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It never ceases to amaze me how so many hitters believe that using larger barrel wood baseball bats somehow make them better hitters. What is so amazing about it is that they don't know why they think that. Most will say that bigger barrels means more bat hits the ball adding power and that is simply not true. Others will say it gives them a better chance of hitting the ball and while there is some validity in that, the types of contact it may give you are not what you want.
Let's evaluate the last viewpoint first. Large barrel wood bats generally are 1/8th inch larger than medium barrel wood bats (2 1/2"). So at the point where the bat contacts the ball, you have an additional 1/16" coverage on top and bottom of bat. Doesn't sound so big now, does it? Getting back to the point of contact, all balls hit for power are struck in the sweet spot of the bat which is usually 2 inches from the barrel end and about 3 inches in length. It is also approximately 1" in height centered in the edge grain on a line through the long axis of the bat. This is the maximum size of the sweet spot for effective power hitting. Anything hit above that line is a fly ball and anything below is a ground ball (generally speaking). No matter what size barrel bat you use, the height of this contact area does not change significantly. At the point of power contact, the ball will strike the bat in the sweet spot within 1/2" of the centerline. Adding an addition 1/16th of an inch to the outer edge (top and bottom) of the bat will not change the effective hitting area of the bat.
The disadvantage to this is that you are adding additional weight to the end of the bat without increasing the hitting efficiency. Second, if you are thinking that you need that additional 1/8", when all balls hit effectively are done so in the 1" area we have mentioned, then you're hitting philosophy is seriously wrong. You have a negative hitting approach and are assuming you will miss the ball.
Let's go to the first statement. Bigger wood bats do not necessarily equate to harder hits. The assumption is that if the barrel is bigger in diameter, there is more mass hitting the ball and thus hits harder. Comparatively, a medium barrel wood bat will hit harder than a same weight large barrel wood bat. Also, a small barrel wood bat (2 3/8") will hit harder than a medium barrel wood bat of the same weight. Are you confused yet? I will explain this.
Let's assume we are comparing a large barrel (2 5/8") model 243 to a medium barrel (2 1/2") 271. Both are 33" in length. In order to create the larger barrel size of the 243 and keep the weight 30 oz. (-3 drop), the bat maker has to use a wood billet weighing about 120 oz.. To make the same size bat in a medium barrel 271, he would have to use a wood billet of approx. 147 oz.. This means the large barrel wood bat is made of lower density wood than the medium barrel wood bat. Lower density means less mass per unit of measure and contradicts the thinking that larger barrel bats hit harder because of higher mass.
Doing the math (and physics) and calculating the kinetic energy of a 2" section of the sweet spot of both models at a bat speed of 78mph (average for college bb), we find that the kinetic energy of the medium barrel bat is 15% higher than that of the larger barrel bat. This means that there is more force upon ball contact using a medium barrel bat than a large barrel bat.
In a game of inches and speed, 15% is a fairly significant difference and an advantage that most hitters would be foolish to give up.
This lower density also equates to higher breakage due to the lack of stiffness causing excessive flexion of the bat at contact.
Of course, you can also increase the hitting force and decrease breakage of a large barrel wood bat (or any other model) by simply increasing the weight of the bat and thereby increasing density (more math).
So there you have it. Scientific proof that large barrel wood bats do not necessarily hit harder than smaller barrel wood bats. The next time you decide you want to hit harder, concentrate more on hitting the ball in the sweet spot of your wood bat and not with a bigger bat.
by Fred Bonds
Fred Bonds is the Director of Research for Area51Sports, an innovative new wood baseball bat company, http://www.area51bats.com. He was director of the Central Michigan Sports Center, director of the BPR Nationals HS Prospect team, and a former associate scout for the Cincinnati Reds. For more info on wood baseball bats or to contact Fred, go to http://www.area51bats.com.
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