Posted by: dougdinger () on Fri Mar 26 22:16:23 2004

does anyone have advice for lessening the sting associated with hitting the ball? Is it a question of technigue, bat being too light, gloves not padded enough?

It has nothing to do with weight, gloves, or anything else, just the bat and ball. The bat has what is called a "sweet spot", which is where the ball bounces off the bat the hardest, and has no sting. It usually starts about 3 inches from the end of the bat and if wood, is 4 inches long. If aluminum 6 or 6 and a half inches. Hold the bat in one hand and a ball in the other, and go along banging the ball up and down the bat. The spot where you feel no vibration in the bat is the sweet spot. That's where solid contact is made. It's a matter of hand-eye coord. and timing. Swing too early you hit the ball at the end (it stings) too late you hit the ball on the neck of the bat. Also if you have a long swing and the pitch is inside you'll most likely hit on the neck again. If you use a wood bat you have a great risk of breaking the bat with solid contact.