subject: Few Consideration In Choosing The Right Baseball Bats For You [print this page] The newest wave in baseball bats at the Little League and high school levels are the bbcor baseball bats, composite bats that meet the new batted ball coefficient of restitution (bbcor) rules that have been recently required by the National Federated of State High School Associations (NFSH) which oversees high school baseball. Based on the rules, which satisfies the specifications set by the NCAA, high school baseball teams aren't permitted to use 100 percent composite bats beginning in 2012.
The details of the new rules states that bats produced from non-wood materials need to meet the new BBCOR standard. This replaces previous restrictions set forth by the BESR (ball exit speed ratio), which were much more lenient in their assessments of the effectiveness of composite bats.
The new bbcor baseball bats regulations was put into place to raise the level of protection for players on high school and Little League teams, specifically for pitchers. The velocity of balls hit with BBCOR-rated bats averages 95 miles per hour, compared with over 100 mph for composite bats that fulfilled the older BESR standards.
Research done by several different colleges have shown that balls hit by composite bats made from graphite fibers or a composite core lined with graphite might and did lead to serious injury to players, especially to their heads. Research indicate that catastrophic injuries in high school baseball, defined as injuries that result in a momentary or permanent serious disability, do take place, thanks at least in part to the composite bats.
The newest restrictions measure the "bounce" of the bats as they hit a baseball. A ball compresses as the bat impacts it. Balls hit by lighter composite bats didn't compress, or "pop" as much as balls struck by wood bats. Due to the lower level of compression, the ball moved further and faster, which made injury a high possibility.
The bbcor baseball bats are several ounces heavier, since the rules mandate that the bat's length has to vary from its weight in ounces by no more than a factor of three. The BBCOR bats also do not have as big a "sweet spot" as the previous composite bats had; that is the spot of the bat that transmits the most energy to the baseball when it's hit.
While the bbcor baseball bats advertise safety for players at all levels of amateur baseball, the new regulations regulating the materials of the bats have had a definitely recognizable effect on batting performance. Teams that began using the new requirements in 2011 reported a noticeable difference in the number of home runs hit throughout the season, along with the overall batting average for a team.
Baseball bat companies have been trying to come up with new composites that fulfill the new rules. Manufacturers make both one-piece and two-piece bats that are composed of components such as aluminum or special alloys along with specially-designed composites. A few BBCOR bats also include special memory-foam grips. Bat manufacturers have stepped up enthusiastically to meet the new regulations.
