While playing a sport like baseball and softball, there is a lot of equipment involved with those two sports. Although both baseball and softball are similar in many ways, there are also many differences that set them apart. For example, baseball is typically and traditionally played by men, whether that be in little league or all the way to professional baseball.
The interesting thing about softball is that it’s typically played by women, from young leagues and all throughout high school and college softball leagues. But there is a type of softball called senior league softball, which can actually be played by men. Senior league softball has many different techniques and rules compared to the softball many of us are familiar with that is played by young girls and women.
No matter what type of softball or baseball you play, there is one thing that will always remain constant. You will always need high-quality equipment to play at your fullest athletic potential. One of those pieces of equipment happens to be a baseball or a softball bat. Now, bats are one of the most essential pieces of equipment when it comes to the sport of softball and baseball, other than the glove, of course.
But, a baseball player cannot use a softball bat during their games or practice and vice versa. This is for a few reasons that we will go more in-depth with. If you have a family full of baseball and softball players, you might want to know where to find the right equipment all in one place. The perfect place for that is at Head Banger Sports.
At HBSports, they have everything any player would need for both baseball and softball, as their online store is completely dedicated to only softball and baseball gear and equipment. Check out their website at hbsports.com and browse through the amazing section of popular sporting goods brands such as Easton, Louisville Slugger, DeMarini, Worth, and much more.
Now, let’s get into the differences between softball and baseball bats.
Some Major Differences Between the Two
Bat Length and Weight
The most common and obvious difference between the bats is the length. Every bat is going to come in a variety of lengths and sizes, but you should know how to choose the right one for either a baseball or softball player. The average range of lengths but the most commonly used lengths for baseball is 33” and softball being 34”.
The weight of a baseball or softball bat is also very different. Differing weights depend on how fast the batter can swing the bat. For regular baseball, the average weight can range from 28-31 oz. For fastpitch softball, you can find a bat ranging from 23-28 oz. There is a difference with slow-pitch softball, though, because the pitting styles are much different. For slow-pitch, the weights average from 26-30 oz.
Barrel Diameter (Bat Profiles)
The barrel diameter is another common difference. While the difference may be small between a baseball and softball bat, they make all the difference. Typically, for adult softball, the bat’s diameter is around 2 ¼ inches. For adult baseball, it’s around 2 ⅝ inches in diameter. This is mainly due to the fact that softball uses a much larger ball than baseball does.
Softball bats are narrower because there is more surface area from the ball to hit and vice versa for baseball.
So, if you are looking for a new baseball or softball bat, head over to Head Banger sports and find the perfect one for your next game.
