Wood Baseball Bat Buying Guide

If you find yourself a bit overwhelmed or unsure of what bat you’d like to purchase, you came to the right place! Here’s some information that will be helpful to you as you make your decisions:

Three Brothers Bats Series

Ballplayer Series vs Custom Pro Series – Our ballplayer series and custom pro series bats are made using the exact same wood, which is the highest grade split stock lumber that we can source. The differences are purely aesthetic.

  • Ballplayer Series – For the hitter who’s all about performance – you won’t find a higher quality product on the market that’s more affordable than our ballplayer bats.
  • Custom Pro Series – For the hitter who wants to add some flare and personal touches to their bat.

Wood types

We make our bats with maple, birch, and ash wood. Here are the defining properties of each: 

  • Maple – By far the most popular wood in professional baseball. It’s the hardest and stiffest wood, which makes for a great option for the most powerful and experienced hitters. 
  • Ash – The most flexible of the three wood choices that we offer. This is a great option for hitters who don’t have a lot of experience swinging wood bats. Additionally, for hitters who have more of a contact-based approach and/or haven’t fully developed their strength, this is their best bet.  
  • Birch – This is an “in-between” option when compared to maple and ash. Provides some hardness like a maple, but also with a bit of flex. If you find yourself in between the descriptions of maple and ash, go with this highly durable wood that’s great for all types of players. 

Bat Models

The bat model simply refers to the shape of the bat. If you don’t have a specific model that you’re loyal to, here are some suggestions of our own handcrafted models that are the most popular: 

T20– This model was designed by our founder for his personal game bat. Great balance and feel with a slightly flared knob. A truly classic wood bat shape. This is our original and best seller.  

DGE17– Slightly larger barrel makes for a good power hitter bat, but without sacrificing balance. This is for the hitter who drives the baseball to all fields. This model is a favorite of our professional players. 

TB28– Thinner handle and large barrel makes this a true end-loaded model for the hitters who prefer their trips around the bases to be a slow trot. 

W6– Great balance with a hybrid flared/bell-shaped knob. Medium handle and barrel. The player we designed this bat for called it “the greatest wood bat he’s ever swung”. 

TB26– Our thinnest handled bat with a quick taper and medium-sized barrel. 

TCG1– Great balanced feel with a flared knob and medium thick handle and barrel. A great bat for the all-around hitter. 

TB271– Our take on one of the best all-around wood bat models. Classic shape and feel with excellent balance. Flared style knob with a gradual taper to the barrel. 

Finishes

We offer a number of different finishes ranging from clear protective coats to various paints or stains.  If you’re looking for inspiration, check out our Instagram page to view bats we’ve made.

Ink Dot Test

If you buy any maple or birch bat from us, you’ll notice a bare wood spot on the handle with a black dot inside. This dot is there to test the straightness of the tangential grains of the wood, an indicator of the strength and durability of the lumber. And in case you didn’t notice, the bare wood spot is in the shape of Wisconsin – the state that we’re proud to call home.

*Ash bats are not ink dot tested.

*Every bat that we sell is made to order, so please allow 2-3 weeks for your bat to be delivered. If you need it done more quickly, please reach out to us directly and we will work with you to accommodate the shorter lead time.