Picking The Right Bat For 16″ Softball
By: S. Brady Phillips
CU-31 and C-405. Are these the 21st century bombers on the Pentagon’s wish list? BPF, end-loaded, and balanced. Are these terms you need to know when discussing investing with your financial planner?
The answer to both of these questions is “no”. Knowing what each of the above means helps one accomplish the increasingly complex task of purchasing the right softball bat for you.
Adding to the complexity of this task is that most bat manufacturers focus their research and development dollars on the more lucrative 12″ market.
Always in search of an edge I set out to find the answer to the eternal question, “What is the best bat to use in 16″ softball?”
The first phase of my research was academic. I asked Stan Natonek, a Physics teacher at Eisenhower High School, Blue Island, IL, to study the difference between hitting a 12″ softball vs. a 16″.
The Science
According to Stan, the first difference is an obvious one. A 12″ softball weighs 6 oz and is harder, with a density of .36 g/cc. A 16″ ball weighs 9 oz with a density of .22 g/cc. In essence you are dealing with two variables, difference in weight and difference in density…..