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Online now: 1 member: TABLE SETTER 11; 97 anonymousDiscussion: Question about 1.21
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| May 30, 2016 jfsully 82 posts | Question about 1.21 I was reading anther website and the following came up in discussion. Is this true that the 1.21 BPF limit applies only when a bat is new and it can exceed that as the bat "breaks-in"? The other questions are interesting as well: "However, current SSUSA testing only requires the bat to pass BPF = 1.21 straight out of the wrapper with no break-in. It's not entirely clear which bat actually meets or exceeds BPF=1.21 as it becomes "game ready" ....? What is the potential max BPF of broken-in bat? What is potential durability of bat once it reaches its peak BPF? Which bat has largest sweet spot once broken in?" (credit to post by Fennellwg @ SBF) |
| May 31, 2016 fennellwg Men's 60 97 posts | https://seniorsoftball.com/?news&story=121&keywordsfound=BPF That looks like something I would write. The link above is a good place to start. I'm sure the senior staff here are the final authority on this matter if they choose to comment. Articles by Richard Brandt and DA Russell regarding the physics and testing of bat/ball interactions in softball provide most of the reasoning for my initial comments If you find their references to ASTM 1890 ( the test SSUSA uses) you will see that the senior bats have an easier path to certification than the more stringent ASTM 2019 procedure. Specifically I believe the procedure to certify senior bats at BPF=1.21 differs from other associations like ASA or USSSA in the following: 1) uses relatively low collision speeds (60 mph vs 110 mph) 2) no experimental profiling of bat to find location of max rebound speed (Testing is only done at mathematically defined COP location) 3) no accelerated break-in like rolling is performed prior to acceptance test I don't have a lot of tournament experience so I do not wish to sound like an authority. But my impression of senior tournaments is that a bat labeled with "BPF = 1.21" is the only criteria for senior use. Hitting a ball "too far" over the fence will not get your bat challanged . But hitting up the middle may call for a compression test. .? SSUSA's position on bat testing appears to be more political that technical. The old guys funding the league definitely like to hit home runs, even if it means standing in front of a 100mph missle. And since no one has been killed yet, the financial liability has not yet to materialize. All comments welcome, Regards, Bill , |
