The technology of counterweighting a bat for use in the MLB is not a new concept. Pro players dating back to 1957 have used larger knobs for the same reason most players choose a bat, they like the way it feels. Notably, when Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt put Puck Knob Bats into play in 2022, many fans, players, and coaches began to take a much closer look at why these players were designing their bats in this somewhat odd fashion. When asked, MLB players have stated that they “like the feel,” or “feel like it is easier to get the barrel through the zone,” when using a Puck Knob Bat.
Ray McMillian’s Mc33 in 1957 – 65 years
Variations of knobs dating back to 1957.
Paul Goldschmidt’s game bats for the 2022 season before he would become National League MVP.
Counterweighting has also been used by hitters for decades by creating their own versions. Notably, Barry Bonds created his own Puck Knob feel by ordering an oversized flared knob and wrapping a significant amount of tape around it to add even more weight.
Barry Bonds knob versus Hank Aaron knob
John Hughes of Louisville Slugger had this to say about puck knob use during the 2022 MLB Season.
“2022 was a knobby season for Major League Baseball. Normally an afterthought in the eyes of casual fans, the bat knob this past season was a focus of strategy for more than, well, a handful of players.
The rounded part of the handle onto which the meaty part of the palm finds a stopping point, the knob may seem insignificant, a mere bulge of wood put there as a precaution against bats being slung in places better left unslung to.
The knob is likely to get even more attention now that this year’s Most Valuable Player of the National League earned his trophy using a bat with a tea-cup size knob dubbed the “hockey puck.”
MVP Paul Goldschmidt may have used his best, but plenty of players this season were drawn to the bulbous butted bat. Joey Votto, Nolen Arenado, Patrick Wisdom, Francisco Lindor and others regularly or situationally used the “hockey puck” at least part of the year. This season, Goldschmidt pucked up personal record hitting numbers in many categories of his 12-year career.”
Francisco Lindor
Joey Gallo
Nolan Arenado and Patrick Wisdom
As this trend has become more popular it has begun to filter down to the college game in recent years.
2023 LSU National Champion slugger Hayden Travinski added “as much weight as he could” to the bottom of his bat to emulate the MLB players and increase the balance of the bat.
In 2024, Marucci launched the first line of metal puck knob bats which quickly filtered into their NCAA sponsored team’s hands such as Tulane, Oregon, and LSU.
For those that play in the youth or amateur levels, there are limited options for these bats.
In 2023, VELO Sports LLC invented the “VELO Puck”. It is the first of its kind attachable puck knob intended for in-game use allowing any bat to now become a puck knob bat.
The patented VELO Puck makes the MLB technology of Puck Knob Bats available to baseball and softball players of all ages, playing in various leagues ranging from recreational youth, to travel teams, to higher level amateur competition.
The VELO Puck Knobs are made out of medical grade silicone material that has extremely high strength and extremely high ability to stretch which creates compression force around an object. This material is also slip resistant and creates a very strong mechanical connection so that it does not come off the bat during a game.
When using a VELO Puck in-game, a player will not change the effective radius of their swing arc. The player would be gripping the bat in the same way as designed by the manufacturer with the butt of the hand resting against the knob of the bat. Having a Velo Puck on the bat would actually deter the player from moving their hand down toward the bottom of the knob. Although the overall length of the bat plus the VELO Puck could be considered to have changed, the “playable length” of the bat would stay exactly the same as the manufactured bat.
When MLB players have a Puck Knob Bat constructed, they typically use the traditional specs of their current game bat then have extra material added to the knob end. This addition creates a slightly different overall length and weight specs; however, the performance of the bat still reflects the specs of the original version.
If measured from the inside of the knob, the “playable length” of the bat is the exact same.
For those looking to give a puck knob bat a try without buying a whole new game bat, the VELO Puck becomes an easy and inexpensive option.
Will the trend of Puck Knobs continue? We think so.
Learn more about the VELO Puck here.