Baseball Bat Safety - Everyone is Better Served
Safety in baseball is not limited to the use of metal bats and composite bats at the amateur levels where the pitcher’s safety has been put in peril. The use of traditional wood bats at the professional levels has also come into question as traditional wood bats have been shattering at an alarming rate, putting the safety of players and spectators at risk.
Reaction Time
Players are trained to perceive and react to batted balls based on the speed of the pitch and the mechanics of the batter. However, newer metal bats and composite bats can create a trampoline effect that returns more energy to the ball than a wood bat and may propel a ball far faster than any player expects. A more dangerous consideration is the inconsistency of the trampoline effect. Depending upon where the ball contacts the “sweet spot,” the trampoline effect may be more or less effective. This creates a dangerous situation for the fielder because their perceptions and the reality of the speed of the ball are inconsistent, causing a delayed reaction. Delayed reaction time leads to an inability to avoid injuries.
Radial Bats are completely consistent and will never fool a fielder, allowing them to always react appropriately. Radial Bats always perform as an optimal wood bat providing expected speeds. Normal reaction times provide safety. Unlike metal bats and composite bats, wood bats do not compress when they make contact with the baseball, therefore there is no trampoline effect.
Recently, a maple Radial Bat passed the BESR certification test which allows it to be used in all NCAA games.
Shatterproof
Players, coaches, umpires and spectators are in danger when a traditional wood bat shatters, its pieces flying off in any number of directions at high speeds. In such instances, players find themselves faced with the challenge of fielding the ball or avoiding a jagged projectile. Meanwhile, coaches and spectators are often caught off guard as they are following the ball, unaware that a hunk of a baseball bat is hurling toward them. The increased frequency of bats shattering has become a significant problem.
This is not a concern with Radial Bats. Radial Bats are not unbreakable, however they are shatterproof. When a Radial Bat does break, it does so harmlessly with virtually the entire bat remaining in the hitter’s hands. The barrel will never shatter, nor separate from the handle of a Radial Bat. Any failure would be limited to a small chip flying away from one wedge. In such an event, the chip will decelerate and fall harmlessly to the ground before reaching any players or spectators.
A Radial Bat is as safe as a baseball bat can be.
