Softball is without a doubt one of the most exciting activities that one can partake in these days. Yes, there is baseball, basketball, and lacrosse, but softball really is different. It takes the traditional rules of baseball and puts a little spin on them, making the whole sport unique and different. That being said, most people associate softball with women’s sports. Yes, a lot of women play softball professionally, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t for everyone. In fact, you can anyone can enjoy softball, but to truly appreciate the sport and everything that it has to offer, you need to learn a little bit about the history of the sport and everything associated with it.
The Development Of The Softball Bat
Although softball is mostly a women’s sport, it was actually a man that invented the game. In fact, it was a man by the name of George Hancock. He was a reporter for the Chicago Board of Trade and this is where the first softball bat can be traced back to. It really is interesting how he came up with the sport. It was said that Hancock was with a group of Yale and Harvard alumni at the Chicago Boat Club. One of the men threw a boxing glove at Hancock and he replied by swatting it away with a broom handle. This is when Hancock came up with the idea of softball bats and the game of softball. Shortly after this Hancock came up with the rules of the game and wrote them down. He replaced the traditional baseball with an oversized ball. At this time the players also utilized rubber-tipped bats.
The Aluminum Bats
The rubber-tipped bats were utilized for many years before the wooden bats came along. These bats were also utilized for quite some time until the aluminum bats came along in 1970. And, there is simply no denying that the aluminum bat still remains one of the best fastpitch softball bats today. Worth was the first company to manufacture both the softball aluminum bat and the little league aluminum bat. It was late in the 70s when Easton stepped into the picture. They created what would be become known as a stronger grade of aluminum. It would be decades later before another major development like this hit the sport. And, this happened in 1995 when both Louisville Slugger and Easton developed a new style of aluminum bat that would still to this very day be the highest grade quality aluminum bat that you can get your hands on.
Single-Walled Titanium
The single-walled titanium bat actually came along in 1993, which would have been two years before the highest-grade aluminum bat. This single-walled titanium bat was a major breakthrough for the industry because it really revolutionized the bat making process. It allowed manufacturers to produce bat barrels that would be much thinner than that compared to the aluminum styles. Although the bats were thinner, they were still able to crack the ball without denting or damaging the bat. The higher-grade aluminum bats later came along when manufacturers were trying to get better performance. And, it is safe to say that they accomplished that because companies are still using this very aluminum bat design today.