Is my bat dead?

This is quite a common question but in most cases the bat is not dead. Bats, particularly composite bats will change sound over time. This can be due to the barrel breaking in and some composite softball bats are designed so that the inner barrel moves more easily over time and this can lead to the bat making a distinctive cracking sound after it has been used for a while.

If there is no visible sign of damage and the ball is still jumping off the barrel then the bat is most likely not dead.

Tapping the handle of the bat on the ground is not an indication of whether the bat is dead or not and will most likley damage the bat.