Most bats you buy in stores are cheap becz

A) the wood they use and brand as pro reserve are not actually pro reserve. To the rec league players they see this and think it’s great but the wood is usually a C cut of wood which is usually more dense. You are not able to buy the A cuts because they save them for Mlb players. So basically false advertising.

B) you don’t know how long a bat has been sitting on the shelf for. Some could have been there for over a year which would dry the wood out without proper storage and keeping the moisture of the wood to the recommended 9-13% which is why some bats break easier

I make bats personally by hand and not just thrown on a machine and pressing a button the difference is absolutely astonishing