Quick Take
In controlled testing, a composite USA bat consistently produced higher exit speeds and more distance than a similarly weighted wood bat across multiple hitters. While wood bats can improve technique and strength in practice, when performance matters most, a quality USA bat offers clear advantages in both comfort and results.
We’ve been asked more than a few times to compare the exit speeds of USA Bats and wood bats.
We took up the challenge.
Three different hitters of differing abilities took over 300 swings with two competing bats. We measured the exit speeds on our Rapsodo device. Then, we compared the 2019 Techzilla S-Series USA Bat and a pure maple Sam Bat MC-5 exit speeds. Note, too, that we controlled for the bat’s swing weight and gathered enough information to decide on exit speeds across the board for age categories.
Wood vs. USA Bat Head to Head
Wood Vs. USA Results
In short, the USA composite Techzilla S-Series outperformed the wood bat in exit speeds among each of our hitters. For the 11-year-old, it was 2.2 mph better, the 13-year-old was 4.0 mph, and the 14-year-old was 4.2 mph better. This results in a difference of 11, 20, and 21 feet, respectively, on a well-struck ball.
| 11 Year Old | 13 Year Old | 14 Year Old | |
|---|---|---|---|
| AVG USA EV | 55.6 | 61.8 | 65.5 |
| AVG Wood EV | 53.4 | 57.8 | 61.3 |
| Difference | 2.2 | 4.0 | 4.2 |
Feedback from the players mirrored the results. They liked how the composite bat felt compared to the wood bat. Although some wood bat hits felt amazing, the S-Series was more usable. We even found the youngest hitter shying away from hard swings with the wood bat due to the hand sting.
Wood Bat Durability
Another reasonable concern for wood bats is their durability. We’ve found that most of our wood bats, especially the youth ones, stay intact quite well. Rarely are the players swinging hard enough or see the top-end pitch speed/sliders that can break a bat.
But they are less durable than composite and aluminum bats. Not that those bats have never broken, but the vast majority of aluminum and composite bats have at least a 12-month warranty. We have yet to see a wood bat with a warranty of over 90 days.
Swing Weight Controls
We tried our best to control swing weight. Swing weight is a considerable factor in measuring ball exit speeds. Bats with a higher swing weight (all things, like swing speed, held constant) will hit the ball further than their counterparts. Controlling for bats’ swing weight (i.e., making sure they have the same swing weight) is paramount in documenting valuable data.
But, wood bats swing considerably heavier than their aluminum and composite counterparts. Getting an apples-to-apples comparison in exit speeds is, therefore, difficult. In large measure, this heavy swing is why most parents and players remove wood as an option from the start.
We did find a reasonable swing weight match in our inventory, although the wood bat still swings 8% heavier. A 30/25 Sam bat and a 30/21 Techzilla S-Series have a swing weight difference of 6.5%. The MOI of the Sam Bat Drop 5 in a 30 was 6200, and the Drop 9 Techzilla is 5800.
Are Wood Bats Never a Good Idea?
Of course not.
We think players who want to be great hitters should get a wood bat as early as possible. Wood bats build strength and force players to find the center of the barrel. Both great things to work on while doing batting practice, cage and tee work. We could even see an at bat or two that makes sense with a wood bat for a particular USA player.
But, when the game is on the line and your at bat matters the right answer, nearly all the time, is an aluminum or composite USA Bat.
