A: The sweet spot (where you want to hit the ball consistently) is located about 2" in from the end of the barrel to about 8" in on an adult bat.

A: As you're swinging through the plate, with the bat perpendicular to your body about to hit the ball, the Phoenix label should be pointing towards the sky or towards the ground. That will way you'll be making contact with the area on the "side" of the bat where the grains are layered.

A: The bowl-like indentation at top of bat, whose only purpose is to remove weight. Phoenix bats are cupped at 1.5" in diameter, leaving a thicker wall around the cup for enhanced structural integrity. Most competitors cup at 2", leaving a very thin wall around the cup, increasing the chance of breaking.

All maple bats are cupped. Ash bats are cupped as needed. Special orders available if you want otherwise.

A: Extreme moisture and cold is not a bat's friend. Our recommendation is take your bat indoors if it is going to sit in those environments for an extended period of time.

A: Those hard rubber balls can be brutal on the finish of a bat. Take some first aid tape and tape the barrel of the bat. It's easy to remove and doesn't leave much residue. Some Windex should take off any residue, without harming the finish.

A: It refers to the difference between the bat length and bat weight.
Ex.: a 34" bat with a -2 means it weighs 32 ounces

              Normal range for bat lines:

A: Start by viewing our "Choose Your Bat" section from the top menu bar. If still not sure, shoot an email to lefty@phoenixbats.com. He's our founder and bat guru extraordinaire. Lefty (aka Charley) has created plenty of different variations over the years and it's likely we already have a bat programmed that meets your need...and there's no extra charge for the help or the bat!

A: If you are big enough to swing an aluminum bat then you are big enough to benefit from a wood bat. A player of any age that learns how to hit with a wood bat will be a better hitter, even when swinging aluminum, than a player who has never used wood. That's why many coaches have their kids swing wood in batting practice or in the cages.

A: We recommend that a child swings the K240 or K455 Little Crushers Youth bat until the age of 11 or 12. Then the child should transition to the DR100 Little Crushers Youth bat. The barrel size changes from 2-1/4" to 2-1/2", but the length-to-weight differential only goes from a -8 to a -5. This makes for a smoother transition to a professional series bat a year or two later.

When ready for the professional series bat, go with a -3 bat, which is required by most high school programs. The BB71 is a good choice. A recommended length is normally 31", but it's available from 30" to 35".

A: While there is still ample supply of ash, there will be an increasing impact on ash availability in the next five years. Price will rise accordingly.

A: While bamboo (a grass) is very durable, it doesn't hit like a wood bat. None are single piece bats. Players who have tested bamboo bats have commented on the lack of pop versus maple and ash. Additionally, bamboo bats are not major league approved.

A: All actually make great baseball bats, but in different ways.

If weight is critical (such as with a youth bat) or you tend to take balls off the end of the bat  a lot, we strongly recommend white ash. It's also a little bit more forgiving if you miss the sweet spot.

Maple is a very dense wood and will drive the ball a little bit better when you really nail the ball squarely. It's also a great choice versus ash if you tend to take balls off the handle or get jammed more often.

Our all-wood composite is the best of both worlds, providing the pop of maple but with additional durability, regardless of whether you get jammed often or take it off the barrel end often. It's really a great choice if you're new to wood bat play or if you tend to break bats due to inconsistent hitting against the sweet spot. We've seen about three to four times the life expectancy from our new all-wood composite..