Every player has different strengths and skills, and that will affect his or her preferences in gear. Whether that gear comes in the form of a pair of batting gloves or in the form of a bat is another store, but the point is that each player has his own preferences.

While it would be nice if a player could put in the time and effort in practice, figure out what bats worked best in accordance with his or her skills and strengths, and just play with that bat, competitive play is not so simple. Even after determining what types of bats work for a player in terms of material, stiffness, and weight drop, you have to consider the regulations set forth by the governing body of the league or tournament.

For example, if you play pursuant to the regulations set forth by the USSSA, then in the first place you would have to purchase from a list of approved manufacturers. There is quite a list of approved, licensed manufacturers, but some of the more popular names can easily be found on the list, so in that regard, it isn’t too restrictive. For example, you can find Easton, Marucci, Louisville Slugger, Miken, Worth, Rawlings, and DeMarini on that list, among others.

After that, there are even more stringent requirements for the acceptance of bats. For example, USSSA has compiled a list of USSSA Softball Bat New Mark Rules governing some bats that are approved for play. To make short of a long list of regulations, certain New Mark wood bats will only be approved if 2 and ¼ inches or less in diameter, are made of wood, and most contain the USSSA New Mark on the taper. Unlike some other bats, New Mark bats do not require the words “Official Softball” to be approved.

This is only a small subset of some of the regulations that apply to certain bats approved for use in accordance with USSSA regulations. There are more, and they can be found at USSSA.com. Of course, if you don't want to sink too much time into research and you aren’t very familiar with the regulations and want to make the process easy on yourself, you can reach out to the team of knowledgeable professionals at HB Sports on their website, HeadbangerSports.com.

There you will find a great selection of USSSA softball bats that you can easily shop through by size, material, weight drop, brand, and more, in addition to by regulations. Their catalog naturally contains many examples of the aforementioned list of licensed manufacturers and finding the right bat can be a cinch. If it’s easier or more convenient for you, though you can reach out to them to get more information on the regulations as well as some suggestions for bats if you are new to the game and aren’t sure where to start. Visit their website for more information, or reach out to them on the phone at 1-888-540-BATS to get started shopping - whether you are looking for USSSA softball bats or anything else you could use on the field.