BAT WARMERS...
What's your opinion???
Yes. Have one that folds up and fits in bag easily.
How does a bat that is heated to 70 degrees hitting a ball that is 50 degrees in 50 degree weather change anything?
"IF"the bat compresses on contact with a ball, and "IF" the bat compresses more with heat, wouldn't a bat out of the warmer in colder weather be less brittle and give more than if cold preventing some cracking?
My thought is the ball makes more of a difference. Even if the bat is warmed up, the harder ball may flex the bat more than it is designed to. Similar to hitting stadium balls with a normal bat above 70 degrees, the ball being harder is what makes the difference in decreased durability.
Cold balls are always bad.
At what temp is the compression of the balls used measured? How much does the compression ratio of a ball change with a +/- 20 degree change? Who would prefer to have a brittle bat instead of one that compresses at contact?
If I recall correctly Ball compression is measured at 72 and for each degree below that, the ball gains 5 lbs of compression. Conversely, for every degree above 72 the ball loses 5 lbs of compression.
ASA (now USA) Softball outlawed bat warmers a few years ago. Their testing showed it provided a performance advantage (I think it was like 3-5%)
I was of the understanding that the Bat Warmer was for the preservation of the bat rather than improve bat performance. What temperature is best for maximum bat performance?
Have been told that 1.21 bats should not be used unless they are above 60 degrees. Have never heard actual scientific evaluations of this topic.
The research done by ASA at the time showed warming a bat added 2-4 mph to the batted ball speed. That equates to approximately 10 feet in distance.
I always found it interesting when it was 70+ degrees that people would attempt to use bat warmers as well.
I don't get it!
If the ball is as hard as a rock (not the Softball) I don't see what difference the temperature of the bat will make as far as breaking when hitting the ball hard.
If you keep the bats at room temperature until you hit and use a bat warmer, you should be able to hit in cold weather.. that is especially true if you use 52/300 balls.
I thought bat warmers were now legal? Are they?
