ASA speculation put to rest

[Judd]

Dont kick me. I am not familiar with how bats are tested, the 98 MPH thing etc? Can someone explain this?

My DD has the red Stealth. Is that considered composite? The barrel is metal but the handle is part composite I believe

BTW How can the ASA tell the bat companies when to stop making bats? What if they dont? Wouldnt that just make them illegal for ASA play? What about other leagues? My DD hasnt played an ASA tourny in 1.5 years

[Nate@Anderson]

Dont kick me. I am not familiar with how bats are tested, the 98 MPH thing etc? Can someone explain this?

My DD has the red Stealth. Is that considered composite? The barrel is metal but the handle is part composite I believe

BTW How can the ASA tell the bat companies when to stop making bats? What if they dont? Wouldnt that just make them illegal for ASA play? What about other leagues? My DD hasnt played an ASA tourny in 1.5 years

ASA has a test called the BBS test that they use to approve bats. This test measures 3 different variables and spits out a number that cannot be greater than 98MPH.

The Stealth will not be affected by the ASA changes because it has an aluminum barrel.

ASA is king when it comes to fast pitch. Although there ARE other associations, ASA is makes up probably 80%. Not to mention high schools and colleges take ASA's lead, so you have to take that into consideration as well. If a bat company decides NOT to follow ASA rules they can continue to produce non approved ASA bats but they have to take the ASA stamp off and only market them to non-ASA leagues.

[Judd]

Thanks. I went to ASA and read about it. I am familiar with ASTM and how they work.

I understand now.

How do they actually test the bat though? I went to ASTM and looked up the standard and I guess the actual testing process is something you need to pay for. Do they just put the ball on a tee and use a machine to hit it? Or do they pitch to it some how? I know it must all be automated and precide, just wondering how they actually do it.

[RudeDog]

I guess we will soon be seeing e-bay going off with "non ABI bat - This bat is HOT!" postings?
$400 Original Rockettech postings all over again, this time only composites?
What the guess on the hottest non ABI bat?
How high do you think we will see the prices go?
Glad my oldest DD still prefers her Rockettechs, Younger DD will need to take good care of her fav OKC bat and hope the banned list doesn't pop her "black beauty" (her words) any time soon.

Will this effect any Baseball bats?

[StatManKC]

Nate,

I don't doubt you, but I don't find this information anywhere on ASA's web site. Is this something sent to Anderson by ASA?

[ssarge]

Judd:

Not sure what modifications have recently been made to the testing proceedure itself (if any), but the ASA test has been the ASTM f2219 test. Which basically fires a ball at 110 mph against a stationary bat held in a vice-like device. Exit speed can not exceed 98mph.

Since the ball has a .47 COR (coefficient of restitution), the exit speed "should" be 47% of 110mph, or approximately 52mph. The delta between 52mph and 98mph is basically the trampoline effect of the bat.

As you can quickly deduce, this is NOT a real-world test. No one has any idea how trampoline effect is enhanced if hitters can cause a bat / ball collision greater than 110mph. And many can, given 60-70mph pitches, and 60+ mph swing speeds. I take that back - the bat companies know. I don't believe that ASA does.

I believe - with no evidence other than my gut - that some bat manufacturers engineer their product to get as close as possible to 98mph exit speeds at collision speeds LESS than 110mph. This helps the "average" female player, facing slower pitching and generating less bat speed. I believe other manufacturers put their design and engineering efforts into bats which create a really strong trampoiline effect at collision speeds above 110mph. This helps the elite player. These bats might have slightly smaller sweet spots, feel kind of "dead" to hitters with lesser bat speeds, etc. But the elite hitters will use them to great effect.


Also worth noting: the f2219 test does not really differentiate between a balanced bat and an end-loaded bat. At least I don't see how it could. Another reason it is not a "real world" test.

Regards,

Scott

[ssarge]

BTW How can the ASA tell the bat companies when to stop making bats? What if they dont? Wouldnt that just make them illegal for ASA play? What about other leagues? My DD hasnt played an ASA tourny in 1.5 years

What sanctions do you play? If it is a sanctioning body using the ASA standards, you'll need a bat with the ASA stamp. If it is a sanctioning body such as USSSA - there are others - using the BPF 1.20 testing standard, then you should buy a bat which has a 1.2 BPF stamp. You'll find those bats considerably more lively.

Regards,

Scott

[Nate@Anderson]

I guess we will soon be seeing e-bay going off with "non ABI bat - This bat is HOT!" postings?
$400 Original Rockettech postings all over again, this time only composites?
What the guess on the hottest non ABI bat?
How high do you think we will see the prices go?
Glad my oldest DD still prefers her Rockettechs, Younger DD will need to take good care of her fav OKC bat and hope the banned list doesn't pop her "black beauty" (her words) any time soon.

Will this effect any Baseball bats?

i can see how prices might go up, but you have to remember... any bat that breaks after October 1st will be replaced with an ABI tested ASA bat. So you're really buying ONE bat for $400 instead of 2 (w/ warranty return) like normal.

Baseball bats are regulated by the BPF and BESR tests... they will not be affected by ASA changes.