Analysis of baseball bats performance using field and non-destructive tests

Currently the most common and excepted methods for testing bats are those approaches according to ASTM and NCAA. Both of these methods are done in a lab setting, in order to control the environment. The ASTM method measures Bat Performance Factors (BPF) of the bat, and the NCAA method measures Ball Exit Speed Ratios (BESR) of the bat. While these methods are proven effective, they neglect to take into account the actual envi ronment when the bat is used in the field. The purpose of this research is to draw a correla tion between BESR and BPF (bat performance factor) of three types of wood materials found in field tests, with values of a natural frequency and MOEd (dynamic modules of elasticity) found in the lab. By analyzing correlations between the field tests and non destructive testing (NDT), a new index can be drawn, which then can transform the natu ral frequency and MOEd results into BESR and BPF results. Research results show no sig nificant differences between the BESR and BPF when comparing the three types of wood materials. However there was a strong, positive correlation between the transverse natural frequency and the BESR and BPF of the bats. In other words, the higher frequency of the bat resulted in higher BESR and BPF values. In conclusion, the NDT method was proven to be effective both in the laboratory and in the field analysis. Future use of the NDT could be further used to create a new index to better analyze bat performances.