Our Maple Youth Bats are constructed using professional-grade, handpicked maple. Maple stands out as a dense timber with greater surface hardness than ash, leading many players to believe it gives them a sizable bump in performance. Due to its close-grained timber, maple bats are less prone to the flaking found on barrels of ash bats. - See more at: slugger.com/bats/wood-bats/youth/mlbhmyg.aspx#sthash.VZ6MUbOG.dpuf.