Impact of the Variable Weighted MOI Baseball Bat on Swing Velocity Enhancement

The sport of baseball is ubiquitous in American culture and has observed global prominence. Since its creation in the 1800s, individuals have sought to improve batting performance which is evident by the plethora of scientific literature that exists on the topic through today. Bat velocity is one ke...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Chapman, Luke A.
Other Authors: Noorbhai, Habib
Format: Thesis
Published: Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2024
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/156580
Description
Summary:The sport of baseball is ubiquitous in American culture and has observed global prominence. Since its creation in the 1800s, individuals have sought to improve batting performance which is evident by the plethora of scientific literature that exists on the topic through today. Bat velocity is one key aspect of a successful baseball swing because as bat velocity improves, key components such as decision time, swing mechanics and batted-ball velocity also improve. As such, a prototype bat design is proposed in this study through a brief validation protocol of identified literature that speaks to core physical principles (i.e. moment of inertia and center of mass) combined with market research validation. This prototype model is adjustable for different age groups to allow for development at a young age. Although this prototype requires further validation, the potential for superior batting performance is promising.