The BBCOR Bat Standard

Excerpts from...
The BBCOR Bat Standard
Batted Ball Coefficient Restitution
by Steve Orinick
http://www.stevetheump.com/BBCOR.htm (full article)

This new standard measures bat performance and replaces the previous BESR standard. The NCAA (college) required BBCOR bats for the 2011 season.  For NFHS (high school) play, all bats must be BBCOR certified for the 2012 season. BESR (Ball Exit Speed Ratio) is no longer considered accurate enough to determine the actual performance of differing bat models.

Instead of measuring the speed of the ball after it is batted, BBCOR measures the “bounciness” of the ball and bat, or the “trampoline” effect. When a bat hits a ball, the ball actually compresses / deforms by nearly a third at high pitch velocities.

A pitched ball holds a lot of energy that you can see in the spin and speed of the ball. With solid wood bats, much of that energy is lost as the ball compresses on impact. The batted ball speed gets much of its energy from the bat. With hollow-core aluminum or composite bats, the thin walls “flex” slightly, the ball distorts less, retains its pitched energy and adds to it the power of the bat speed. Hence, non-wood bats hit balls faster.

The loss of energy at impact is what BBCOR measures. The less energy lost, the faster the ball speed after it gets launched off the bat.

A simple way to think of BBCOR is to jump up and down on a hard floor. It takes a lot of energy in your legs to get off the ground. The floor doesn’t help at all. Contrast that feeling by jumping on a trampoline. Even with very little energy from your body, you will still get a bounce because that energy isn’t being absorbed by the trampoline. Instead, the trampoline is flexing with the impact and then “bouncing” back to its original shape, thus launching you higher into the air.
With a 10-15% decrease in bat performance, the game will be much more “balanced” among all players. More importantly, slower speed batted balls will address some of the safety concerns that have become prevalent in recent years. Both the NCAA and NFHS want all bats to have the same performance factors as the best wood bats. While it may still be cost effective to purchase aluminum or composite bats that will last longer than wood bats, it won’t necessarily make you a better hitter. You’ll have to swing faster and more accurately to get the same results as before.

According to the NFHS, “the new standard ensures that performances by non-wood bats are more comparable to those of wood bats. It’s also expected to minimize risk, improve play and increase teaching opportunities”. They also state “After working with the NCAA and having access to its research, we’ve concluded it’s in our best interest to make this change. BBCOR includes the BESR standard, so we’re actually expanding upon our current standard, which will be more appropriate for our age and skill level.”

If your team plays under NCAA or NFHS rules, you almost certainly will need a new bat. Bat manufacturers have been able to adjust their designs with very little notice.  Look for the BBCOR compliance mark which will be on all bats that meet the new standard. The BBCOR must be less than or equal to .500.