The hypothesis is that if I hit softballs with a composite and an aluminum bat to determine which hits the furthest then, the composite bat will be the best option in order to hit the furthest. The goal of this project is to compare the hitting power and "sweet spots" of aluminum softball bats versus composite softball bats. It will compare how the difference in the bat composition can affect the speed and distance of the ball. It will also look at the sweet spots of the bats to see if when the ball is hit from these spots if it results in the best ball hitting performance – the longest distance – and also feels most comfortable to the batter. What causes the bat to sting or reverberate more harshly during some hits and not others? For this…show more content… They are typically constructed of a reinforced carbon fiber polymer material and coated with an epoxy resin. They were first introduced in the mid-1980’s but didn’t become a popular option for 20 more years due to performance issues. The lighter weight allows hitters to better reach their swinging potential and at plate performance through higher ball speed on contact. The downsides of a composite bat is it doesn’t make the familiar “ping” sound that hitters are used to hearing when hitting the bat well. Composite bats also require a breaking in period which takes several hours or 150 to 200 hits before they reach optimal performance. Due to the double wall construction of a composite bat it may have an increase in the trampoline effect and they also thought to perform poorly or even breaking in temperatures below 65 degrees. Even though composite bats cost more than aluminum bats they are the most popular option for softball…show more content… When the ball is hit by the bat, it causes vibrations which travel up and down the bat. There is a point that the vibration waves cancel each other out. This is called the ‘node’. If the ball is hit on the bat’s node, there won’t be any stinging in the batter’s hands because the vibrations have cancelled out. Also, because less of the bat’s energy is diminished by the vibrations, more of the energy goes to the ball causing it to go further. Scientific studies show the sweet spots are near the wide end of the bat and vary depending on the type of bat, how the batter holds the bat, and also how the sweet spot is measured since there are both separate and overlapping sweet spots. Because of that some scientists now prefer to consider the ‘sweet zone’ rather that ‘sweet spot’. The sweet zone is the area between four and seven inches from the end of the bat. Much research has been done on the physics of bats and balls and the results of where the ball is hit on the bat. The results show it depends on the location and vibration and generally the bat vibrates more if the ball is hit outside of the sweet zone. The node sweet spot differs from the "center of percussion" sweet spot. When a ball hits the node, you don't feel any vibration in your hand. When it hits the center of percussion, your hand doesn't feel any force pushing
