Posted by: Deano (dharisis@firstam.com) on Thu Dec 12 08:28:47 2002

There must be a math formula on bat speed increase and decrease with bat lenght and weight. Problem: With force constant (the swing), what is the change in bat speed with diferent bats. Bat 34in. 31oz.; bat 34in. 29oz.; bat 33in. 30oz.; bat 32in. 29oz. One formula that comes to mind is F=MA (Force = mass times exceleration). With the Force constant and the mass decreasing the exceleration increases. But added to the mix is that the shorter the bat the slower the sweet spot travels. Any help on this concept.

Read Robert Adair's "The Physics of Baseball". It will be one of the best $10 paperbacks on baseball you'll ever read.

He goes into great length about this subject, and even proves that heavier bats (more mass) do in fact result in longer trajectories for batted balls. I can't quote with certainty what he details, but there is some offsetting that occurs when a heavier bat tries to compensate for any (implied) reduction in bat speed.

Over the years, I've come to believe (through observation with several youth programs) that bat speed helps generate the greatest gains for hitting with authority. I'm not saying that proper mechanics also play a part, because they certainly do! But at the younger ages, the minus 12 bats really help the kids generate some incredible bat speed.

-Deano