Would greatly appreciate it if someone could provide a dumbed-down explanation of what an end loaded bat is. Also how these bats are different (better/worse) than a balanced bat.
A hammer hits a nail with the the weight at the head, no the handle. However a blanced bat will have a lighter swing weight. Hope this sheds some light on the situation. In my softball days we had a sponsership with TPS (the softball branch of Louisville Slugger) I could get a 34IN with a total weight of 27OZ with a 7OZ end load. They were great! It was enough of an advantage that any end load was going to be banned. That, thankfully , never happened!
End Loaded means the barrel end of the bat is heavier. You can check this checking for the balance point and just holding the end of the bat comparing to another bat of the weight. End loaded bats feel heavier to swing, reduce swing speed some, but provide more mass on the collision with the ball. The force generated is basic physics Force = mass X acceleration. So a more balanced bat may provide greater swing speed or greater acceleration, but a head heavy bat/end loaded bat provides greater mass. As they get older they have to swing heavier bats, but as they are younger lighter bats help them swing with greater force due to increased acceleration. End Loaded bats will provide more pop if they can swing it with the same acceleration. It is really up to the individual and what they like and get used to.
End Loaded Bats
Posted - 02/07/2010 : 09:27:13
