Wondering if anybody had a chart correlating exit speeds to bat weights. I would assume that exit speed would increase as the weight of the bat increases as long as the bat can be swung hard. Example of 32/22 vs 33/23. Would exit speed increase using the 33? Also curious about -9 vs -10. Assuming a -9 would have a higher exit speed but by how much. Anybody got anything on that?
Bat Weight/Exit Speed Question
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- Jun 20, 2015
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it's way beyond my long ago physics classes. But highest bat speed with heavier bat will equal higher exit velo of the softball. Assuming equal contact.
So if player can generate 60MPH with 22 oz bat and 60mph with 23 oz bat,,,, ball exit speed will be higher off of the 23oz bat.
So if player can generate 60MPH with 22 oz bat and 60mph with 23 oz bat,,,, ball exit speed will be higher off of the 23oz bat.
- May 18, 2022
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The experimental data is for baseball and they used 5oz increments for the bats.
- Jun 18, 2023
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Looks like all that data is fairly old.
MLB has bat tracking metrics in place in some/all of the parks as of very recently. I don't know that anyone has seriously (publicly) analyzed some of that data, and what bats the players use isn't always easy to find, but there should be enough data there to run some statistics and see if what it says in terms of the relationship between bat weight and bat speed and exit velocity
The question that needs to be asked along with exit velocity is can/will the player swing the -10 faster than the -9? If that is the case then the exit velocity may be equal, but the difference would be that the -9 would have a larger sweet spot.
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Though the formula for momentum is mass x velocity, I think there is more to it. At the moment of impact both bat and ball deform. If the bat performs as designed and deforms so the trampoline effect is in play, then exit speed should be higher. If the ball deforms to much, then speed is lost. I personally believe bats that are too light (-11, -12) then the ball wins the collision and speed is lost due to recoil. JMO
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- Jun 18, 2023
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There's definitely more to it. You gotta figure Impulse too, which is what causes that change of momentum and is maximized by MORE force and LESS time, which is really just kind of a physics way to say what you said about the collision.
So like, 10oz x 1s = 10 impulse, 20oz but 2s is also 10.
so basically as you get heavier, you want to keep your bat speed from dropping as much as you added in weight.
This is why the saying is "As heavy a bat as you can swing at full power" I guess, though without tools I don't think anyone can really tell the minute differences in swing speeds between a 32 or a 33 oz bat.
And of course, you gotta get into the angular stuff, length of bat, sweet spot.
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Yes, agree on figuring angular speed, which really starts back at the acceleration of the bat. I believe from some work way back that a -9 was more end loaded the a -10 (more balanced). It may be different now. But given what I just said, it is harder for a batter to bring the heavier end loaded bat up to the same angular velocity as the -10. I don't think it is a minute difference, but I don't have data that I can look at. Impulse is defined as I=Ft or I=mv-mu, final momentum - initial momentum. So you would need to have ball velocity prior and after as well. Digging deeper, construction of the bat also lends to all of this including sweet spot. Sorry, didn't mean to go down a rabbit hole. I used to follow Dr. Russel's work and always found it interesting.
Wait...let me think back to my Physics classes...oh wait...nevermind
Pretty simple old school Ray Demarini said..."swing the heaviest bat you can WITHOUT giving up bat speed".
that also doesnt mean that because you are swinging a lighter bat, you will swing faster. Thats incorrect,. A swing
will only be so fast...its not like you are dry swinging a light bat like a maniac that you are going to swing like that in a game...haha.
that also doesnt mean that because you are swinging a lighter bat, you will swing faster. Thats incorrect,. A swing
will only be so fast...its not like you are dry swinging a light bat like a maniac that you are going to swing like that in a game...haha.
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