I would like to cover the issue of wood versus aluminum bats. Which is better?

In youth baseball today the aluminum bat is made out to be a miracle stick. Most players, parents and coaches feel that a $250.00 aluminum bat will take their son/daughter all the way to the majors. Or that the heavier the bat, the farther a young player will hit. Well, is bigger really better?

It's a proven fact that aluminum bats will help the ball go 10% farther, and force the ball off the bat quicker. Ooh - sounds great don't it, but the fact of the matter is that aluminum bats will force many bad habits over a long period of use. It all boils down to something called the sweet spot. The sweet spot is the area on the barrel that will allow the ball to jump off at its maximum velocity.

Both aluminum and wood bats have this sweet spot. The sweet spot on the aluminum bat is much larger and more forgiving than that of the smaller sweet spot on the wood bat. This fact is very important! You can develop extremely poor hitting habits and get away with good production from aluminum. Something that will ruin even the best youth hitters! This is the reason why the best high school and college hitters fail at the pro level.

Heres the bottom line. I recommend that every player use a wood bat for practice and drills. When it comes game time, break out the aluminum "magic stick". When you use a wood bat for practice and drills, you actually see your strengths and weaknesses. Doing this will help every hitter be more accurate with the sweet spot, which will produce more hits and more FUN!