BBCOR Certification

What is the BBCOR Certification?

BBCOR (Bat-Ball Coefficient of Restitution) is something you've probably heard a lot about; it's the standard currently governing adult baseball bats used in High School and Collegiate play. Rather than measuring the ratio of the ball exit speed to pitch and bat speeds, BBCOR measures the trampoline effect of the bat. In the past, when a pitched ball made contact with an alloy or composite bat, the barrel would flex inward ever so slightly, and the ball would retain some of its energy resulting in further hits. Wood baseball bats don't have as much "give" to them, and the ball loses much of its energy upon impact. The BBCOR standard ensures that non-wood bats perform more comparably to wood bats in an attempt to level the playing field and improve player safety.

All BBCOR baseball bats will carry the "BBCOR Certified .50" mark (pictured above) somewhere on their barrel or taper. Additional requirements for a bat to become BBCOR Certified include a length to weight ratio that is no greater than -3 and a barrel diameter that does not exceed 2”. So the answer to the very common question "Where can I find a BBCOR bat that has a -5 length to weight ratio?" is that "Those regrettably do not exist. All BBCOR bats are required to be -3 or heavier". As a result of being a standardized drop weight, the main difference with these models is their swing weights. The swing weight is how heavy the bat "feels" when swung. A bat with more of the weight towards the end is referred to as an "end-loaded" bat and will be geared towards power hitters. A bat with a more traditional contruction will be referred to as "balanced" and generally will be used by contact hitters.

Looking For a BBCOR Baseball Bat?

 

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