Fungo bats are essentially a special variety of baseball bats which are typically used by coaches during practice. These bats have steadily grown in popularity over the past few years and every year, a wide variety of fungo bats becomes available in the market. As a result, it can be a little intimidating for someone trying to find a good fungo bat for practice. We have shortlisted some of the best fungo bats below to make things easier for you.
These fungo bats are top of the range and are a great balance between performance, durability. With the pros and cons offered for each of these bats, you will easily find one that suits you perfectly.
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Best Fungo Bats
DeMarini Fungo Baseball Bat – 2009 Model
DeMarini is a renowned brand name when it comes to baseball bats. The company has been constructing quality bats for decades. DeMarini bats are known for offering optimal performance and solid durability. These qualities are well reflected in the DeMarini Fungo Baseball Bat 2009 model.
This bat is the perfect choice for baseball coaches. It offers a good balance of speed, power and accuracy of hitting. DeMarini has constructed the barrel of this bat using Ultralight 7050 aluminum alloy. This ensures that the bat remains light-weight while still packing a powerful punch. The handle of the bat comes constructed from composite material. This enables the bat to withstand a lot of rough and tough usage without incurring any significant damage.
The composite handle also adds more flex to the structure of the bat. As a result, the bat is able to hit incoming balls more accurately, powerfully and with greater speed. The length of this DeMarini bat is 35 inches and it weighs a mere 22 ounce. This bat is a high-performing and highly affordable choice.
Easton MLF5 Maple Fungo Baseball Bat
Easton is another well-recognized name among baseball players and enthusiasts. The company has been consistently delivering top-notch baseball products for a long time. With a well-established and solid reputation, Easton fungo bats can be easily trusted.
The MLF5 Maple Fungo baseball bat from Easton is a beautiful bat made entirely from wood. Easton has used top quality North American maple in the construction of this bat. This ensures a solid degree of durability and a powerful barrel.
This bat comes with an end-loaded design. This makes it perfect for coaches who want to swing fungo bats with greater speed and accuracy. The end-loaded design enables you to achieve greater swing momentum, letting you hit harder and farther with precision. At a length of 37 inches, this bat is longer than the DeMarini model above. The added length is ideal for coaches who want a greater reach with a longer bat.
The design of this bat features a stunning, laser-engraved barrel culminating in a cupped end. With an incredibly light-weight profile, this bat offers exceptional swing speeds. The bat features a 7/8” handle which is very easy to grasp and offers a good grip during hitting. with the stunning looks and classic feel of a wooden bat, makes Easton MLF5 one of our favorite fungo bats.
SSK 35″ PS150 Wood Fungo Bat
SSK Fungo bats are conventionally considered one of the best in the market. The company’s fungo bats have remained one of the foremost choices of baseball coaches and for good reason. This is because the company uses premium materials and a meticulous design to construct these bats.
This is particularly true of the stunning looking PS150 wood fungo bat from SSK. SSK has constructed this bat using premium-grade Japanese white ash wood. The bat features a beautiful and sleek outlook while also packing a powerful punch.
The high-grade wood barrel delivers a solid performance and lets you hit harder and farther. The end-weight design of the barrel adds extra momentum to the swing and requires less effort on your part. And the seamless design of the bat makes it possible for you to use it effortlessly but with great effect.
This bat features a length of 35 inches and is available in multiple color options. If you prefer wooden fungo bats, the PS150 is the way to go.
Louisville Slugger S345 Ash Wood Fungo Bat
Louisville Slugger has long enjoyed the position of being among the premium baseball manufacturers. The company is almost synonymous with the sport itself. And its baseball bats are considered synonymous with top quality, optimal performance and guaranteed durability.
The S345 Ash Wood fungo bat from Louisville well reflects these qualities. This bat has been constructed from northern white ash wood, making it extra durable and strong. The solid profile of the bat packs a powerful punch and lets you hit the ball harder and farther with minimal effort.
To top it, Louisville has constructed this bat with an end-loaded design. This enables coaches to swing this bat for optimal performance without wearing themselves out. The design of the bat also makes it ideal to hit grounders as well as fly balls with great accuracy.
The S345 bat packs a 2 1/4” barrel with a cupped end. The bat features a stunning black finish and carries the iconic sleek look which Louisville bats are famous for.
Rawlings Adult 2016 Ash Fungo Bat 35 Inches
The Rawlings Adult 2016 Ash Fungo Bat is made from ash wood, making it incredibly durable and solid in terms of performance. This bat comes in a 35-inches length, making it easy for coaches to comfortably and accurately hit baseballs to the players all over the field.
The bat has a great wooden outlook and feel, making it truly offer a classic feel to any coach wielding it. The barrel of this bat is incredibly light-weight, being hollow, and allow for some rapid swinging with just the right momentum.
Being 2 ¼ inches in diameter, the barrel is light-weight yet solid enough for perfect hitting. Rawlings has finished the outlook of this bat with some basic lines but left most of the natural look of the ash wood intact which makes this bat one of the genuinely wooden fungo bats out there.
Although one of the absolutely premium fungo bats. If you have a strained budget, this may not be for you. But if you are able to dish out some extra bucks, this bat offers great value for your money and is certainly one of the best fungo bats.
Easton F4 Alloy Fungo Bats
The Easton F4 is one of the alloy fungo bats available on the market. This bat comes with all the standard features of an alloy bat. These included long-term durability and the ability to withstand rough and tough use, solid barrel performance and relatively light weight.
The light weight of the bat enables a coach wielding it to swing it with rapid accuracy for solid hitting. To make swinging this bat even easier, Easton has added a small end weight which supports a player’s swinging almost effortlessly.
Being 35 inches at length and 22 ounces in weight, the bat is a great balance between light weight and good hitting surface area on the barrel. The bat carries a 31/32” handle which is quite thin and offers a very comfortable yet firm grip during swinging.
Mizuno Classic Fungo – 36.5″ Baseball Bat
The Mizuno Classic Fungo is one of the longer fungo bat models. This bat comes with a 36.5 inches length which makes it unusually long, allowing the coaches using it to comfortably swing the bat for an accurate shot at nearly every hit.
Mizuno has used carbon composite technology in the construction of this bat and the result is a bat which is incredibly light-weight, smooth in swing and solid at the barrel. The construction of the bat is meant to make it last a long time, offering good durability despite extensive use.
The light weight of the bat, together with the long barrel, allows a player to precisely control the direction and distance of the baseball during the hit. With a black and red outlook, the bat carries a great outlook which is very affordable and budget-friendly.
Marucci MAFCS2-BK Fungo Ash Wood 35″ Baseball Coaches Bat Lightweight
Marucci MAFCS2 is another wooden fungo bat made entirely from ash wood. At 35 inches long, the bat has a fairly standard fungo bat length. Marucci has made the bat fairly light-weight using the top grain white ash wood, giving the bat a solidly wooden yet light feel.
The light weight of the bat means that the coach swinging it can rapidly hit the incoming baseballs with great accuracy. The overall design of the bat is such that it is excellently well-balanced which further makes it easier to swing the bat with great precision.
One of the great things about this bat is that it is made in the USA and is handcrafted, making it a veritable piece of art and one of those fungo bats which will turn the heads when you use it on the field.
Mizuno 2014 Pro Carbon Fungo Bat
The Mizuno 2014 Fungo bat is another extra-long fungo bat which features a 36-inch length. If you are looking for a premium-quality extra-long bat which offers great durability and performance, this bat is a great choice.
Mizuno has manufactured this bat using carbon composite technology. As a result, the bat has a solid durability and a barrel that performs excellently while at the same time packing an incredibly light-weight feel.
The durability of this bat makes it ideal for extensive use in practice sessions without incurring any damage on the surface. The bat’s design makes it incredibly easy for coaches to hit both ground balls and fly balls with ease and precision all over the infield and outfield positions.
The bat carries an entirely black outlook which is elegant and eye-catching. It comes in the line of the premium composite-quality fungo bats and for the extra length on this premium bat, the extra bucks you spend on it are fairly justified.
Demarini Aluminum Fungo Bat
The Demarini aluminum fungo bat is one of the most light-weight bats out there. Demarini has used special ultralight 7050 aluminum alloy in the construction of this bat. The result is a bat which is highly durable and solid yet light weight and very smooth to swing. The bat carries a slight end weight at the head of the barrel, making it even easier and effortless to swing the bat with accuracy. For coaches seeking to use a fungo bat in infield and outfield practice, this bat is a good fit. It highly affordable.
Difference Between a Fungo Bat and a Regular bat?
The fundamental difference between a fungo bat and a regular bat is in terms of weight, length and overall size dimensions. Typically, fungo bats carry a weight between 17 and 22 ounces, while standard baseball bats can be as heavy as 30 ounces.
Similarly, standard baseball bats usually go as far as 34 inches in length while the typically length of a fungo bat is 35 to 37 inches. The best fungo bats essentially enable a coach to hit balls thrown in the air into the infield and outfield positions. Such a bat is usually meant exclusively for practice sessions.
The length, weight and size of the bat are all meant to aid a coach to hit fly balls and ground balls rapidly, quickly and accurately. Compared to this, a regular bat is meant for pitched balls, has a thicker and heavier barrel and is not as easy or smooth to swing.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, your own requirements and needs determine which bat is right for you. For instance, if you prefer wooden bats, you may go with the Louisville, Easton, or SSK models above. If you prefer a metal-barrel fungo bat, then the DeMarini fungo bat is the right choice for you. Other factors to consider include budget, length preferences, and whether or not you want a wooden bat with cupped end.