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Interview with Dr. Daniel Russell - Professor of Acoustics & Director of Distance Education at Penn State University
COVER ARTICLE
The Holy Grail of Hitting and Where to Find It
So how do we get optimal BBS? Let’s face it, BBS is what everyone cares about. BBS determines how far the ball will go once contact is made. One of the biggest questions that has been debated by fans, players, parents and coaches when discussing BBS,
“Is bat speed more important or bat weight (mass) when it comes to BBS?”
While both are important for optimal BBS – there is something that is more important – the Moment of Inertia (MOI). But we do have to briefly comment on bat speed and weight research first to understand why MOI is more important.
Bat Speed, Weight And The Effect On Batted Ball Speed (BBS)
Speed
It has been well documented in research literature that two factors -- "the weight (mass) of the bat and the speed of the swing – both can raise BBS, which adds distance to a hit. But it’s swing speed that affects BBS more dramatically."
From Popular Mechanics “Baseball Physics: Anatomy of a Home Run”
Bat Weight
Not all bats weigh the same. The stationary weight of a bat isn’t as important as the swing weight of a bat. Although all BBCOR (drop 3 bats) have the same length-to-weight ratio, there are actually two different ways in which the weight of the bat
Simple physics description of hitting a baseball
It’s the transferred energy from a batters body to his bat. Then from the bat to the ball. The transfer of energy from bat to ball creates Batted Ball Speed (BBS) which propels the baseball forward.
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