Enhancing Baseball Bat Performance Standards: A Comprehensive Review and Proposal
This document examines the current performance standards for baseball bats established by the NCAA and ASTM, emphasizing the need for modernized testing methods to predict field performance accurately. It outlines a proposed new procedure that integrates the strengths of existing methodologies, focusing on the collision efficiency between the ball and bat. Key discussions include the principles governing bat performance, recommended laboratory tests, and the implications for further research. The paper aims to refine performance metrics for better consistency and reliability in outcomes.
Enhancing Baseball Bat Performance Standards: A Comprehensive Review and Proposal
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Presentation Transcript
Baseball and Bat Performance Standards Alan M. Nathan Department of Physics University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign a-nathan@uiuc.edu NCAA Research Committee Omaha, NE June 13, 2001
Outline • Introduction • General Principles • Current NCAA and ASTM Procedures • A New Proposal • Need for Additional Research • Summary/Conclusions
Introduction • The main issue: • how to devise laboratory tests to predict field performance • The approach: • Study problem with model for ball-bat collision • Model constrained by • physics principles • data • intelligent guessing • Compare with available data
vball vbat vf General Principles • Lab: Given vball , vbat • measure vf • determine eA • Field: Given vball , vbat , eA • predict vf eA = “collision efficiency” = BESR-1/2
vball eAvball Properties of eA • For bat initially at rest… • eA = vf/vball • BESR = vf/vball + 1/2 • -1 eA +1 • at “sweet spot”, eA 0.2 (BESR 0.7) • vbat much more important than vball
vball vbat vf Properties of eA(or BESR) • It depends on... • inertial properties (mball, Mbat, CM, MOI, impact point) • COR of ball+bat • impact point • vrel = vball + vbat • but weakly • It does not depend on... • vball or vbat individually • only vrel • support on knob end • free, clamped, pivoted, hand-held
Typical Example 34”/31 oz wood bat vball = 90 mph knob = 45 rad/s Conclusions: • location of vf ,MAX depends on • the bat (eA) • the swing (vbat) • COP not relevant
. . . CM b . . pivot r bat recoil factor (inertial properties) e ball-bat COR 0.5 = BPF e0 e0 ball-wall COR x Pivoted Free What Does eA Depend On? = +
Free vs. Pivoted conclusions: • eA ~ independent of knob end (support, mass, …) • e (or BPF) not! • should be tested experimentally
Dot is COP Simulations of Aluminum Bats (34”, 31 oz)
Dependence on Impact Speed NOTE: effect mainly due to ball-wall COR (e0)
Review of Current NCAA Procedure • Standard swing: • vball = 70 mph vbat = 66 mph @ z=6” • vrel = 136 mph • BHM swings bat • Measure vf and infer BESR • Require vf,max 97 mph • eA,max 0.228 • BESR 0.728
Good Features of NCAA Procedure • Use of BESR (eA) as performance metric • better than BPF as predictor pf performance • Metric applied at optimum impact point • not at some arbitrary point (COP, …) • vrel = 136 mph approximates game conditions • far better than old ASTM method • although 160 mph is better
Possible Problems • Problems of principle • not subjected to scientific scrutiny • “peer review” • high torque of BHM may excite vibrations in bat • Problems of procedure • normalization of eA to bat speed • correction for non-standard ball COR
BHM Swing vs. Batter Swing • Much higher torque with BHM • wood bats break • possible excitation of “diving board mode” • 15 Hz • very rough estimate • v=3 mph • more study needed • measure vibration • cross check with other techniques
Problem with vbat Normalization • must use vbat at actual impact point • should not use vbat at z=6” • unless impact point is there • example: suppose vf,max at z=7” or 5” and eA=0.220 • inferred eA=0.193 @ 7” and 0.247 @ 5” • this is a significant error (but easily fixed) • 4.3 mph in a 90+70 collision
Problem with COR Correction • For a given ball, measure vf in 70+68 (138 mph) collision with standard bat at z=6” • rsb=0.2278; if vf=94 mph e0,sb=0.459 (@125 mph) • x vf - 94 • For bat being tested with this ball, adjust eA • eA= x/vrel (should this be -x/vrel?) • This is at best an approximation
Better COR Correction infer e0of ball with standard bat (using rsb) measure eAof same ball with bat under test use r to infer e scale e by e0,sb/e0 used scaled e and r to recompute eA NOTE: -even this procedure is approximate -need experiments to check consistency
Review of Proposed ASTM Procedure • Project ball on stationary bat at 140 mph • bat pivot point is 6” from knob • Measure vball and vffor impact at COP • Use measured ball-wall COR e0and measured inertial properties of bat rto infer BPF • Use BPF as metric/predictor of performance
Comments on ASTM Procedure • The Good: • completely transparent procedure that is easily checked by any interested observer • does not attempt to measure speed of struck bat, unlike old ASTM procedure • vrel approximates game conditions • measures ball-wall COR with same apparatus • The Bad: • use of BPF as metric (eA is better) • restriction to measurements at COP
Proposed New Procedure • Use the best features of the current NCAA and the proposed ASTM procedures • fire ball at stationary bat at 150 mph • eliminates possible complications of BHM • makes entire process easily understood by all • measure vball and vf to get eA = vf/vball • measure over broad enough range to cover vf,max • need to define standard conditions • correct eA for ball-wall COR • need to measure ball-wall COR • at what velocity? More on this later. • need to measure inertial properties of bat (r)
Proposed New Procedure • use eA and standard swing to predict vf,max • regulate size of vf,max
The Standard Swing z X 3” Z 0.8” x 45 rad/s vbat vs. z Crisco/Greenwald Batting Cage Study 70 mph @ 28”
Standard Conditions vball = 90 mph knob = 45 rad/s vrel = 160 mph @ z=6”
Standard Conditionse0 = 0.46 • Need ball-wall COR at appropriate speed • If ball-bat collision is at vrel • ball-wall collision should be at same center-of-mass energy • 150 mph ~134 mph • Should be checked experimentally
Crisco/Greenwald Batting Cage vs. Lansmont Laboratory
Crisco/Greenwald Batting Cage vs. Calculations
Crisco/Greenwald Batting Cage Study: bat speed versus MOI • I-nknob • n=0 • constant bat speed • n=0.5 • constant bat energy • data • n=0.31 0.04 • constant “bat+batter” energy, with Ibatter104 oz-in2 • v(6”) = 1.2 x 10-3 mph/oz-in2(vf=1.5 0.3 mph)
Areas for more Experiments • More extensive wood-aluminum comparisons • BHM vs. stationary vs. field comparisons • COR: flat vs. cylindrical • Collision time vs. vrel • COR vs. vrel(recoil effect) • vbat vs. M, MOI, zCM, … • COR correction to eA • eA for free vs pivoted bat • off-axis effects
Summary of Important Points • Much of the physics of ball-bat collision well understood • basic principles • models constrained by good data • This understanding can be applied to the issue of bat and ball standards • Laboratory measurements can predict field performance • More research needed in some areas