"Breaking in" a composite bat

[TailgateTom]

Total noob here, so bear with me. Never had these when I was a kid, but I am going to get one for my daughter's birthday coming up. I understand they need to be broken in, and have read as little as 100 swings off a tee to as many as 400 swings progressing from a tee, to soft toss to 50% pitching speed to 75% pitching speed then 100%. What say you veterans of softball (or baseball, is there a difference in approaches?) bats? How do you know when a bat is broken in, and what is the best/most efficient way to go about it?

 

[Moral]

First you will want to rub that bad boy down with essential oils, this will help the break in process. I see in your original post that you didn’t mention breaking it in with bunting. For the safety of everyone please break in the bat for bunting. If a bunt is performed without this it could cause the bat to explode, anyone in the infield will be gone. Shrapnel will reach the outfield, and so will a lifetime of PTSD. That’s all I really know on the subject.

 

[TailgateTom]

First you will want to rub that bad boy down with essential oils, this will help the break in process. I see in your original post that you didn’t mention breaking it in with bunting. For the safety of everyone please break in the bat for bunting. If a bunt is performed without this it could cause the bat to explode, anyone in the infield will be gone. Shrapnel will reach the outfield, and so will a lifetime of PTSD. That’s all I really know on the subject.

 

[THE_DEVIL]

First you will want to rub that bad boy down with essential oils, this will help the break in process.

Dear Penthouse...

 

[Joes Place]

Total noob here, so bear with me. Never had these when I was a kid, but I am going to get one for my daughter's birthday coming up. I understand they need to be broken in

 

[NoleATL]

First you will want to rub that bad boy down with essential oils, this will help the break in process. I see in your original post that you didn’t mention breaking it in with bunting. For the safety of everyone please break in the bat for bunting. If a bunt is performed without this it could cause the bat to explode, anyone in the infield will be gone. Shrapnel will reach the outfield, and so will a lifetime of PTSD. That’s all I really know on the subject.

And, by "essential oils", he means:

 

[runkpanole]

Hats for bats

 

[TarponSpringsNole]

Normal cuts in BP. Doesn’t matter if it’s tee, soft toss, or live pitching. 50-100 ought to do it.

 

[jdw10224405]

Normal cuts in BP. Doesn’t matter if it’s tee, soft toss, or live pitching. 50-100 ought to do it.

This plus I've also read to rotate the bat a 1/4 turn between swings or every few swings.

 

[ICWestfan]

WITELF? We have to break in bats? I have a question then - Wouldn't you get more "bounce" off of a new bat as opposed to breaking it in? If you break it in wouldn't that "deaden" the bat?

 

[Titanhawk2]

Total noob here, so bear with me. Never had these when I was a kid, but I am going to get one for my daughter's birthday coming up. I understand they need to be broken in, and have read as little as 100 swings off a tee to as many as 400 swings progressing from a tee, to soft toss to 50% pitching speed to 75% pitching speed then 100%. What say you veterans of softball (or baseball, is there a difference in approaches?) bats? How do you know when a bat is broken in, and what is the best/most efficient way to go about it?

Composite Bat Break-In Guide

Got a brand new composite bat? Looking to learn more about composites? Check out this 6-step guide to help ensure your composite baseball or softball bat is broken-in properly and ready for game use.

maruccisports.com

Never knew this to be a thing

 

[AuroraHawk]

Love this finish: "After these 300 hits, your composite bat will be broken-in and ready for game use. As stated before, composite bat lifespans are directly related to how many impacts they receive, so we recommend you save your bat for game use only once broken-in."

They fail to add . . . "your composite bat's limited lifespan has been reduced by 300 impacts as a result of the breaking in process. Once you sense that your composite bat no longer has that "pop" you desire, please pony up the $250 to $500 to replace it immediately."

 

[Finance85]

Composite bats don't like cold weather. When it's under 50 degrees, use last year's bat.

 

[TarponSpringsNole]

WITELF? We have to break in bats? I have a question then - Wouldn't you get more "bounce" off of a new bat as opposed to breaking it in? If you break it in wouldn't that "deaden" the bat?

No. Composite bats become “hotter” when compression drops inside the bat. Normally, you’d think the opposite. It’s one of the reasons USSSA switched from a 220 to a 240 bat. Too many injuries.
I’ve swung some PURE bats and they were super hot. Also fail compression after 200 swings and you’re out $300+

Edit: not compression inside the bat. I’m incorrect. It’s the force the composite has measured in psi. Anyway. You get the gist.

 

[Tenacious E]

Love this finish: "After these 300 hits, your composite bat will be broken-in and ready for game use. As stated before, composite bat lifespans are directly related to how many impacts they receive, so we recommend you save your bat for game use only once broken-in."

They fail to add . . . "your composite bat's limited lifespan has been reduced by 300 impacts as a result of the breaking in process. Once you sense that your composite bat no longer has that "pop" you desire, please pony up the $250 to $500 to replace it immediately."

Yeah that is the kicker. The way composite bats work you need to use them to make them hot, but then the hotness has a limited life span. Oh, and don't use them in the cold, like it is for most of a youth baseball season Iowa, especially morning games.

 

[BelemNole]

Whatever you do - don't take it to a batting cage with those fake rubber balls to break it in. You can break the thing pretty easily doing that.

We just did a dozen or so buckets of soft toss and then let her use it in practice.

 

[QChawks]

I love hitting dingers

 

[desihawk]

so buying a bat these days is as complicated as deciding on a grill? the number of arcane things regular joe has to know and track these days to have a functional life is out of control.

 

[TailgateTom]

Thank you all for the advice. I read that Marucci (actually getting a Marucci Echo -11) article posted above and that seemed like a hell of a lot of swings to break it in. It seems like it’s hard to find softball bats that aren’t composite anymore. At any rate, it’s a huge step up from the $30 tin can she swung this year (and she swung it pretty well!). She’s gonna love it.

I don’t know that I saw anything negative about the Echo. It’s not top of the line but seems to be comparable to the Ghost and LXT in terms of exit velocity, and also seems to be more durable. I’ve read composites don’t like the cold weather, but the Echo has performed well in sub 50° temps, same bat lasting a few years. Plus with the warranty, it doesn’t concern me much.

 

[Hawkfan_08]

I used to just hit a tree and rotate the bat. Or have my buddy roll it.

 

[millah_22]

Composite bats don't like cold weather. When it's under 50 degrees, use last year's bat.

This brought back ptsd of taking bp in cold weather with no batting gloves.

 

[TailgateTom]

I used to just hit a tree and rotate the bat. Or have my buddy roll it.

Looked into bat rollers, but it seems like studies show it doesn’t work as should and can actually be harmful to the bat?

 

[Joes Place]

WITELF? We have to break in bats? I have a question then - Wouldn't you get more "bounce" off of a new bat as opposed to breaking it in? If you break it in wouldn't that "deaden" the bat?

It's a myth.

There's no "breaking in" of a bat (metal or composite).

Any baseball or softball is far too small and soft compared to the bat alloys to make any difference. Allegedly, Worth did a study on alloy/metal bats and cryo-froze them to alter the metallic structure (perhaps thermal stressing them) and got 4% or so more distance off hitting.

Wouldn't really be a "thing" with composites, though - cryo for them might delaminate and destroy the bat.

I've always used a batting practice bat for cage work and other stuff, because basically every swing you make with any bat ultimately reduces the lifespan of the bat. No "breaking in", just slow degradation over time.

 

[Joes Place]

I used to just hit a tree and rotate the bat. Or have my buddy roll it.

Kewl. Shorten the lifespan of your bat.

 

[Joes Place]

Whatever you do - don't take it to a batting cage with those fake rubber balls to break it in. You can break the thing pretty easily doing that.

We just did a dozen or so buckets of soft toss and then let her use it in practice.

Yep. I used a $25 metal bat for that.

Also have a nicer aluminum single wall for those leagues. Composite Easton is the best one I've got.

 

[SoDakHawk]

Just get one of these. Don't know how these bat companies think they can improve upon perfection and if kids these days can't hit a dinger with one of these then they just plain suck.

Baseball

Softball

 

[LutherAce]

Just get one of these. Don't know how these bat companies think they can improve upon perfection and if kids these days can't hit a dinger with one of these then they just plain suck.

Baseball

Softball

i raise you this one...sitting in the garage...

 

[SoDakHawk]

i raise you this one...sitting in the garage...

Nice!

 

[TailgateTom]

i raise you this one...sitting in the garage...

OMG that’s amazingly classic!

 

[Bonerfarts]

Just get one of these. Don't know how these bat companies think they can improve upon perfection and if kids these days can't hit a dinger with one of these then they just plain suck.

Baseball

Softball

I was just talking about this bat to another coach. The holy grail of bats in my day. The cap would pop off and it would be hollow. Once we stuck tennis balls in the hollow space and hit moonshots with it.

 

[TailgateTom]

Just get one of these. Don't know how these bat companies think they can improve upon perfection and if kids these days can't hit a dinger with one of these then they just plain suck.

Baseball

Softball

Biggest slugger in our little league swung one of these bad boys! My kids don’t understand how far bat technology has come. I told them I basically has a piece of rolled steel with a duct tape grip that lasted a decade.

 

[Finance85]

It's a myth.

There's no "breaking in" of a bat (metal or composite).

Any baseball or softball is far too small and soft compared to the bat alloys to make any difference. Allegedly, Worth did a study on alloy/metal bats and cryo-froze them to alter the metallic structure (perhaps thermal stressing them) and got 4% or so more distance off hitting.

Wouldn't really be a "thing" with composites, though - cryo for them might delaminate and destroy the bat.

I've always used a batting practice bat for cage work and other stuff, because basically every swing you make with any bat ultimately reduces the lifespan of the bat. No "breaking in", just slow degradation over time.

Some experts disagree.

https://thebatnerds.com/how-to-break-in-baseball-softball-bat/

https://www.baseballsavings.com/baseball-guide/breaking-in-your-new-bat/

https://softballbats.weebly.com/breaking-in-the-composite-bat.html

I play in 2 leagues, and at least half the league guys play on traveling tournament teams around the south. They all talk all the time about bats, break in, etc. Most keep 4 bats in their bag, and I've seen several get broken in pregame batting practice. Composite bats perform better after break in. That's not just anecdotal, but shown scientifically, and recommended by manufacturers.

 

[PoopandBoogers]

so buying a bat these days is as complicated as deciding on a grill? the number of arcane things regular joe has to know and track these days to have a functional life is out of control.

I played baseball from teeball to high school and the biggest decision of bats was deciding on 3 eastons, the black magic, old school green, or silver and red ultra light. Towards the end tpx started coming out with graphite, carbon and ceramic and everyone started getting their own bats instead of team bats. Nowadays (last 10 yrs or probably longer) I see some kids with their own personalized bat bag with 3 friggin bats, etc.

 

[Tenacious E]

It's a myth.

There's no "breaking in" of a bat (metal or composite).

Any baseball or softball is far too small and soft compared to the bat alloys to make any difference. Allegedly, Worth did a study on alloy/metal bats and cryo-froze them to alter the metallic structure (perhaps thermal stressing them) and got 4% or so more distance off hitting.

Wouldn't really be a "thing" with composites, though - cryo for them might delaminate and destroy the bat.

I've always used a batting practice bat for cage work and other stuff, because basically every swing you make with any bat ultimately reduces the lifespan of the bat. No "breaking in", just slow degradation over time.

This states: "However, one of the main differences between the two materials is that composite-barreled bats will require a break-in period. This is because the microfibers that intertwine need to compress before the bat reaches its' maximum performance threshold. While there isn't an exact science to breaking in a new composite baseball bat, there are a couple of tips you can follow to break your bat in for the season ahead." Is this true? No idea.

Breaking In Your Composite Baseball Bat | JustBats Blog

Need some tips on how to break in your new composite bat? Let the Bat Experts at JustBats help you. We are your number one trusted source for all composite bats!

www.justbats.com

This states: "Breaking in a new composite bat may seem like a hassle, but the effort you put into a break-in will pay off. Breaking in a new bat does a few things. First, it gets your bat ready for peak performance. When a composite bat is hot off the production line, the inner resin layer is still solid. By breaking up this layer, you’ll ensure that it’s as reactive as possible when you hit a ball. A more reactive bat means further hits." Is this true? No idea.

https://www.baseballsavings.com/baseball-guide/breaking-in-your-new-bat/

 

[SoDakHawk]

I played baseball from teeball to high school and the biggest decision of bats was deciding on 3 eastons, the black magic, old school green, or silver and red ultra light. Towards the end tpx started coming out with graphite, carbon and ceramic and everyone started getting their own bats instead of team bats. Nowadays (last 10 yrs or probably longer) I see some kids with their own personalized bat bag with 3 friggin bats, etc.

It's just stupid. They don't hit the ball any better than we did. In fact, we were flat out better baseball players back when I was growing up. Yeah, "back in my day", blah, blah, blah. Thing is, the field hasn't changed, the fences haven't changed. I actually played on some of the same fields as my kids. We could hit for power and hit home runs. The pitchers could throw gas too. I remember coaching my oldest kid's teams and was amazed these kids could barely hit the ball out of the infield. At that age (10-12 years old) we were hitting 200 foot dingers. Somewhere at my parent's house I have all my old HR balls from Little League days to prove it too.

It's not the bat, it's the hitter.

 

[Joes Place]

Some experts disagree.

https://thebatnerds.com/how-to-break-in-baseball-softball-bat/

https://www.baseballsavings.com/baseball-guide/breaking-in-your-new-bat/

https://softballbats.weebly.com/breaking-in-the-composite-bat.html

I play in 2 leagues, and at least half the league guys play on traveling tournament teams around the south. They all talk all the time about bats, break in, etc. Most keep 4 bats in their bag, and I've seen several get broken in pregame batting practice. Composite bats perform better after break in. That's not just anecdotal, but shown scientifically, and recommended by manufacturers.

"from our tests"

I have yet to see any actual science on this.
There's actually some science on the cryo processes for metal bats - at least decent hypotheses around them.

Not so much on what these guys are claiming.

 

[Joes Place]

This states: "However, one of the main differences between the two materials is that composite-barreled bats will require a break-in period. This is because the microfibers that intertwine need to compress before the bat reaches its' maximum performance threshold. While there isn't an exact science to breaking in a new composite baseball bat

I've studies composite materials in graduate school. Nothing we learned is consistent with this "hypothesis".

Only thing he says that is correct is that "this isn't....science".
It's not.

 

[Joes Place]

Some experts disagree.

https://thebatnerds.com/how-to-break-in-baseball-softball-bat/

https://www.baseballsavings.com/baseball-guide/breaking-in-your-new-bat/

https://softballbats.weebly.com/breaking-in-the-composite-bat.html

I play in 2 leagues, and at least half the league guys play on traveling tournament teams around the south. They all talk all the time about bats, break in, etc. Most keep 4 bats in their bag, and I've seen several get broken in pregame batting practice. Composite bats perform better after break in. That's not just anecdotal, but shown scientifically, and recommended by manufacturers.

"anyone knows"

"Anyone who has played with an all-composite bat knows that composite bats are often not as hot "out of the wrapper" as they are after a few hundred hits have been put on the bat."

FAR more likely, that after you swing a new bat, with new balance and weight characteristics, you get better at making good contact, than anything to do with the bat, itself.

 

[Joes Place]

Do Advanced Break-in Techniques Really Work?

www.acs.psu.edu

Here's actual data for you.
and the effect is (as could be expected with a composite) nothing to do with "breaking down the resin", but rather delaminating the resin/fiber interfaces (which will happen with use), increasing the trampoline effect.

But it's hundreds of hits, not "50".

And this makes sense to me, because you will have different dynamics in a composite when you delaminate/detach the fibers from the composite resin. It's just also going to shorten the lifespan of your bat.

 

[WisestIowan]

SOME CHINAMAN ATE A COMPOSITE BAT AND GAVE THE WORLD COVID HOW DARE YOU