STUDY

• Dates for Youth Player Study: not yet determined
• Location: Olney-Margolies Athletic Center (OMAC), Brown University, Providence, RI

STATUS

• Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval received from Lifespan and Brown University (10/2/09). 
• NCAA compliance approval received (10/16/09).
• All bat models received (10/23/09).

• Calibration and accuracy evaluation of camera system in progress. 
• Recruitment of youth players underway. Interested 13U and 14U right-handed batting players should contact Beth Therrien. 

• HS and collegiate studies will occur after bats meeting the 2011 rules are available for retail purchase.

PURPOSE

The purpose of these studies is to measure the performance of baseball bats.  Our unique 3-D computer algorithms compute the batted ball speed and bat swing speed at any impact location along the bat from standard motion tracking data.  Using these two speeds we can correctly compare the performance of wood bats to any non-wood bat.

In 2002, we compared wood to – 5 metal and found that some metal bats performed like wood and others metal bats hit the ball faster and over a greater length of the bat’s sweet spot.   The current study will use similar methods and computational analyses. Details can be found in several of our papers.

• Crisco et al. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 2002; 34(10):1675-1684
• Greenwald, Penna, Crisco. J. Applied Biomech. 2001; 17:241-252

The selection of non-wood baseball bats has greatly expanded since our previous study.  A list of bats in the current study.  The results of this study are essential to understanding the performance of baseball bats and supporting the validity of laboratory test systems.

This study is not designed to address injuries or the risk of injury from batted balls. 

METHODS

• 30 youth players 13U and 14U. 
• 12 bat models
• 6 camera motion-tracking system (250 Hz, Qualysis, Gothenburg, Sweden)
• Novel computer code for complete 3-D analysis (Matlab, Mathworks, Natick, MA)
  • Pitched ball velocity
  • Batted ball velocity
  • Bat impact location
  • Bat swing velocity

Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of USA Baseball, NOCSAE, the manufacturers that donated bats and balls, the Department of Athletics, Brown University for the use of their facility, the Brown University Baseball Team.

Table 1. Testing will be performed on bats selected from those received and listed below.