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Scientific Study on Bat weights....
By: Randy Dykstra
I have been talking in several previous posts about a study that not only took into account the physics of a bat and ball but also the physiology of the human in swinging a baseball bat. Well, I finally scanned some graphs and put them on the net. This study concluded, (as most of the rest have),that if you only account for the bat and ball a lighter bat is advantgeous.... however when you take into account the human that is swinging the bat..results change. This study uses experimental results to graph individual players and their bat speed for a wide range of bat weights. (It is difficult to mathematically model the human element) The researchers could then calculate the resulting kinetic energy and ball exit velocity. (Again, it is the ball's exit velocity that we really want maximize)(unless you're a parent of a pitcher, or can't afford $300 bats). They graphed the experiments and the results and found that the optimum ball exit velocity occurred with relatively heavy bat. In the 40 oz range for Pros. They also noticed that the near the maximum value, the exit velocity "Flattens" (the rate of change is very small). The authors theorise that a lighter bat is easier to control and make contact so they calculate what they call the "ideal" bat weight...which is the lightest weight that is within 1% of the maximum calculated ball exit speed. When this was done for several memebers the SF Giants, The researches discovered that the "Ideal" bat weight was around 32 to 34 oz. Suprise suprise... it has only taken over 100 years of trial and error to arrive at the same answer.... There is another scan of a couple more graphs at http://www.pnll.org/IBW-2.jpg The book is called "Keep Your Eye on the Ball : The Science and Folklore of Baseball" by Robert G. Watts, A. Terry Bahill. It is very technical in places, using physics and advanced mahematics (Calculas etc) to decribed their conculsions. If you understand math or just want to read about the results it is a good book. Amazon.com has it at......link below
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