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Ally Edwards
The speed with which a batter brings the bat forward is one of the most commonly
stressed elements in hitting because it is the speed of the bat which determines the distance the
ball will travel. (1) Bat speed is defined as how fast a bat moves through its arc when a softball
batter swings it. It is generally determined at the bat’s center of mass. Hitters with the ability to
react quickly and swing fast hit more balls and hit them further. Hitters with fast bat speed and
reaction times can wait longer before reacting to a pitch. They tend to get more hits because
they’re able to make better decisions about which pitches to swing at. (2)
For a well-hit bat, the collision occurs over a period of about one-thousandth of a second.
The effect of the collision of the ball reversing direction is brought on entirely because of the bat
swing. The bat applies force to the ball, which compresses it, and the ball then exerts force on
the bat upon regaining its original contours. The recoil action from this exerted force drives the
ball quickly away from the bat. The recoil force is less than the compressive force because
some of the collision energy is absorbed by frictional forces. A softball travels farther if it is
struck by a bat that is swung faster. (2)
Bat speed is one of the biggest contributors to ball speed off the bat. (2) The mass of the
bat and the speed of the swing can raise batted ball speed (BBS), which adds distance to a hit.
The faster the bat is travelling when it greets the ball is what by the laws of physics makes the
ball jump from the bat. Angular mechanics rather than linear mechanics are primarily involved.
Angular momentum is the transfer of the body’s rotational momentum to the bat that occurs
when the hands are quickly swung in a circular arc. Momentum is force or speed of movement;
impetus, as of a physical objects or course of events. Torque is a major force and is the
application of a rotational force at the bat’s handle by the combined efforts of the hands, arms,
and shoulders. Torque is generally defined as the force applied to an object multiplied by the
distance from the axis of rotation to the point on which the force is acting. It is the result of two
forces being applied to an object from opposite directions so that the object is forced to rotate
about a point. Torque is applied to the barrel-end of the bat in the swing by the pushing and
pulling actions of the forearms and hands. (2) Force is an influence on a body or system,
producing or tending to produce a change in movement or in shape or other effects.
To maximize bat speed, the softball batter must apply torque throughout the swing and
maintain the hands in a circular path. In order to accomplish these actions most effectively, the
upper body (shoulders, arms, and hands) should rotate around a fixed axis (the spine). When the
path of the hands makes a circular arc as the batter’s body rotates during the bat swing, the
body’s angular momentum is transferred to the bat in the form of accelerated motion
(acceleration). This transference of momentum is generated as the arms swing the hands in a
circular arc and as the barrel end of the bat swings around the hands. (2) Great hitters watch the
ball until the last possible moment to see which way it will break, then bring the bat around with
a lightning-like wrist snap. The player who has the ability to wait on the ball strikes out fewer
times because he has a longer look at the ball as it approaches the plate. (1) The quicker the bat
speed the greater advantage to the hitter.
Bibliography
1. Kracik John Claude, The Effect Of Selected Preliminary Activities On Bat
Speed. Pp. 2.
2. Softball: Bat Speed and Hitting. Page 1-2.