, and getting ready for next spring. Many regions now have wood-only fall ball leagues. Do some research. You may need to drive a bit out of your way, but you will find that leagues where kids all play with wood tend to have knowledgeable and thoughtful hitting instructors and coaches.

Buy a practice bat and a game bat
If your young player is going to swing with wood in games, get a batting practice bat that's a little bigger and heavier than their game bat. My twelve-year-old has a 29-inch, 25-ounce maple game bat and now swings a 31-inch, 29-ounce ash bat for practice. The ash bat cost us about $30. Obviously, older players would want to use bigger bats, but you get the idea.

Dry swings in October
We are not playing fall ball (due to school and community soccer schedules), but I encourage my son to go outside whenever he's been sitting in front of the TV too long and swing his bat at leaves and weeds in the yard. I've also got him understanding that he needs to make his hands tougher, so he goes out and does this without batting gloves. Even if I can convince him to go outside two or three times a week for only five minutes I know he's getting stronger.

Tee work
So many kids think tee work is boring. These are kids who are not going to get very far as hitters. We have a tee and a sock net in our backyard and all three of my boys have been known to go outside when they're frustrated or feeling grumpy to hit a few buckets of balls. The routine is to hit a bucket using a smooth and gentle swing; then to do a half bucket with one hand, then the other half with the other hand; finally, they finish up with another bucket or two of balls working on driving the ball hard and true. The older ones will also work on their inside-out swing, hitting to the opposite field, etc. Again, all of this is with a heavier wood BP bat. Sometimes they use batting gloves, sometimes not.

Soft toss
I think soft toss is the best way to work with young players learning to hit with wood. (Soft toss is basically kneeling to the side of a hitter in normal batting positioning and gently tossing the ball about waist high just out in front in the "hitting zone."). Ideally, you can do this on an empty infield if it's in the off-season. We usually have to hit in a cage because our neighborhood field is used for football from August through November. I've written about this before. Soft toss requires that the young hitter gets his or her hands to go to the ball almost as quickly as if they were hitting a pitched ball. Using a wood bat that is 30% heavier than metal and has a smaller sweet spot means that the young player has to work that much harder to really nail the ball -- which is, of course, the object of soft toss. For more on soft toss drills, go here, and here.

Front toss drills
If you have access to a pitching net, get behind it and put your young hitter through a battery of drills with their wood bat. You want to throw underhand from about twenty feet away. Start them out just swinging normally, but mix it up, have them swing with only their top hand, then their bottom hand. Work on pulling inside pitches and letting pitches away come in further to drive them to the opposite field. With wood in all of these your young player has to know that he or she is not going to be as successful as they are with metal, but they have to understand that they are working on strengthening themselves for next season.

Psychological impediments to hitting with wood
There is no question that young players need to learn proper hitting mechanics to be successful with wood. It's essential that kids see hitting successfully with wood as something that is going to take time and that requires dedication. It's also essential that they understand that they won't achieve their goals if they slip backwards and use metal because it's easier. If your kid or team is using wood in a game and decides to shift to metal because "...the game's on the line..." they won't help themselves at all learning and growing as a hitter. Sticking with wood is always a better idea in the long run.

Wanting to change
All this said, you can't force young players to put away their metal bats. You'll create resentment and maybe even foster "excuse making" by kids and parents. One thing to do with your young player is to sit down with them and go to some of the web sites I've written about in this blog and talk about how important hitting with wood is and how it will make them a better hitter. Take an hour or two and surf these websites looking for the perfect bat. As I've written, the customizing options some wood bat manufacturers offer make the purchasing experience really fun and exciting. Many of these companies also have articles and pages at their websites offering other tips and advice on Hitting with Wood.

In the end, my conclusion is that by virtue of the trampoline effect and lighter weight, metal gives the hitter power. With wood, the hitter has to give the bat power. This means everything has to be working together. But it all starts with the hands. The hands have to be strong. Working on this in the off-season even just a little will go a long way to success in the spring.

See you on the field.

Hitting with Wood: Coach's Log 24.9.7

My 11-year-old son, Conor, is a classic lead-off slap hitter (he's also a switch-hitter). He's beginning to develop a bit of a power stroke, but for the most part, this 4'10" 90 pounder who will be 12 in October, gets himself on base by slicing singles and beating out infield grounders.

Last year he hit with a metal Easton Stealth 31" minus-thirteen, meaning that he was swinging an 18-ounce bat. Yesterday we were at the field hitting in the batting cage with a 25-ounce, 30" wood bat, a Chesapeake Thunder youth bat made by Talbot Turnings. We were doing an experiment.

We were just working on soft-toss. I would flip the ball up for him and he would try to drive it hard. It took a few swings but he got the hang of it and probably hit every third ball on the money. These days we are working on hitting right back up the middle, but with the heavier, less forgiving wood bat he kept pulling the ball in the cage. I think it's harder for him to keep his hands and wrists locked in the hitting zone at the point of contact. In other words, his wrists are rolling as he strikes the ball. We went through about 20 balls or so and he was doing okay.

Then we switched to metal. This was our experiment. On the first two swings he topped the ball and it just fizzled into the long grass. On the third toss came that familiar "PING" and he drilled the ball hard up the middle. Another toss, same thing, only this time the ball just shot off the bat. If we'd been in the open field it would easily have been a Little League home run -- and not the floaters hit during August's Little League World Series. He hit the ball square and true with full force. It was impressive. The same thing happened on four out of five tosses after that for another 15 balls or so. He was surprised. I was intrigued. There is no question that after hitting just 20 tosses with wood he was nailing the ball with his old metal bat.

Afterwards, while we were picking up all the balls, he said, "Whoa! I had no idea that there was so much difference! No wonder that Steven kid got hit in the chest..."

I worked with his older brother after that for a bucket of balls. Jesse only hits with wood these days (which should be true of all high schoolers, if you ask me). When it was Conor's turn back in the cage he left his metal bat outside the fence. I didn't have to tell him anything. "There's no way I'm hitting with my Stealth anymore," he said. "I need to stick with wood if I want to be a good hitter."

By the end of that session he was still struggling to consistently drive the ball straight and true, but it was clear that he'd figured out that the challenge was to hit with wood.

Where to Shop for Wood Bats

As the wood bat craze grows, so too does the marketplace for buying wood bats. There are some great online stores with a wide selection of brands including justbats.com, prowoodbats.com, batwarehouse.com, baseballsavings.com, justwoodbats.com and slambat.com. Check out Hitting World as well for a large selection of bats, training aids, videos, etc.

Baseball-bats.net is also a great site. Not only do they offer a broad range of makes and models, but they provide visitors with a host of informational offerings including a history of baseball bats, a baseball bat online forum, and tips on how to choose the right bat. Baseball-bats.net also provides a very nice handy-dandy list of manufacturers in a database format with columns for where they're located, what types of bats they offer, links to manufacturer's websites, etc.

In addition, and proof that at least some in the retail market know this trend is for real, the latest Baseball Express catalog carries its widest array of wood bat offerings yet (some four pages!). Included in their inventory are bats made by Mizuno, Nokona, BWP, Marucci, BambooBat, Xbat, Sam Bat, DeMarini, Louisville Slugger, Mattingly, Brett Brothers, Old Hickory, CTG, Dbat, and Rawlings.

Make sure to check out these past blog entries as well: "Customizing Wood Bats: Tips from Zinger Bats," "Support Your Local Bat Company," and "The Big Boys: Just How Interested in Your Wood Purchase Are They?" All of these entries have numerous links in them to great small and large manufacturers alike.

A note of caution: I like to buy directly from bat companies and go out of my way to make contact with owners and bat masters (my term). As noted throughout this web site, the keys to a good bat are the wood and the craftsmanship. I want to feel confident that I'm giving myself the best chance at getting pro-stock wood and that when I ask for a -3 or -4 drop weight that I'm going to get what I pay for. Also, while many of the companies listed here have what seems like a large selection, there are dozens of other bat makes out there (many of which are listed in articles at this web site) that you may want to take a look at as well, including: Tom Cat Bats, Chesapeake Thunder, Bull Dog Bats (specializing in vintage bat remakes), and The Minnesota Bat Company. (makers of the Granite Bat).

However, buying from one of the retail outlets listed above doesn't necessarily mean you aren't going to get a nice bat. Usually they have a quick turnaround time and their selection allows you to do more comparative shopping. Plus, because they buy in bulk, their prices are often very reasonable.

All in all, wherever you shop, remember that you vote first in this world with your dollars. Supporting the wood bat industry is a vote for real baseball. Baseball Express is selling a t-shirt in their catalog that says: "All Talent, All Work, All Natural." To that I would add "All Wood."

Photos courtesy of: Baseball Express

Customizing Wood Bats: Tips from Zinger Bats

One thing is certain: you can't customize a metal bat. Yes, it's evenly balanced, has a state-of-the-art handle wrap, flashy colors, a big sweet spot, and is made out of high-tech materials, but if you want a flared knob, a narrower handle, a heavier barrel, or you want to name your metal bat, forget it. You pay your $300 or more and you take it or leave it. Will you hit better with it? According to "Don't Take My Bat Away," no. But we know that's not true. Metal bats are certainly more nasty than wood bats. But if you're playing the real game and you're a serious hitter, there are so many virtues to the wood bat buying experience that mass-produced metal can seem like shopping for laundry detergent or frozen pizza.

Traditional wood bats come in so many sizes, shapes, wood types, and colors the discerning player can go online and have a blast figuring out the perfect specs for his or her next bat purchase. You can often select barrel and handle widths down to a thirty-second of an inch, and you can even have your signature laser-burned onto your bat just like the pros.

Xbat is the first company I ever found (back in 2002) that let you customize colors, shape, etc. plus allowed you to brand the bat with a special signature or name -- even a flag. There are many companies out there now that let you do virtually anything to create your own bat. Some of the better website offerings are run by Marucci, Xbat, Superior Bat Company, Talbot Turnings, and Zinger Bats.

An up-and-coming bat company, Zinger Bats offers a very straightforward array of customizing options for personalizing bats. Zinger is located in Montreal, Canada -- close to the source of a lot of great maple. Company president, Fred Leiberman, takes pride in his company's ability to offer high-quality products exactly to spec for their customers. When Leiberman and his partner bought the company last year the business came with a $160,000 state-of-the-art computerized lathe manufactured in Spain. They also purchased a $30,000 laser burner and high-tech sanding equipment as well.

Zinger is making in-roads these days with the pros. A number of players on the Florida Marlins swing their bats including Miguel Cabrera and Dan Uggla. Bobby Abreu, Carlos Pena, and now even Jason Giambi use Zingers. Their bats are in the hands of numerous players in the minors as well. And at their website they list other great players who have ordered bats like Barry Bonds, Vladimir Guerrero, Miguel Tejada, Sammy Sosa, Maglio Ordonez, and Khalil Greene.

The Zinger Bat customization process is more basic and down to earth than many of their competitors, but Leiberman wants his customers to know that the most important elements to bat making are in their guarantees. "Bat buyers need to be careful," he notes. "There are a lot of companies that let you choose the length of your bat, but they don't guarantee weights. Good companies will always let you choose your weight, and somewhere on their websites they'll tell you that weights are guaranteed."

Another factor in your search for bat excellence is whether or not the company you're buying from makes their own bats or has an OEM do the manufacturing. There's nothing wrong per se with a reseller, especially if they work closely with the OEM on specifications and quality control, but Leiberman points out that the customer is still two steps away from the person turning the wood. "People need to ask that question when they go online, or even call up the company: do you make the bats right there or do you have someone else ship them to you for resale?"

Indeed, bat connoissieurs (i.e., serious hitters) will tell you that if you put in an order for a dozen bats at the beginning of the season with companies that don't guarantee weights, your bats can vary by as much as three to four ounces from each other. "It's all in the wood," says Leiberman. "Only about a third of the wood billets we buy are good enough for our pro-stock bats." Besides guaranteeing weights, Zinger also allows their customers to choose lengths down to the half-inch.

The best thing about the Zinger experience is that they've done their homework. Zinger offers a number of models (nearly 30) that are variations on some of most popular bat models over the years. At their site their offerings break down as follows: big barrel, fungo/trainer, pro-stock, and teen bats (a line of youth bats will be coming soon). The main issues that buyers need to be aware of are exact balance, knob size, barrel size, handle size and color. Zinger keeps the customization process simple and allows customers to choose wood type, length, weight, colors, and whether the bat has a cupped end or not. They also provide engraving as part of their price (most companies add a fee for engraving).

Economics?
Good metal bats tend to run in the price range of $150-$250 for Little League level to $300-$380 for teen players on up.

A quality wood bat -- i.e., one made of superior maple, ash or what have you (birch, bamboo, hickory -- there are even oak bats out there if you look), with guaranteed weights -- will cost anywhere from $50 - $100, depending upon the factors discussed above. The math is simple enough. You can get a top-flight company like Zinger Bat to tailor your bat to exact specifications for around $110. That means you can buy three perfect wood bats designed by you the hitter, plus go out and get yourself a bat for BP that's maybe a bit heavier and tougher so that you can keep beefing up your hitting muscles all for the price of an assembly line metal Exo, Stealth or Rush.

Is an amateur player going to break all three bats in a season? Who knows. Vibrations will break down wood fibers over time. But most hitting instructors will tell you that if you're getting the barrel on the ball it's pretty hard to break a quality bat in the first 100 at-bats. And certainly, younger players facing slower pitching are a lot less likely to have problems with breakage. As you move up the ladder to the elite levels where batters face elite pitchers, breakage can become an issue. But using a separate BP bat can help out with that problem.

"It's very true that we don't sell cheap bats," say Leiberman. "I don't see how anyone can stay in business if they don't take pride in the wood they use. We only select 20-inch straight grain for our pro-stock." Indeed, while a standard, non-customized Zinger Bat can be purchased for around $65 through re-sellers (Zinger has a sale going on right now at their website offering their X-71 model for $45 plus shipping), a fully customized, maple bat with engraving, and perfected length and weight, using guaranteed pro-stock wood can top out at a bit more than $100.

Should you pay for this kind of quality? "What's a home run worth?" quips Leiberman.