Which bat certification should I enter in the form - which one applies to my player?
This is a question best answered by your coach or the league/tournament in which you are participating. Most leagues post the league rules somewhere on their website - these league rules will always specify which bat standard applies. Your coach will usually know the answer to this question as well.
It is critical that you make the right selection with regard to certification. The bats vary quite a bit between certifications and having the wrong bat could result in the bat being disqualified from use and sometimes even an automatic out.
As a set of general guidelines, most purely recreational leagues follow the USA Baseball certification standard. Competitive select tournaments and leagues most often follow the USSSA certification standard for youth baseball. And, finally, all high school age and above players are generally required to use bats that are BBCOR .50 certified.
How do you select which bats to test an include in the database?
The main criteria we use in selecting bats to test is commercial availability. Simply put, how easy is it for a consumer to find and purchase the bat. Generally, this means any bat that is available to purchase through several retail or online channels. We may make an exception here or there if we hear of a bat or bats that might be particularly interesting. However, generally speaking, we do not and will not test bats that are only exclusively available directly from the manufacturer.
How do I suggest new bats for you to test?
We're always open to suggestions on that front. Simply email us at support@whichbat.com and let us know what you'd like to see! If there's enough interest we will give it a go.
What does "Drop" (-3, -5, -8, -10, etc.) mean?
Drop is just a numerical value that represents the difference in length and weight of the bat. For example, a Drop 8 (-8) bat that is 30" long weighs 22 ounces. It's just meant to provide a point of reference for how heavy a bat is. In reality, very few bats match their Drop weights when measured; there is usually some degree of error (and it is sometimes significant!). While Drop does matter, the only time you should restrict a Whichbat query by Drop is when you know for a fact that your player needs to be hitting with a certain Drop. In most instances, this will apply when your player reaches a certain age that requires a maximum drop value - i.e. 13U (often -8) or 14U (often -5). Older players that are in BBCOR .50 leagues can only use Drop 3 (-3) bats, but all BBCOR bats are -3 so there's nothing to worry about there.