I hate to break it to you, but you shouldn't be swinging metal bats this offseason. If you really want to challenge yourself in the cage, swing wood bats. Hitting with metal is easy. Wood makes you earn it.
Wood vs metal in the cage
| Metal bat | Wood bat | |
|---|---|---|
| Sweet spot | Bigger | Significantly smaller |
| Mishits | Forgiving | Not forgiving |
| What it teaches | Lets bad swings slide | Forces you to adjust |
1. A smaller sweet spot
With wood, the sweet spot is significantly smaller, so it's harder to catch a barrel. Every rep in the cage makes you find it.
2. Mishits tell you the truth
When you miss the barrel with wood, it isn't forgiving. You feel it. That feedback forces you to make adjustments that metal bats just don't require.
3. Metal is easy
Hitting with metal is easy, and easy reps don't make you better. Wood is the real challenge in the cage, so every swing works on something.
The bottom line
If you want to improve as much as you can this offseason, swing wood. More on why in the advantages of swinging wood bats over aluminum. Switching for the first time? Our first wood bat guide covers the move from metal to wood, and how to choose a wood bat covers length, drop and turn model.
Find your offseason bat in our wood bats.
Train with wood all offseason
Swinging wood is the start. To get the most out of your offseason, pair your wood bat with our training bats. Each one trains something specific:
| Training bat | What it trains |
|---|---|
| G Force 2.0 Split Grip overload | Strength, barrel control and bat path in one bat |
| SST underload | Bat speed |
| ML19 two-hand short bat | Staying inside the ball and tightening a long swing |
Our pick for the best overall trainer is the G Force; read why every level swings it. Not sure where to start? How to choose a training bat matches each bat to what you're working on, and the training bat tier list ranks them all.
FAQ
Should I swing a wood bat in the offseason?
Yes. Wood has a smaller sweet spot and doesn't forgive mishits, so it forces adjustments that metal doesn't. That makes your offseason reps count more.
Why is hitting with a wood bat harder than metal?
The sweet spot on a wood bat is significantly smaller, so it's harder to barrel the ball, and a mishit stings instead of still carrying.
What training bats should I use this offseason?
Pair your wood bat with training bats that each train one thing: the G Force 2.0 Split Grip overload for strength and barrel control, the SST underload for bat speed and the ML19 short bat to stay inside the ball.
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