Wood Baseball Bats

There are several different types of wood commonly used in baseball bats, and these vary in strength, weight and durability.  Wood bats are required in all professional baseball leagues, and the most common types of wood bats currently on the market are:

* White Ash - this is also known as American Biltmore, and is commonly found in hardwood forests in Canada, Florida and Texas.  It is one of the most popular woods for sports equipment such as tennis racquets, hockey sticks and baseball bats because it is very tough, with a high tensile strength that can stand up to a great deal of pressure and strain without breaking.  It is also a lightweight wood, which makes it ideal for bats and racquets, and can be easily bent into different shapes without losing its strong, durable properties.

* Maple - this is one of the hardest of all the hardwoods, and is known for its dense, close grained wood, which is extremely tough and resistant to indentation, abrasion, chipping and splitting.  It is mostly sourced from hardwood forests in the Middle Atlantic and Great Lake States.  Maple is a heavy wood, but new drying techniques mean that it can now be made light enough for baseball bats, whilst still retaining its strong properties.  Maple can be a lot more expensive than white ash though, because of the specialist manufacturing procedures involved and also the heavy worldwide demand for maple wood for furniture, musical instruments and flooring.

* Hickory - this was once one of the most popular woods for baseball bats, as it is extremely hard and tough, yet flexible enough to stand up to a great deal of pressure and strain.  Hickory is also used for walking canes, golf clubs and tool handles and because of its fragrant scent it is commonly used for food smoking.  Hickory is rarely used for baseball bats these days at it is much heavier and more expensive than the white ash and maple.