I remember reading a weird article a while back.
There was some civil unrest in the United Kingdom, and a strange item was suddenly VERY popular on Amazon:
“Fungo bats.”
People in the UK were buying up fungo bats like crazy, and it doesn’t take a genius to know why.
But that’s why I want to give you…
3 Reasons You DON’T Want A “Home Defense” Bat
See, a fungo bat is a lighter-weight bat used for practicing things like hitting fly balls.
It was popular as a weapon — especially in the UK where other guns and even knives are much harder to get — because it was 1) sporting equipment, and 2) easy to swing as a club.
In other words, the folks in the UK were going back to their caveman roots and buying a good, old-fashioned club to arm themselves with.
Here in the States, it seems like every time you see an interview with some shop-owner or home-owner who doesn’t like guns but who wants to feel defended, they always proudly talk about the baseball bat they keep on hand.
(I’ve seen plenty of posts on Reddit by people talking about the baseball bats they keep around).
And while I understanding wanting to have an “alternative” home defense weapon, especially if you can’t have or don’t want a gun in the house, a bat is NOT a good choice (fungo or otherwise).
There are 3 reasons for this:
1. Baseball bats are too heavy, which makes them slow.
Even a fungo bat is pretty heavy.
Yes, you can get a really good wind-up on a baseball bat, and anyone who’s in the way of the “sweet spot” of the bat is in BIG trouble.
But the thing is, you can see a bat coming from a mile away.
It simply isn’t a fast weapon unless you’ve got arms like the Hulk and you spend your free time snorting “Pixy Stix.”
2. Baseball bats are too long, which makes them unwieldy in the house.
Indoors, a full-length weapon can be a real problem.
You can’t really get a good wind-up in the close confines of a hallway, doorway, or any of the rooms of a typical house.
That’s going to put you at a disadvantage if you rely on the baseball bat for home protection.
3. Baseball bats are predictable, which makes them a liability.
This, to me, is the biggest problem with baseball bats (and yes, fungo bats).
To get any kind of a powerful swing, you’ve got to wind up like you’re expecting a fastball from the pitcher’s mound.
Your attacker can see that happening and move in — and if he’s got any training, he can even trap your arm, stopping you from swinging.
(Not to mention that if he moves out of alignment with the “sweet spot,” your swing might not be very effective.)
I don’t know anyone short of the average professional baseball player who can make all those factors line up perfectly…
…especially in the stress of a home invasion.
The bat just hobbles you before you’ve even started, which means you’re better off looking for a more suitable alternative.
(Like, say, a machete, one of my favorite choices, and one I relied on when I was staying in Illinois and couldn’t have my handgun with me.)
For these reasons, when you’re looking for an “alternative” home defense weapon, a bat is not the best choice.
But hey, that’s just my opinion — do you keep one on hand?
If you do, why… and if you have some OTHER alternative weapon, what it is?
Let me know in the comments.
