Tips For Selecting a Baseball Helmet

Batters wear batting helmets during baseball and softball games. The purpose of a baseball helmet is to protect the batter’s head from errant pitches. If a batter is “hit by pitch,” he or she can seriously or even fatally hurt themselves. A baseball helmet protects the batter’s head from being crushed by an errant pitch. Here are some tips for selecting a baseball helmet. Regardless of your level of skill, make sure to choose the best one for you.

Baseball helmets have evolved over the years. In the 1930s, baseball players wore earflaps, but this was not mandatory. In the early 1970s, a plastic surgeon for the Atlanta Braves came up with a design called the “C-Flap” that protected the player’s cheeks from a baseball. This design was attached to the ear flap on a standard helmet. The idea was a great one, but earflaps were only widely adopted a few decades later. During the 1968 season, Pirates star Dave Parker wore a hockey mask at home plate to protect his cheeks.

In the 1950s, the National League began requiring batters to wear batting helmets. The helmets at that time were more like baseball hats with protective plates inside, but they did not offer the protection today’s baseball helmets offer. During the next few decades, the sport progressed greatly, with more players wearing helmets. Today’s baseball helmets are made of aerospace-grade carbon fiber composite, which helps reduce the weight and improves strength.