Hitting in Cold Weather
Also known as: cold weather hitting, hitting in the cold, batting in cold weather, batting in the cold, cold weather baseball, baseball in cold weather, playing baseball in the cold
In cold air, even a well-hit ball carries a few feet less. A cold ball is also harder, which is rough on non-wood bats. Take a longer warm-up, keep your hands and body warm between at-bats, and look to drive hard line drives rather than lift the ball. Bat makers such as Rawlings warn against using their bats below about 60°F (15°C).
Temperature changes how far a ball flies mainly through air drag. Cold air is denser, so the ball slows down sooner. University of Illinois physicist Alan Nathan has estimated that each 10°F of warming adds about 4 to 5 feet to a long fly ball. On a 40°F night, a drive that would clear the fence in July can be caught at the warning track.
Cold also makes the ball harder. Rawlings warns against using its bats below 60°F (15°C) for that reason and does not cover bats used in that cold. Many players switch to a wood bat on cold days and keep their game bat indoors until it is needed.
Sting on a mis-hit comes from the bat vibrating when the ball meets it away from the sweet spot. Many hitters notice it more in the cold, when the ball is harder and the hands are cold. Batting gloves, a hand warmer in the dugout and squarer contact all help.
Plan a longer warm-up than usual and finish it close to game time. Keep a jacket on between innings and take a few full swings right before your at-bat. At the plate, a short line-drive swing pays more than trying to lift the ball, because the air is taking distance away.
Tips by skill level
On cold days, keep your batting gloves on and your hands in your pockets or near a hand warmer between at-bats. Take five or six full swings just before you walk to the plate.
Judge cold-weather at-bats by exit velocity and line drives, not distance. A hard-hit ball that dies at the track on a 40°F night is still a good swing.
Example
On an April night in the 40s, a high school hitter keeps a hand warmer in his jacket pocket between innings. He swings a wood bat because his composite bat's warranty does not cover cold-weather use. He stops trying to lift the ball and lines two singles up the middle.
Why it matters
Early-season and late-season games are often played in the cold. Knowing what the weather changes keeps a hitter from chasing distance the air is taking away, and it protects an expensive bat.
Common mistakes
- Swinging an expensive non-wood bat in near-freezing weather, where damage may not be covered
- Keeping the usual short warm-up and taking the first swing of the game cold
- Reading a deep fly-out on a cold night as a swing problem when the air took the distance
- Leaving the hands bare and cold between at-bats
Frequently asked questions
Does a baseball go as far in cold weather?
No, it carries less. Cold air is denser and adds drag, and physicist Alan Nathan has estimated that each 10°F of warming adds about 4–5 feet to a long fly ball.
Can you use a composite bat in cold weather?
Bat makers advise against it. Rawlings, for example, warns against using its bats below 60°F (15°C) because the ball gets much harder, and it does not cover bats used in that cold. Many players use a wood bat instead.
How should I warm up to hit when it's cold?
Warm up longer than usual and finish close to game time. Keep layers and batting gloves on between innings, and take a few full swings right before your at-bat.
Should I change my swing in cold weather?
Keep the same swing but aim for hard line drives. Fly balls carry less in cold air, so a drive that would clear the fence in summer may be caught. Judge your at-bats by how hard you hit the ball.
Sources
- Physics Van, University of Illinois: answer by Prof. Alan Nathan on temperature and fly-ball distance (about 4–5 ft per 10°F on a long fly ball)
- Rawlings warranty information (avoid use below 60°F / 15°C; ball hardness; cold-weather use excluded)
- Daniel Russell, Penn State: Why do bats sting for bad hits?
Related terms
- Bat StingBat sting is the painful buzz you feel when the ball meets the bat away from its sweet spot. The impact makes the bat vibrate, and the vibration runs down the handle into your hands. Contact off the end of the barrel tends to buzz the bottom hand, while contact toward the thin part of the bat stings the top hand between the thumb and index finger. Squarer contact is the real fix; batting gloves and bats built to damp vibration soften it.
- Composite vs. Alloy BatsComposite and alloy (aluminum) bats with the same USA Baseball or BBCOR stamp are tested to the same wood-like performance limit. As a result, neither material lets you hit the ball farther by rule. The real differences are feel, sound and care. Composites damp vibration more, so mis-hits often sting less. Many of them also perform a bit better after a break-in period. Hybrids join a composite handle to a metal barrel.
- Line Drive RateLine drive rate (LD%) is the share of batted balls that are line drives, launched at 10 to 25 degrees in Statcast's definition. Liners have the highest expected batting average.
- Exit Velocity (EV)Exit velocity is how fast the ball comes off the bat, in mph. It is a ceiling metric — the harder you hit it, the farther it can go.
Related guides & benchmarks
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