Softball got both metal bats regulations/conformance testing and changes to the ball “pop” over the years. As a serious (but only B-level skilled) player, I ha

Softball got both metal bats regulations/conformance testing and changes to the ball “pop” over the years. As a serious (but only B-level skilled) player, I hate the ball changes, but the bat changes I think are good (except for the cost of replacing now-banned bats). Softball changed primarily for player safety, but I think there could be an analog here. Hitting a marshmallow-feeling softball sounds and feels worse. Hitting a regular ball with a bat that’s slightly less engineered still sounds and feels good and I think lets the better players separate their performance from the rest of the field. That’s probably the key: make changes that help the best players showcase and differentiate their skill.