Ultimately the choice is entirely up to you but, the differences should be considered. Let's start by stating the obvious. Maple by nature is a heavier more dense species. In terms of wood bat production this added weight causes a significant issue when attempting to produce larger barrel models. Therefore the actual model choices available to the end user are greatly reduced. Many small manufacturers claim to have the ability to produce large barrel bats on a regular basis. Do to the limited availability of light weight maple these claims are virtually impossible. The sufrace area of maple is approximately 4% harder than that of ash. You'll notice while hitting with ash bats, the barrel will have a tendency to groove similar to those found in a golf club head. This result is in direct correlation to wood fiber, grain and cell structure. Ash is a more porous open grain wood which under compression will begin to flake and seperate. Maple, with its added density and closed grain structure will compact under the same hitting conditions which will result in the presence of lace marks. This compression can also be accomplished in both maple and ash through a process referred to as boning. This process is physically compressing the wood fibers using a hard smooth surface. The surface originally used was a cattle femur or large bone which explaines the term "bone a bat". The same result can be acheived by using the edge of a porcelain sink or bathtub. There are many popular models that can be produced using both maple as well as ash. A common misconception that was introduced by many smaller manufacturers is that Maple bats are always heavier than ash! This is far from the truth. Although several models are impossible to produce in large volume, the fact remains that billet weight determines the finished bat. Two billets of the same starting weight will produce the same finished bat. Climate conditions also effect proformance of the finished bat. In cold climates maple has a tendency to "explode" at the point of contact. This is caused by temperature as well as humidity and their effect on the cell structure, the Flexibilty of the wood fibers and moisture content. The combination of near freezing temperatures and less flexibility caused by reduced moisture content will result in a higher number of broken or "exploding" maple bats. During the summer months increased humidity levels will effect weight and flexibility as well. Humidity (moisture) is absorbed by the fibers of the wood. This process is referred to as equaliation with the end result being equalibrium moisture content. This level of moisture content is a naturally occurring process. In short, wood will equalize to the ambient conditions. This process will cause the weight and moisture content of a finished bat to fluxuate. This condition is the very reason many players are storing their game bats in a climate controlled areas or large humidors. Although ash is also effected by these conditions the end result doesn't seem to be as drastic. Players at every level are finally beginning to realize the limits involved when choosing to use maple bats. For this reason a number of our clients have decided to return to using ash. Other clients have begun to order both maple as well as ash throughout the year. Especially during the early part of the season when the temperature is colder and the player may not be at their optimum proformance level.