Home Intrusion Protection: Protect Yourself with a Hammer Instead of a Baseball Bat!

A couple weeks ago, I had a discussion with a young female friend, who was informing me of a recent break-in at her apartment complex. Thankfully, the intruder immediately bolted for the exits when he noticed that there were five men, wide awake, in the apartment that he broke into, so no harm was done and no items were stolen. My friend, who lives by herself, later stated to me that she always has a big baseball bat near the side of her bed for this very reason. I then asked her to show me the bat. Much to my surprise, this aluminum bat was 34 inches long and weighed 29 ounces. Obviously, a gun is likely the best way to defend yourself during a break-in, but if you’re not a gun owner, do we really think a baseball bat is the best way to go?

I can honestly say that if I saw a small female swing a baseball bat toward me, I would not be backing away. I would likely attempt to catch her swing as the bat lands on me, and then wrestle the bat away and gain complete control without much physical damage being suffered on my end. The average female (or male) can not swing a large bat quickly enough to do major damage unless the intruder is blindsided and has absolutely no idea the swing is coming. The female is likely only going to get one swing at the intruder. If she lives in a tight space, and the intrusion is in a dark home, then what are the chances that the swing is even going to be impactful or accurate? Not even the best professional baseball players could execute a fast and powerful swing if they were standing in a narrow hallway. The swing will likely be obstructed by walls, furniture, and/or some type of decor.

Given the aforementioned observations, I think the narrative should veer toward a hammer, instead. You don’t need to have a full range of motion to execute a powerful landing with the hammer. Even just a quick little “flick” of the hammer can hurt somebody and cause significant pain if in the right spot. On top of that, you will likely have the chance to quickly bring the hammer back up after impact and then make at least 2 or 3 more swings on the intruder’s body before he/she has a chance of stopping you. Also making this easier is the fact that most hammers are considerably lighter than baseball bats (unless we’re talking about a huge sledge hammer), so even the smallest of us humans can have a decent shot of defending ourselves with a hammer versus a bat. Furthermore, a hammer is more difficult to spot because of its relative small size. A long baseball bat can be recognized from a considerably further distance away, thus giving the intruder more time to prepare for the oncoming strike coming his/her way.

Remember, too, that a hammer only requires one hand. With a baseball bat, you are likely using both hands. With a hammer, you could use your free hand to shield your body or use it to hold another weapon like a knife or a can of pepper spray.

Given the above notes and observations, I strongly advise you to replace your bedroom’s “home invasion baseball bat” with a hammer! Be safe out there!