Abstract
Of all the technical issues that concern bat and ball sports, the one that is of most interest to most players concerns bat performance. Players would like to hit the balls far as possible, using the most powerful bat that they can afford and that they are allowed to use. They would also like the bat to be as light as possible so that it is easy to swing and connect with the ball. Therein lies a dilemma. Heavy bats are more powerful, but they are harder to swing. Light bats are easy to swing but they lack the punch of a heavy bat.
The 2004 bat standard has a maximum batted ball speed (BBS) limit of 98 mph when tested according to the ASTM F2219 test method. Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA) Bat and ball certification program, current in 2010.
The BBCOR, as determined from an average of six (6) consecutive valid hits at the maximum BBCOR location described above, must not exceed 0.500.
– NCAA Standard for testing baseball bat performance, effective January 1, 2011
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Cross, R. (2011). Bat Performance. In: Physics of Baseball & Softball. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-8113-4_11
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