Advantages of 1-Piece bat?

[TigerD313]

Been watching postseason college softball and noticed that on all the teams so far that I've seen swinging Mizuno or Marucci probably 80 percent of the girls are swinging the one piece offering they have available. I know the 1-piece versions are always less expensive but don't know much about the differences performance wise.

 

[cnardone]

This is coming from someone with no insider knowledge. This is also taken from my experience hitting mens slow pitch bats (as light as 34-8). So take it for what it is worth.

I believe it is just the ability to reduce sting on miss hits.

It is almost 20 years ago that carbon bats were introduced into softball. Those bats were so hot, they had to change testing procedures. After break in, they were so far over performance standards that bats were quickly banned after being OK'd by the major associations. These were all "1-piece bats". So we know they can build 1 piece bats hotter than today's bats.

I have not broken a new bat to verify(I have seen an old one broken), but I am pretty certain that 1-peice bats are not actually 1 piece. The barrel is still built separately from the handle and then "epoxide" together.

Perhaps, these girls just prefer the feel of a slightly stiff bat.

 

[Orange Socks]

One piece bats are better for the stronger hitters. I was talking to a former Olympian about this and another ex pro player and noticed she had a Miken bat that I had not seen before. She said it was a one piece bat. She said that these bats have less flexibility and are more stiff.

If you play golf you will understand this concept. With a stiff shaft you get less whip than a regular flex shaft. The faster you swing the less whip you need. As players get older they start using graphite shafts instead of steel shafts too. That extra whip with slower swing speeds helps get the ball up and get more distance and control. If you have a fast swing speed and try to hit with a regular shaft you tend to slice it because the club head is wide open at impact.

 

[TigerD313]

She said it was a one piece bat. She said that these bats have less flexibility and are more stiff.

Okay this might explain why most of the girls at the Louisville Slugger schools are swinging the Xeno as well

 

[Acschiropractic1]

One piece bats are better for the stronger hitters. I was talking to a former Olympian about this and another ex pro player and noticed she had a Miken bat that I had not seen before. She said it was a one piece bat. She said that these bats have less flexibility and are more stiff.

If you play golf you will understand this concept. With a stiff shaft you get less whip than a regular flex shaft. The faster you swing the less whip you need. As players get older they start using graphite shafts instead of steel shafts too. That extra whip with slower swing speeds helps get the ball up and get more distance and control. If you have a fast swing speed and try to hit with a regular shaft you tend to slice it because the club head is wide open at impact.

I'd agree with this theory from a physics standpoint, but why were most of the slappers on Virginia tech, Oklahoma state and Texas using the 1 piece mizuno carbon 1? In golf stiffer shafts usually equal less dispersion or straighter shots, so were the slappers using the 1 piece for better placement into the 5-6 hole?

 

[Eric F]

Okay this might explain why most of the girls at the Louisville Slugger schools are swinging the Xeno as well

I'm pretty sure the Xeno is not a 1-piece bat.

 

[YOCOACH]

There's also the issue of durability. One pieces offer better durability due to no connection point, stiffer swinging due to no connection point and offer much better feedback (i,e. stingers on mishits) due to no connection point.

 

[TigerD313]

I'm pretty sure the Xeno is not a 1-piece bat.

I just meant that the Xeno is considered stiffer than the other bats from Louisville