Posted by: Chris O'Leary (chris@chrisoleary.com) on Tue Jun 21 09:30:02 2005

> Chris,
>
> Balance (in aluminum bats the balance point is varied by mfgs.) is as important (if not more) than length and weight. Consider it.

As it turns out, I found the answer to my follow-up question. It is best if the weight is distributed toward the handle of the bat and not the head since this lets the bat head come around faster...

http://www.espn.go.com/gen/s/2000/0329/453294.html

"Mackay explained that bat-makers could improve performance by adding weight to the handle in order to move the balance point (or center of gravity) of the bat closer to the player's hands. Since a bat acts as a lever when swung in a game, a balance point closer to the knob allows hitters to move the barrel of the bat faster through the swing. (The balance point of a wood bat cannot be manipulated nearly as much since it is not hollow.) So a bat that moves at one speed in a testing facility can move at a much quicker rate when whipped through a strike zone on the field by a player Mackay suggested a uniform balance point for all aluminum bats. 'The single most important factor in controlling bat performance is balance point,' he says.

Mackay's complaint was not the first the NCAA had heard about balance point. A Brown University study commissioned by the NCAA in 1997 (www.nisss.org/Bsbll.htm) concluded that 'bat speed was shown to have a stronger correlation with bat [balance point] than bat weight. This suggests that it would be more effective to regulate bat [balance point] than bat weight.' But Mackay had worked for Louisville Slugger, and his stand in Kansas City pricked some ears on the NCAA Rules Committee."