Easton BBCOR Bats

This video shows the process that the company Easton has to go through to develop bats that meet the BBCOR regulations. This shows another way of how companies go about creating the new bats.

 

Ball Exit Speed

This video shows the difference in ball exit speed between a BBCOR bat and a BESR bat. The fastest exit speed was 90 MPH with BESR and 85 MPH with the BBCOR

Dangers of BBCOR Bats

Even though the BBCOR bats create a safer environment for pitchers and fielders, they still bring their own dangers.

1) If the bats are exposed to extensive use against a pitching machine, the bats will eventually shatter like the picture above.
2) Some models of BBCOR bats have had issues when it comes to having the endcaps pop off. If this happens in a game then fielders and the pitcher would be in danger because of the rate at which the cap flies off.

Average Lifespan of a BBCOR Bat

Depending on which model bat you get can determine how long the bat will last you. For example, the Louisville Slugger Exogrid bat will cost you around $300 and on average will last you about 2-3 years. On the other hand buying a bat that costs $150-200 may last you 1 1/2 to 2 years.
The biggest factor to how long your bat will last is all about how you take care of it. For a more in depth look at how to care for your bat read my post titled "Ways to Care for Your Bat"

Hitting in this kind of weather will shorten your bat's lifespan quickly.

Ways to Care for Your Bat

The following is a list of Bat Care Tips that will help you keep your bat in the best condition possible for the longest time possible.

• Limit the bat to individual use
• Do not use in temperatures below 60°F
• Do not store the bat in extremely hot or cold temperature areas
• Do not clean metal cleats with the bat
• Use regulation, leather covered, baseball and softballs. NOT rubber cage balls
• Do not hit waterlogged balls
• Routinely check your bat for any damage
• Rotate your bat ¼ turn each swing (DeMarini Rotation Index)

Opinions on BBCOR Bats

In February of 2011 NCAA.com posted an article about how the BBCOR bats were viewed by players.

 

 

“[The bats] are definitely different than the old ones,” Herbek said. “I feel like the sweet spot might be a little smaller. If you don’t hit one exactly on the sweet spot you notice a bigger difference to how far it will go. With that said if you do hit one on the sweet spot it’s going to go.”

 

This article shows how the bats were first viewed by one of the top college programs in the country. As some time has past, players and coaches alike have begun to adjust to the bats and have started to learn how to hit the ball solidly. As more time passes , all players will become accustomed to these bats and then there won't be as many complaints.



Selecting Your Perfect BBCOR Bat

These are four steps to take when purchasing a BBCOR bat:

 

 

1. Set a Budget:
• Establishing a price range between $199-$299 will allow for a solid budget that will cover average bats to good bats.
2. Select a Bat Design
• The four bat types are:
1. One Piece Alloy: More affordable and greater selection
2. Hybrid: Combination of alloy and composite, more expensive than one piece alloy bats and relatively small selection
3. Composite: Price and Selection are in the same ball park as the hybrid bats
4. Wood: Lowest price and small selection.
3. Select a Manufacturer
• With every bat company using different methods when building their bats, it all depends on what manufacturer has the best bat for you.
• An example of this is that DeMarini bats usually have a more balanced feel when you swing them as opposed to the more top heavy Verdero.
4. Select the Proper Size
• All high school and college players use a -3 size to weight ratio. Meaning that a 33 inch bat is 30 ounces. Picking the right size is also determined by how strong the player is

New York Yankees

Louisville ExoGrid 2 Technology

Louisvile Slugger shows the technology that they have put into their 2012 ExoGrid 2 bat.

 

Price Comparison

You may think that with the new certification process would force bat manufacturers to raise the price of the bats. Well actually when you compare the two types of bats the prices are almost identical to one another.

Back when BESR bats were being used, you could easily find yourself paying anywhere between $200 all the way up to $500, all depending upon what brand of bat it was that you were buying. For example, you could have bought an Easton Typhoon bat for $200 but the bat would break or die before the end of the summer season. You could have also bought a Louisville Slugger ExoGrid bat for around $500 and notice a tremendous difference in the durability and pop that the bat had. So depending on how much you spent actually made a difference when it came to bat quality.

2007 Easton Typhoon

2007 Louisville Slugger ExoGrid

Now when you go to a store you will find mainly BBCOR bats and the first thing people seem to look at is the price tag. When they see a bat for $400 they turn away from it as if they would never think of spending that kind of money for a bat. The matter is that BBCOR bats range from $60 (very low quality) to $400 (high quality). The thing with BBCOR bats though is that since the certification puts restrictions on the bounciness of the barrel, I can say from personal experience that a $200 Verdero BBCOR bat hits just as well as the $300 DeMarini Voodoo in terms of durability and pop. The look of the bats is the only real difference in my opinion.

Verdero 718 Max

2013 DeMarini Voodoo

How Are Bats Certified?

To test bats during the BBCOR certification process three mechanisms are used to measure ball rebound speed:

1. Ball Cannon: At a muzzle velocity of at least 150 mph, the ball will be shot from the cannon with no more than 10 rpms to measure and the exhaust may not cause the barrel to move if the ball doesn't make contact with the bat.
2. Ball Speed Gate: The gate consists of three sensors that track the ball's speed. The first sensor is placed 18 inches from the surface of the bat, the second one is 6 inches closer than the first sensor, and the third is 6 inches closer than the second sensor. This will track the rebound speed of the ball from the surface of the bat.
3. Bat Pivot Support: The support hold the bat by the handle so that the proximal end of the knob is 6 inches from the axis of rotation. 

After the bat is set up properly in the machine, the testing begins. Using six new balls, the machine fires one at a time towards the barrel and the results are recorded. After each shot the barrel is randomly rotated to ensure the entire barrel produces similar results. After all the data is collected the mathematicians use a formula to measure the batted ball coefficient of restitution (BBCOR). Any bat that has a higher BBCOR rating than .500 is deemed illegal for play.

In conclusion, these are the five requirements for BBCOR certification.

1. The bat must meet the size and weight specifications.
2. There are no tolerances for length-weight differences (no greater than three units without the grip) or for maximum barrel diameter.
3. The bat must have an MOI (6 in. from the base of the knob) greater than or equal to the minimum allowable for the bat’s length class.
4. The bat ring must pass over the entire length of the bat before and after every hit.
5. The BBCOR, as determined from an average of six (6) consecutive valid hits at the maximum BBCOR location described above, must not exceed 0.500.

How BESR Bats Were Made

BESR certified bats were built with a composite lining that would give the bat more "pop" once the bat had been broken in. The composite lining, as pictured below, consists of layers of carbon fiber and strong glue.

Over time the glue or resin loosens up and allows the barrel of the bat to be more flexible resulting in more "pop." This added pop from the carbon fiber is one of the reasons that the certification changed, due to a large number of cases where the opposing pitcher would be injured from a hard hit ball from one of these bats.

How BBCOR Bats Are Built

First off BBCOR stands for "Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution". Basically what this means is that the ball is only allowed to "exit" from the barrel of the bat at a specific speed. To do this the bat companies have used different techniques to create less of a trampoline effect. Louisville Slugger uses two wedged discs to create a smaller sweet spot on the barrel.

 





Welcome to My Blog

The purpose of this blog is to inform readers about the differences between BBCOR certified bats and the old BESR certified bats. I aim to resolve any confusion regarding why the certification changed and how the new BBCOR bats are built. I will be posting numerous videos ranging from batting cage sessions using the bats and pictures of the inner core of the bats. Thank you for stopping bye and stay tuned for more.

Sports Science: BBCOR Bats Explained

This video provides a brief overview of the differences that BBCOR bats bring to the table.

Video Credits: ESPN "Sports Science"