| This research uses experimental methods to examine five baseball-bat design parameters and their relationship to batted-ball speed. The properties studied were barrel stiffness, moment of inertia, handle stiffness, barrel construction (single wall vs. double wall) and weight. Where possible, these properties were studied for both aluminum and composite bats. All of the bats used in the study were manufactured to isolate a particular property for variation while keeping the other four properties as close to the same as possible. A series of nondestructive tests was performed to quantify the physical properties of each bat before performance testing. Laboratory performance testing was done using an air cannon for projecting the baseball at a stationary bat and followed the 2005 NCAA Certification Test Protocol where possible. Limited field testing was done using batted-ball distance as the performance metric. It was found that for the properties studied, barrel stiffness and MOI contributed most to batted-ball speed. When considering MOI, a swing-speed model must be used to predict field performance. |
