BSR Softball, Inc.

Ask BSRI!!!

...This Page Is Dedicated To An Open And Respectful Question And Answer Page...

If you have a question, please send it to QandA@bomani.com and an answer will be posted ASAP!!!
Note: please look over all previous questions and answers to make sure your question has not been answered already...

Q1. I would like to take this opportunity to extend best wishes for a safe and eventful Bomani Sports Research, Inc. endeavor.

Based on my inititial run through, I have a few questions or concerns.

As a past member, I recognize the bats on your list to be last year and prior models. Not included on the lists are the newer 2005 models because they have not yet been independently tested by BSRI. My concern here is related to first time members and whether or not you are going to add some type of message to further elaborate when and how new bats get listed.
For example, ASA has not approved the Anderson Techzilla Reborn for ASA Championship play. While I realize that BSRI does not follow ASA methodologies, the concern here is that until tested, a new member may see that BSRI has recommended the Anderson Techzilla and think them the same bat. With prior history gone with the BNSA, I would expect that a little elaboration in this area would add to softball safety and most likely save league members some sizeable money by preventing them from buying a bat before its time. Anyway, just a thought..

How do you get the second page of each Aluminum bat list to print? (I can only get the first page of each list)

Where do you click on the manufacturer to get bat results? (Nothing happens when I click on the bat model).

A1. Thank you for your comments and questions. When a NEW bat is brought to our attention, we will place a recommended or not recommended tag/label with it. Unlike B&N Softball, Inc., Bomani Sports Research, Inc. will not have to test each and every bat in order to recommend it or not. With that said, if we initially recommend a bat and it proves to be unsafe, we will immediately label it not recommend. Our rankings will be dynamic rather than static this year.

When it comes to printing out our information, we are trying to prevent any of our bat or ball rankings from being printed as they appear on our website. This was a flaw of B&N Softball, Inc. and we are constantly working on ways to not allow our bat or ball rankings to be printed without our expressed written consent. If you are a league director, you should make your own list and distribute it to your members.

The bat and ball lists are viewed by just moving your mouse over the manufacture’s name. Once you do this, you will see a list appear for that manufacturer.

Bomani Sports Research, Inc. will only recognize/acknowledge softball associations, institutions and organizations that are concerned about the safety of the game of softball and baseball. For this reason, the ASA, USSSA, NSA, ISA, SSA are not recognized by Bomani Sports Research, Inc. Currently there are at least two national organizations recognized by BSR, Inc., the ASTM and NOCSAE.

Q2. I see on your bat list that you did not recommend some of the hottest bats currently talked about and/or being used. What are your criteria on how you decide to recommend a bat?

A2. We have a controlled indoor field test that we conduct on most bats and have developed a safety ranking system according to this test. If a bat exceeds or has the potential to exceed what our test as well as published safety studies have recommended, it is not recommended for use by Bomani Sports Research, Inc.

Q3. HAVE U TESTED THIS BALL? A. D. STARR's SYN.COVERED POLY-CORE BALL A1244PS? IF, SO, WHAT WAS IT's MEASURED COMPRESSION?

A3. We have not tested A.D. Starr balls yet this year. We will be sure to put the A.D. Starr A1244PS on our list of balls to test.

Q4. Please reference answer A1. first paragraph above. In the past, field tests were relied on before your previous organization B&N Softball, Inc. would declare any bat safe or unsafe. This definitive declaration was easy to sell and aided our league to succesfully converting and becoming a more competitive and safer league. This is due to the fact that not only was it safer but players weren't spending monies wastefully. Now bats are recommended or not recommended with no field testing (?) with the stipulation that a recommended bat could be changed to a not recommended bat. In my humble opinion, this will prove detrimental to your hard work. Could you elaborate more on the BSRI Inc. Safety Index? And if you wish, could you express your confidence level regarding a bat designation being changed?

A4. In addition to our safety research in the sport of slowpitch softball, there have been a number of scientific papers done on what is considered a “SAFE” level of play for the sport of baseball. Based on these two areas of research, we have established a safety metric called the BSRI Safety Metric/Index, which is primarily based on our scientific field-testing research. The specifics of our testing can be found in our research papers, which are publicly available.

One of the things that most people were probably not aware of when the company was B&N Softball, Inc. was the cost of Field Testing. It costs well over $1,000 to scientifically field test each bat and over $200 to test each ball and based on the number of members so far this year, we may not get to field-test very many bats that we can post on the website. However, we do conduct field-testing for research papers that is primarily funded/supported by Dr. Mark and Dr. Mike, with no chance of remuneration.

So where does that leave Bomani Sports Research, Inc. you may ask. We say in a GREAT position to be able to Recommend or Not Recommend any bat that is on the market based on our knowledge and historical testing of bats and balls. It is/was impossible to field-test each and every bat on the market but is it possible to rank each and every bat on the market, which is what we have decided to do for 2005. If you feel that a particular bat should be Recommended that we have listed as Not Recommended, we will be glad to test it provided you procure the bat. Our ranking MUST be dynamic this year because if a person gets hurt or injured by a bat that we Recommend, we will immediately rank it as Not Recommended. Our Recommended/Not Recommended list was made up by a committee of players, coaches and the staff at Bomani Sports Research, Inc. and we continuously meet to ensure that we are in agreement on the rankings.

Q5. I noticed three bats listed as mutli-walled last year are listed as single-wall this year. They are:
Powerflite Aerodyne
Powerflite JA-7 ERC
TNT Power

Did the manufacturer modify the bats? Why was the decision made to reclassify these bats? I may need an answer for our players.

A5. The Powerflite JA-7 ERC and TNT Power have been changed to Aluminum Multi-Wall bats and are still recommended for use by BSRI. The Powerflite Aerodyne is a single wall bat with dimples on the barrel surface but was not mass produced.

Q6. I am in the process of updating my League's approved / unapproved bat list. I understand your desire to no longer have a master printable list per say and requiring the leagues to create their own if they wish from the information they gather. However, I am looking for an easier way to gather the required data. Would it be possible to have an area on the BSR website, perhaps on the Bat Ranking page itself, where updated information could be easier found. For example, a list of bats that have been recently added or updated, perhaps grouped by month or date modified. A simple list of bats, still requiring us to look up the bat by manufacturer, would make it easier to research and keep our lists up to date and still keep the bat listing 'unprintable' as mentioned in Q1.

A6. Since our lists will be dynamic this year, we will be sure to get the message out to our members that something has been changed or modified. We have a system in place to notify everyone via a NOTICE or POST on our website if we add or change the ranking of a bat or ball.

Q7. Can you possibly explain in more detail your reasoning for not allowing printing? You market your service to league directors. If I am a league director and want to use the list for my personal use (purchasing bats, policing my league, defending a bat that I use, etc.) why can't I print the list? After all, what good is it if I can't show proof to backup my claim on a bat? You say you try to prevent printing but don't really give a firm reason as to why. It just seems inconsistent with the service you are offering.

A7. The simple reason is that in the past (B&N Softball, Inc.), the list has been distributed (without our consent) all over the country and posted on various websites. This not only devalues it but also makes us liable for it as well. Bomani Sports Research, Inc. is ONLY responsible for providing information so that league and tournament directors who are member's of our website can create their own list, using our website as a reliable resource. We don't believe that our service is inconsistent. We provide a resource where league and tournament directors can get information on what bats and balls BSRI recommends for SAFE levels of play based on scientifically verified field-testing research. Being able to print and distribute a bat or ball list is NOT what we offer. In a nutshell, if you are a league director, you should create your own bat and/or ball list and distribute your list to your members.

Q8. Is there more than one Easton Triple 7 bat? If so are they all single-walled? We have a question about the Triple 7 SC777.

A8. Sc777 is a trademark alloy name from Easton Sports, Inc. and it is not limited to just one bat classification type. However, to date, the only Easton bat named "Triple 7" that we know of made for slow-pitch softball is the Easton Triple 7 single wall bat.

Q9. Where on your site can I find the chart that separates the different bats as far as multiwall, composite, etc. I know you had one last year.

A9. All bats are listed by bat manufacturer and are ranked and classified accordingly. There is no multi-wall/single-wall chart/list at BSRI.

Q10. In the past, our league has limited approved bats in our league to single wall bats as identified on your site. It is a purely recreational league and the single wall limitation has controlled the offensive level of play to where we want it. Is that list of single wall/double wall still available on your site. I can't locate it.

We have used your independant determination of this single wall classification successfully and wish to continue.

If this is not available on your site, is there any way to obtain such a list from you.

A10. Unfortunately, there is no single wall/double wall list at BSRI. However, the information that you seek is indeed listed on our website to assist you in creating your own list to
distribute to your league. Please see (Q&A 1, 7 and 9) for a further explanation.

Q11. I am the ASA Commissioner and Umpire in Chief on Long Island and Nassau County, New York. Most of our leagues adher to the ASA Banned Bat list they publish, it involves about 27 bats. In addition the leagues in ASA Nassau County also say NO COMPOSITE BATS can be used. I joined your group because 2 yrs, ago I went to the B&R site and they gave me the list of bats. I do not have a problem with NOT be able to print. I extracted all the bats by hitting each bat company and I thought it went well, until I hit the Anderson Bat list. It lists the ROCKETTECH COMPOSITE KILLER AND THE TECHZILLA COMPOSITE KILLER but it lists them as NOT COMPOSITE BATS. How is that possibel???? All I am trying to do is make a list of Composite bats for my umpires to use, knowing that bats can be added during the year. Please help me??

A11. The Anderson bats that you speak of have the word composite in their name but are not composite bats. They are and are advertised as aluminum bats that claim to have the
performance of composite bats, hence the word composite killer in the name.

Q12. Could you please verify that the DeMarini Nitro - 7050 is a single wall bat for slowpitch softball?

A12. The DeMarini Nitro Slowpitch softball bat has been added to our rankings.

Q13. Is the Anderson Pyro Tech bat the same as the Flextech? And is it recommended as a single wall bat?

I heard the company is not selling the Flextech bat anymore.

A13. The Anderson PyroTech Slowpitch and Fastpitch softball bats have been added to our rankings.

Q14. How does BSRI go about classifying slow pitch softball bats? The reason I ask is that at our single-wall bat league meeting this evening, there was some debate concerning some Easton slow pitch softball bats... For example, BSRI classifies the Easton Redline as an aluminum multi-wall, and many players insisted that it was a single wall bat...??? Please help!!! (And thank goodness you ARE here to help members).

A14. BSRI uses a bat’s scientific construction to determine its classification. The bat that you speak of, the Easton Redline bat is no longer produced but this bat is an easy one since the patent (US Patent #6,042,493 ) on Easton’s (C-,Z-,Ti-core) bats clearly state that the bat is a “Tubular metal bat internally reinforced with fiber and metallic composite”. This effectively eliminates the bat from being a single wall bat.

Q15. Since you are no longer conducting bat reviews, can you recommend a site that does?

A15. Unfortunately, we are not aware of and therefore are unable to recommend another site for scientific bat reviews but there are quite a few non-scientific bat review sites on the web.
Just type in bat reviews on any search engine and you will get a list.

Q16. I noticed that bats from some manufacturers, such as Louisville Slugger, do not seem to be included in the Slow Pitch Bat ratings. Could you tell me why, please?

A16. We list primarily high-tech or currently available softball bats on our website. If you have a particular bat that you would like us to investigate, please send it to us via e-mail and we will investigate it and rank it accordingly.

Q17. How would you classify these two bats: Easton Diamond Pro, Model #SK31 and Easton X-Treme, Model #SK19? What I really need to know is... are they single-wall aluminum bats?

A17. We do not primarily list the classification of bats at BSRI since classifying a bat does not guarantee that it is safe to use. We either recommend or not-recommend bats based on their performance potential and likelihood of causing a serious injury in recreational and/or league play. Easton Model numbers SK19 and SK31 bats are low-tech softball bats made of 7046 alloy and would be recommended for use by BSRI. Both bats will be added to our rankings.

Q18. Worth PX44RSA3 Ball? I could not find this ball on your list. Can you advise if it is known to you and if so is it recommended? It indicates Max 375 lbs. Max .44 COR.

A18. While bats can be ranked based on our experience with bat performance and field-testing, balls MUST be compression tested in order to ensure that they are recommended. We are not scheduled to test softballs until May and will add the Worth PX44RSA3 ball to our list to test.

Q19. Hi. You've been so helpful... Would you please rank the other Toledo slow pitch bats? (Inferno-EL, Inferno-BL, Nitroglycerin and Buzzsaw). Thank you.

A19. The Toledo Inferno-EL, Inferno-BL, Nitroglycerin and Buzzsaw bats have been added to our rankings.

Q20. Could you shed any light on a Worth Bat, Gold Shell, Labeled EST MAX in big lettering, Model X Gold and has the words cryo treated on it. The bat is probably a little over a year to two years old but still unused. I am interested in where it would be placed in the BSRI bat rankings.

As always, appreciate any clarification you can give me.

A20. All worth EST bats are covered by our rankings. The specific Worth bat that you mentioned would fall under our Worth EST (all models) category. We have modified our Worth EST listing to include Worth EST/EST Max (all models).

Q21. I was wondering if anyone in BSRI land might know why or know of, a source one could go to in order to find the stated (official) reason for ASA banning (unapproving) any particular model bat. My dilemna is simple. I am trying to understand whether any particular model bat is/was banned for safety reasons or was a safe bat but banned for, let's say, financial differences, ie: failed to get or pay for the asa certification stamp.

Any help I get to better understand this will be appreciated.

A21. As stated in A1, BSRI does not recognize/acknowledge the ASA as they relate to bat safety. We know for a fact that the ASA does not particularly ban a bat for safety reasons based on our current research involving “ASA-approved” bats exceeding published recommended “SAFE” performance limits for the sport.

Q22. Can you rank the Louisville Slugger TPS C405 Plus Model JSB29-3427. The bat is about 4-5 years old

A22. The TPS C405/C405 Bats have been added to our rankings.

Q23. Do you actually cut bats open to see the insides, or do you rely on the marketing material from the manufacturers? Bats in question are Easton Z-Core, Ti-Core, and C-Core models, which players insist are not multi-wall in our league. According to manufacturer specs, carbon fiber (and or titanium) are added at different degree angles. Can you shed some light on this? Also DeMarini's half and half technology, does this provide an added advantage to regular alloy bats?

A23. At BSRI, we don’t rely on anything except actual scientific field and laboratory research and testing. We don’t receive nor do we believe any marketing brochure from any bat or ball manufacturer. In terms of Easton bats, their C-Core patent clearly state what the bat is (see Q&A 14). However, since they say a picture is worth a thousand words, below is a barrel cross-section picture of an Easton Ti-Core, C-Core and ConneXion Z-Core bat that we cut open to prove that they are more than just single wall bats or a single/simple aluminum tube. This answers your question of whether or not we cut open bats. DeMarini's Half and Half technology has nothing to do with the alloy of a bat. It is a bat design that can be used for any type of alloy. The DeMarini Half and Half design is a variation of the Easton ConneXion design and works if you can generate enough bat speed.

Easton Ti-Core Section

Easton C-Core Section

Easton ConneXion Z-Core Section

Q24. You really have an amazing site! Can I ask one question as a follow up to my first question? The ConneXion bat shown, is that the Z-Core one? The reason I ask is because I'm considering allowing the ConneXion ST10 in our league, which I believe is a single wall. Also, would the DeMarini Vexxum, if it's like the ConneXion shown, be considered a multi-wall bat? We're trying to eliminate all unfair/unsafe bats from our co-ed league.

A24. Thanks for the complement on our website. We are truly trying to help bring safety back into the game of softball. Any member can ask as many questions as they need answers for. That’s why we are here. The Easton Ti-, Z- and C-Core all have the same interior barrel design (see Q&A 23). The ST10 ConneXion is listed in our rankings as well as the DeMarini Vexxum/Venum. Both of these bats have nothing but a single/simple aluminum tube in the barrel portion. Please remember that just because a bat is called single or multi-wall, does not mean that it is SAFE…

Q25. Our league is trying to stick to pure aluminum single-wall bats for safety purposes. We tell our managers that in most cases, if the bat is over $100, they should question the makeup of the bat. I see the Easton Stealth is considered a single-wall aluminum bat on your slowpitch bat list. My question is... how could anyone sell a $200 plus single wall aluminum bat? Is there other technology that the Easton Stealth uses that makes it unsafe or better than other single-wall aluminum bats? Or is Easton just capitalizing on a marketing scheme that makes people want to buy a $200 aluminum single wall bat.

A25. The $100 threshold is actually a good idea since most pure aluminum single-wall bats are in the $100 range. When it comes to the Easton Stealth bat, your guess is as good as ours in terms of how they justified a $200 retail price for the bat. It does not perform anywhere near bats normally priced in the $200 range. Then again, Easton is the company that convinced people that Scandium was an extremely rare alloy that only came from the Ukraine.

We hope your league is considering the ball used as well and not just the bats? A high-compression ball and a single-wall bat can have the same injury potential as a low-compression ball and a composite bat.

Q26. You have tested a Rawlings SBA12W44L ASA 0.44 375lb at 394 +-6pqi. At quick glance, it appears all if not most of the balls that have been tested in the 400's are not recommended. Two questions, first, what is the recommended range of a 375 lb 0.44 cor ball and at what compression does a ball become unrecommended.

Secondly, I am in a slowpitch softball league that uses the Rawlings Silverback ASA poly core .44 COR, 375 lb. SBA12W44S Composite Cover. If tested, should this ball be in the same testing range as the one you have already tested or is it worth having this model tested because the tested ball is near the 400 lb compression.?

A26. According to the ASTM standard for Ball Compression testing, a ball should be in the 350-375pqi range. The COR of the ball is irrelevant since there is no test that actually measures COR at Real World BBS values. Approximately 400pqi is the recommended cut off for our rankings.

Since we have not tested the Rawlings ball that you mentioned yet, there is no way to tell where the ball will be ranked. If you have 6 softballs from your league and would like us to test them, we will test them towards the end of the month when we are scheduled to conduct ball compression testing on several ball models. For that matter, if there is any member of our website that would like their softballs tested, we can do them at that time as well. At any rate, we will put the Rawlings SBA12W44S on our list to test.

Q27. Combat Single Wall Composite - Would above bat be recommended on your list of single wall bats. Please advise ASAP.

A27. There is no such thing as a single wall composite bat. All composite bats are made out of multiple layers of composite material. BSRI does not recommend the use of ANY composite material bats. Our research shows that composite bats exceed the recommended SAFE values according to published research in the sport of softball and baseball.

Q28. Through reading your research articles, it seems to me that the COR of the softball really has no impact on batted ball speed and/or distance (it even shows a negative impact in some cases). Unfortunately, this is very confusing to me since the .50 COR low compression balls we use (Dudley SB-12LND White Stitch) seems much harder than the .47 COR low compression balls we have used in past seasons. Could you add this ball to your end of month testing, and also could you explain in layman's terms why COR has no effect on BBS or distance, so I can explain this to other managers in our league.

A28. The Coefficient of Restitution or COR rating of a softball is conducted in a laboratory environment at a speed of 60MPH, which is not representative of a speed even remotely close to what the average player can generate. Most if not all people think that the COR of a ball positively correlates to performance in the sport of softball, but it does not. However, in the sport of baseball, ball COR does positively correlate to performance because the actual CORE or CENTER of a baseball varies in harness and composition with age or skill level. A polyurethane softball has no CORE or CENTER, it is just one solid polyurethane mass and therefore the only property that affects the performance of a polyurethane softball is its porosity or the amount of air injected at the time the ball is produced. This is what is referred to as the ball’s compression and it is positively correlated to performance based on our field testing research, published research and articles. The less air injected into the polyurethane ball, the denser the ball, the higher the compression, the faster the ball rebounds off of the bat, the more injury risk involved. Our article in the Sport Journal “A Composite Softball Bat Revolution: Why the pitcher has little time to react to a batted-ball” really points to the fact of ball compression and performance.

The newer CORK-centered balls are also increasing in compression by incorporating some type of bonding agent impregnated in the CORK. This is effectively making the latest CORK-Centered balls polyurethane/CORK hybrid balls and will surely increase the performance of CORK-centered balls. We will add the Dudley SB-12LND ball to our list of balls to test.

There is really no laymen’s term when it comes to COR, but you can read the ASTM standard, F1887-02 Standard Test Method for Measuring the Coefficient of Restitution (COR) of Baseballs and Softballs in order to get a better idea of the COR test. We hope to one day conduct a COR test at speeds more representative of actual game conditions to show the possible correlation with ACTUAL COR and performance versus LABORATORY COR, which is currently used.

Q29. I believe that last year B&N tested safe the Rawlings Silverback. This year the Silverback does not appear on BSRI bat rankings but the Rawlings ACL Silverback does appear as not recommended and is listed as a Composite. I should have asked this question much earlier than I am. I believe the failure to list the silverback as a recommended bat is a typo. However, if they are the same bat, could you elaborate on the reason for the status change. Thankyou.

A29. The Rawlings Silverback bat has been added to our rankings.

Q30. Is there any difference between the Worth EST CU31 bats and the Worth EST CU31 Max bats, or is this just marketing?

A30. There is no significant difference in the performance of the Worth EST Cu31 and the Worth EST Cu31 Max.

Q31. The batch of Dudley Cork Center SB-12L RF softballs our league purchased this year have raised some questions. I hope you may shed some light on the following concerns. This years balls seem smoother and harder than last years leading one to question whether this years cover could be "synthetic" vs "real" leather. Or maybe at minimum, different. Last years leather cover seemed a little grainier. If the cover is of a different material such as synthetic, could this have an affect on the performance of the ball. (It has been noted that the ball skips (maybe a better word might be slides) when it first hits the ground rather than bounce up. Of course this may be attributed to the ground conditions this early in the season. It just seems abnormal to the previous performance of this balls predecessors.

As this model ball has been tested by B&N in previous years to be well within safety parameters, could this years ball be one that has been treated with the new bonding agent you speak of in A28? I would be willing to ship 6 new balls for current testing if I still have time to get them to you. It might be interesting to see if the compression has increased significantly over the prior two years.

A31. As a general rule, the cover has very little effect on the performance of the ball in dry conditions. This is based on us testing well over 1000 softballs with and without the cover attached. The cover has more to do with cost savings. Leather covers tend to bond/adhere better to polyurethane softballs than synthetic covers but the bonding consistency of both types of covers has been very good over the past year or so especially with cork-centered softballs. When the conditions are wet, leather covered softballs tend to absorb the moisture and get heavier and increase bat damage potential while synthetic covered softballs repel moisture and stay within original specs longer.

We are at least three weeks away from testing softballs based on our discussions today with the company that tests softballs for us. We are in their testing queue for the first week of June so we have time to test the softballs that you mentioned.

Q32. I fielded many questions tonight regarding the Easton Stealth. Several people were concerned that we allowed this bat in our league. And at least one person who recently purchased it insists it is a composite. I tried to tell everyone that it is a single wall bat and not a composite to no avail. We tabled the matter until I get your thoughts on this. Tonight was the first time I saw this bat being used and I was impressed. However, the people using it were legitimate home run hitters, the night was cool and the Dudley SB 12's cork center were probably a little harder than usual due to the weather up here in MA.. Unless there is a new model Stealth, I was wondering what they may have seen that would lead them to their conclusion. Has anything come up in BSRI land that would shed some light on this or be a cause for concern. If not, a single wall, recommended bat it stays.

A32. We have no plans to change the ranking or classification of the Easton Stealth softball bat. The handle is composite but the barrel is not. It is the same basic design as the DeMarini Vexxum/Venum bats.

Q33. DeMarini "NEW" White Steel Softball. I run a recreational league and have been asked about the status of this bat. Have not heard of it and cannot find any info on or about it. Could you check with your sources and help me out. We have limited bat usage to those single wall bats from your site that you indicate with a YES and no others. Please advise.

A33. The DeMarini White Steel Softball was posted on our website on 05.17.05.

Q34. Is the Worth MG46(SSMG) Single Wall Bat that you list as recommended a member of the Wicked bats? The reason I ask is that the Worth Wicked Multi-wall bat is not recommended and we have a Worth Wicked in our league that has a model number MG46. The tag attached to the bag has #23945.

A34. The Worth MG46 (SSMG) is NOT a member of the high-tech Worth Wicked bats. Mg46 is a Worth alloy designation and is used in more than one Worth model bat.

Q35. Is the entire list of Worth 3DX bats made of composite material?

A35. To date, all Worth 3DX bats have been composite-barrel bats. A Worth 3DX bat was used in the Indiana fatality in 2003.

Q36. I have not seen the bat but a member of our league was inquiring about a WORTH WICEST. It has been described as a red shell bat. Although your rankings say EST (all models) are recommended, I am not sure if this bat is included in this group. Could you clarify please.

A36. The bat that you speak of is part of the Wicked aluminum multi-wall family. We have added it to our bat rankings.

Q37. In doing our league bat use questionnaire, we found that we have a Bombat Johnny Ice Bat said to be the original J14. Could you comment please

A37. They are both essentially the same bat and this has been reflected in our rankings for Bombat bats.

Q38. One of our players has just received a Worth Prodigy POC 98 (blue shell) as a replacement bat. Would BSRI be in a position to rank this bat? Thankyou.

A38. We do not have enough information on this bat yet to rank it. It is not available from any of our usual bat acquisition connections nor does any of our certified bat testers have one. Once we get enough information, we will rank this bat accordingly.

Q39. I cannot find the following bat on your site. Could you inform me as to the composition of this bat? Bat--Worth Wicked Whiplash Model #WICEST

A39. The Worth WICEST bat is ranked on our site under Worth Wicked/Wicked EST.

Q40. A player in our League has inquired about the Nike Ignitor. From its price point we suspect it is a single-wall bat that would be rated safe, however we will leave it to you to determine.

A40. The Nike Ignitor is a low-tech bat for sure and has been added to our rankings.

Q41. We have a black Worth Supercell with SSEST under the logo. (A few years old.) Could you tell me what the SSEST represents as I thought that the SSEST was it's own model bat. If I am correct, the silver bat with a black barrel shell and big EST letters is the SSEST and is a multi-wall, while the black Worth Supercell is a single wall. Your help is appreciated to resolve an issue.

A41. If a Worth bat has EST in the name, it is ranked under the Worth EST/EST Max category in our BSRI Bat Rankings. The Worth Supercell EST and Worth Supercell are two different bats and are ranked on our website correctly.

Q42. On your new website do you have a breakdown of each bat like you used to? You used to have a separate analysis with tests on sweet spot durability plus comments??

I am just checking because I used to be a member back in the day and just rejoined again.

A42. Bomani Sports Research, Inc. does not conduct individual bat reviews due to the costs involved. Our primary goal is to provide league and tournament directors with safety rankings of softball bats and balls based on our field-testing research and experience. However, if you have a particular question about a bat, you can e-mail Dr. Mark or Dr. Mike, since one of them probably has hit with the bat you are interested in.

Q43. Can you update us on when we may expect to see the ball testing results? Thank you.

A43. We have been waiting on the results for ball testing for over four weeks now. I called last week and they said that we are a low priority and they will get to them as soon as they get time.

Q44. The Demarini White Steel bat has finally made it into our league. 2/3rds thru season. Some unscientific observations and queries. The Rawlings Silverback SBA12W44S is the ball being used in league play. Currently in the BSRI testing process awaiting results from the testing facility.

The ball seems to pop off this bat. More hitters, almost all I have observed, are hitting line drives or exceeding the distances they were hitting with bats like the ultimate weapon, venuum and vexxums. And the bat seems to be performing better and better as the games go by.

One league has unapproved it from their single wall league.

My question would be, does this bat have a larger sweet spot. I understand it to be end loaded. Is it possible that this bat has a "breaking in" period that would make it test safe initially like other manufactures have done in the past.

And as one would gather, one white steel has begot more white steels.

If possible, and appropriate, I would appreciate any comments or insight you may care to share regarding this issue.

A44. The DeMarini White Steel bat may be a good single wall bat but it does not reach the performance level of not-recommended by Bomani Sports Research, Inc. The myth about a “break-in period”, which is really more like a “destruction/fracture-period” only applies to Composite bats, not non-Composite bats.

Q45. As I arrived at the field last night, I was told that the end cap came off of a Demarini White Steel bat during a game. Naturally people looked inside the bat and saw "how thick it was". People are under the impression that this is the knock against this bat. The end cap coming off. I was also told that the bat gets sent back to the company and they recap it and send the same bat back.

My question is whether or not people looking into any single wall bat would see a very similiar thickness. I don't know how far or fast the end cap came off but wonder if there is any potential for a safety issue and lastly, is whether this bat could be capped without being sent back to the company and stuffed with tennis balls, etc.

This bat is causing quite a stir in this area. My problem is not with the bat or your recommended classification, but rather one of not being not being able to address the rumors. Latest is it is filled with somekind of a gas. While I doubt it, I was wondering if this is causing a stir elsewhere. In any case, is BSRI intending to do a test on this bat. ie: Wall thickness comparisons, write up on steel vs aluminum alloy. Effect of various core balls when used with this bat. etc. From observation, this bat outperforms the Demarini Vexxum and Vennums since its introduction into single wall leagues in the area in both pop and added distance of about 20 feet. (Qualification, we play in less than 280 foot fields and homeruns have noticeable increased).

A45. If the end cap comes off of a bat, it should be immediately returned to the manufacturer for a replacement or repair. This used to happen to Steele’s Sports bats all of the time.
The wall thickness usually does not vary from bat to bat for each model since they are manufactured to within certain wall thickness tolerances.

While the DeMarini White Steel is a good performing (and some might argue best) Single Wall bat, it does not exceed the performance of the average multi-wall bat and is nowhere near the performance of composite bats, which are not recommended by BSRI. If you indeed play on fields with a fence less than 280 feet and are using polyurethane balls, it is the ball that is the problem, not the bat. BSRI only recommends cork-centered softballs on fields less than 280 feet.

The DeMarini Vexxum and Vennum bats are not a good metric to use because neither bat performed well in our controlled testing of them.

Q46. I agree with at least one of your questioners about the DeMarini White Steel bat. I am a league director and we have very strict rules on the use of multi-walled bats in our lower leagues, based on an overwhelming vote of the teams.

The White Steel has shown up in these leagues and most teams and umpires consider it not just "hot," but dangerous. Players who formerly could not reach the fences with a strong tailwind are hitting two or three home runs per game on 300-foot fences. Line drives are flying by middle infielders before they can react. Line drives over shortstop are going all the way to the fence on two hops.

I have relied on the information on your web site for recommendations on bats, and I really appreciate your efforts. But, I believe you are badly mistaken on this bat. It should not be recommended for any single-wall league!

A46. If in fact your league thinks a bat is too dangerous, then your league should BAN the bat for use. BSRI has tested the DeMarini White Steel bat and it does not perform as good as the average multi-wall bat and is correctly classified according to our metrics for safety. We stand by our research findings that show that if a .44COR/375pqi or less ball is used, all current single wall bats (including the DeMarini White Steel) can be safely used since, on average, their batted-ball speeds and pitcher response times are within what is normally expected of an adult softball player.

You did not state what balls your league uses but the ball will surely have an affect on any bat’s performance.

Q46 Reply: In response to your "Reply," we use the Worth Gold Dot, 44 COR, 375# compression ball, in our leagues .... and the White Steel is dangerous

A46 Reply: It appears that your league should have a meeting and vote on banning the White Steel bat. If more than one player is hitting multiple home runs per game in your league and they all count as home runs without a penalty, your league needs to re-evaluate its home run rule. It should be noted that BSRI does not have a separate performance test for single-wall leagues. We have one uniform performance test that is based on the average human reaction times derived from our actual field testing as well as published scientific studies in the fields of human response/reaction time and softball/baseball bat performance.

Q47. Dare I ask these questions. What has happened to the ball testing results. Where is the flow of information on AskBSRI. Has the membership just stopped asking questions because the softball season is just wearing down. For one, I have gained a lot of useful information from the exchanges over the past few years and hopefully used it wisely and in the best interest of safety in softball.

Are there any plans to publish a book or books that contain a lot of good information and insight from the beginning of your site that does not carry over from year to year.

Should we plan on renewed membership for 2006?

Anyway, just asking.

A47. We are still waiting on the ball results from the testing laboratory. This is by far the worst year that we have had for laboratory ball testing and we are planning on going back to the original company that conducted ball testing for us in the past.

We have no idea where the flow of information on AskBSRI is. There have only been 5 questions asked in the past 3 months.

Dr. Mark and Dr. Mike are planning on writing a book on the science and history of softball but you will have to contact them directly on the status of it.

We can’t answer the question of renewing memberships for 2006. That is all up to you and your league. Bomani Sports Research, Inc. will still be around in 2006 and beyond.

Q48. Congratulations on opening the New Year 2006 with the messages from last year held over (a first). Also I hope that making the official single wall list available without needing to be a member will encourage people to seek membership and the wealth of information that BSRI offers. Especially now that the article index should wet their appetite.

I would like to explore the possibility of enrolling my team managers as members and paying with one check. Would your system be able to enroll each from a master list with the detail you request and sending the user name and password to only that specific person and not all, nor me.

A48. You can definitely send one check with a list of names. Each person will be sent a unique username and password. Just be sure to list their individual e-mail addresses.

Q49. As a point of interest, I have often been asked what is the difference between a slowpitch and fastpitch bat?

A49. The differences between slowpitch and fastpitch bats range from significant to nothing at all since that are plenty of fastpitch players using slowpitch bats. The most obvious difference is in the weighting and length of the bat with fastpitch bats being much lighter as well as shorter. Slowpitch bats tend to perform significantly better than fastpitch bats as well using the same ball type. One MUST be very careful when using slowpitch softball bats in fastpitch leagues. This can create a dangerous situation, which was highlighted by the death of a fastpitch player in MI who was killed as the result of a slowpitch bat being used in the game.

Bomani Sports Research, Inc. recommends using slowpitch softball bats for slowpitch softball ONLY. Fastpitch softball bats should be used for non-slowpitch softball games and leagues.

Q50. I have been asked by a member of my league whether the TPS Response XXL you have listed as recomended includes both the SB304 and SB404 models. Is there any difference?

A50. Yes, the TPS Response XXL includes all model numbers associated with the words "TPS Response XXL".

Q51. While updating our League's Single Wall bat list using the updated 2006 BSRI Bat Rankings, I noticed a few bats that were not on your list, that we had listed as Single-Wall and Safe. I believe they were discussed on the old B&N posting board and that is how we put them on our list. Can you confirm the Single-wall and Safe status of the following bats:
DeMarini Julie Smith
Easton Diamond Pro
Easton Impact
Easton X-Treme
Kelley Mach10
Nike Bomber Show
Nike Keystone

A51. We are in the process of revamping our lists/rankings and have decided to do the following:

Internal to the site (BSRSA Members), we will list ALL Single-Wall bats, including the slowpitch bats you have listed (the DeMarini Julie Smith is a fastpitch bat)...

External to the site (non-members), we will ONLY list currently available Single-Wall bats.

This should eliminate the confusion between the two lists. If you are a BSRSA member, we need to have the most comprehensive list available.

As a constant reminder to our members, we (Bomani Sports Research, Inc.) have included our bat list/rankings as a general guide. It is up to your individual league to establish its own list(s) to distribute to your members.

Q52. I am requesting your recommendation for the following bat, which I did not find in your current listings: Easton Synthesis SCX12. Please advise as soon as you are able. Thank you.

A52. The Easton Synthesis bat has been added to our Bat Rankings.

Q52. Some fielders have said that the batted ball knuckles (appears to take different directions while in flight) (like a Tim Wakefield pitch). It is our opinion that only happens when a softball is hit dead center. We are trying to find out if it may be the ball in use (44Cor 375 Rawlings S cover) together with the bats - all single wall.

A53. The phenomenon of a batted-ball that knuckles happens precisely when the spin or rotation of a pitched ball is negated perfectly with the bat rotation on impact. This creates a unique impact force that is exactly equal and opposite and the result is a ball with absolutely ZERO spin (i.e. a knuckle ball). When this happens, the ball is at the mercy of wind and gravity. It is quite possible that a ball can move several feet in one direction then move in a completely different direction. It is not the type of ball or bat that causes this phenomena, it’s just sheer luck!!! We have noticed that ball tend to knuckle more frequently when synthetic covered balls are used.

Q54. Can you please rank the following bats?

Akadema Xtenstion, Easton CU31 (SX18), Easton Black Magic, Easton Reflex Extended, Easton S80, Easton SX10, Easton SE710, Easton SRX-2DS.

Also, is there anywhere to find every bat model number for the past 5 years? The past 10 years? We’d like to lock our singlewall bats down by using model numbers, but anytime we try to contact manufacturers they just send us sales materials on their new bats. One last thing, is there any way for your site to designate new bats in 2006 that are added to your list?

A54. The Akadema Xtension bat has been added to our list. The Easton Black Magic bat is a low-tech bat and will not be on our list since we generally only list high-tech bats. The Easton Reflex Extended is not a slowpitch softball bat. The Easton Reflex line of slowpitch softball bats, which includes the Easton SRX2DS bat model is already listed on our site. You will have to provide the common names of the Easton SX18, Easton S80, Easton SX10 and Easton SE710 bats in order for us to research them. We generally follow the common name of bats, not bat models.

We have no idea if there exists a comprehensive softball bat model database where you can find a list of all bat model numbers covering the past 5 or 10 years. Our site is a good resource for high-tech softball bats but not all softball bats.

We have no plans on posting when bats are added to our list since this interferes with too many league issues.

Q55. Is their a Louisville bat that would be single wall with a name of Gen X 1?? I only see the TPS Gen 1 X on your site and it is not a single wall and also not recommended.

A55. There is a TPS Gen1X PowerDome bat that would fall under our category of TPS PowerDome bats. To date, all TPS PowerDome bats have been single wall bats.

Q56. I understand that BSRI will not be posting when bats are added to Bat Rating list, since it interferes with too many league issues. However, I run a league that does not fall into that definition. Each time the last update date changes, I need to compare the new list to what we already have.

I was previously told that I could send in an email asking what has changed. Can you let me know what bats were added/changed with the April 20th update since the April 12th update?

Would it be possible to set up an email group or another area on the BSRI website where those leagues that do not have the interfering issues can easily and quickly see the changes?

A56. We do not keep track of what bats were added and when. Every two weeks or so, the list is looked at by a member of our research team and bats are added to our bat database accordingly. Please refer to Q&A (54 and 55) to see the latest bats that were added.
Setting up an e-mail group would be redundant and unnecessary since having one would negate the AskBSRI page. If you would like to send a direct e-mail to us, Dr. Mark can be contacted at drmarkBSRI@bomani.com and Dr. Mike can be contacted at drmikeBSRI@bomani.com.

If there is a specific bat(s) that you think we have omitted or need to add, please submit it/them and we will investigate it/them like we do all bat inquiries. If the bat(s) is/are added to our list, we normally post a “…bat has been added” reply on this page.

Q57. From what I could find on the Nike Venom it looks to be a low tech, single wall bat. Can you verify this for me and add it to your members only list?

A57. The Nike Venom bat has been added to our bat list.

Q58. What is reverse rotational grip when it refers to batting a softball? Has there been a study to show if the rotation of the pitched ball effects batted distance? ie If a pitcher delivers a ball with backspin will it reduce the amount of backspin the batted ball has?

A58. The reverse rotation grip is explained in-depth in all three of our video productions (link). In a nutshell, it is a grip used to maximize one's hitting distance. There have been studies in the sport of baseball in regards to the rotation of the pitch and how it affects performance. However, the ball is pitched much too slow in softball to have any significant affect on batted distance.

Q59. Hi Guys,
Let me extend my thanks again for your help and support. There is no way we could keep up with all of the bats on the market without your help.

I have had two bats brought to me for approval that I am not sure about:
Easton Rebel Sc888
Worth Insanity (Blue bat)

I do know the Insanity Gold and the Wicked Insanity are illegal in our single wall bat league; this additional version I am not sure about. The Easton Rebel I have not seen before. Can you please tell me how they should be classified?

After reading thru your question and answer page, for what it's worth, the DeMarini White Steel isn't holding up very well in our leagues either. I have seen end caps fly off of this bat as well. Originally it was the "chosen" bat for most teams, now I think players who are looking for a new bat are having second thoughts about the White Steel. For a relatively new bat, it is just not holding up very well.

A59. The Easton Rebel Sc888 and Worth Insanity Blue ASA bats have been added to our list.

Q60. ASA rule is if a bat does not pass the "ring" test due to a dent, it is not allowed in play. I understand a crack in either an aluminum or a composite bat is a safety issue, but does a dented bat pose similar safety concerns?

I've seen people hit Demarini DW's that were basically triangled and the bat still hit well. So does a dented bat show material fatigue, does it increase the chance of hitting knuckleballs, or possibly some other phenomenon?

A60. Altered/Dented/Composite/"Customized" and any other non-standard/-manufacture issued bat poses a danger to everyone on the field. They should NOT be used for any reason in a game because they will increase the chance of injury and personal liability! If you use a bat that is NOT legal, YOU are responsible for any and all damages. All associations have this clause in their rules.

Q61. Based on my observation (unscientific) softballs when hit with the Demarini White Steel usually are very quiet or produce a soft thump.
Would you be able to venture a guess as to what would make softballs hit with one particular white steel bat in our league make a loud pinging noise? Some have argued that the bat is cracked but these balls are going out the park. Just wondering and not speaking badly about the white steels in general. thankyou.

A61. The batted-ball sound(s) off of single wall bats vary considerably based on where the ball is hit on the barrel and whether or not the person keeps both hands on the bat at impact. When a ball is hit JUST RIGHT with a single wall bat (ala sweet spot), there is a higher pitched sound that we refer to as Optimal Incidence.

Q62. Would you have any insight as to whether the manufacturer for the 2007 Demarini (Wilson) White Steel has any plans to correct or has corrected the end cap issue.

And based on your past experience, do you see the 2007 edition of the white steel being reasonably different than this past years model.

The jist of my question is should one buy now or is there any benefit to wait until the "new' bats are sold in March.

Thankyou.

A62. Your question is best directed to DeMarini Sports since we have no knowledge of end cap issues with the current version of the DeMarini White Steel bat or what the 2007 White Steel will be like.

Q63. Here is wishing all a happy and safe 2008.

I was told that ASA had non approved some bats for ASA Championship play but I didn’t realize it was 81. Some bats you have as not recommended and others they do not. It appears to me that ASA is planning a major recertification ($$$) process. Will you be updating your list as you see appropriate. I would expect that such an update would save your members a ton of money.

As there were approximately 23 pages that could be printed out regarding their "findings" related to ie bats and balls (ie: a reduction from a .45/525 ball to a .44/375 decreases overall performance approx 5 - 6%) in the Non- Approved link, I have not read them all yet, but a quick scan seems to be like reading Bomani Sports position in several respects which preceded ASA by several years. At this point in time I take no position on ASA's thinking but have one question that jumps out at me.

ASA states that the non approved bats only apply to ASA Championship play and reads to me that a local ASA league can use them depending on the director. So I ask, does ASA think that championship players do not play in local league or is the issue money or safety.??

I would invite all to scan the ASA website http://softball.org/about/certified_equipment.asp to form their own opinion.

For me, I thank God that we have based our bat use on Bomani Sports and their independent research.
Our league has been nothing short of competitive since. And we do no have to have a limited home run rule.

A63. As we have consistently said in the past, softball associations are concerned with performance while we are concerned with safety and to date, we have not had any composite bat pass our safety test. In addition, we have never and will never base our standards on any softball association since we have different goals.

We also realize that we (Bomani Sports Research, Inc.) will not nor expect to get any credit from any softball association for making consumers aware of the safety risks associated with certain bat/ball combinations.

Q64. Hi Bomani Guys,

Are there any fundamental structural differences between the Easton Quantum and the DeMarini White Steel? There does not appear to be any, but we allow the DeMarini White Steel and players have been asking if the Quantum, based on that fact, should be legal as well.

A64. Both bats have the same basic construction with each having a composite handle and an aluminum barrel.

Q65. Are the SC900 and the SC888 designations which follow some of your Easton bats in the single wall category meant to signify alloys? If so, and based on some of the other answers such as Q&A 8, could these designations also be applied to multi-bats. IE: The Redline and Reflex.
How does one definitively determine which are single wall bats and which are multi-wall.

A65. Easton's SC900 and SC888 are trademark alloy designations and are NOT standard for the industry. Woldman's Engineering Alloy designations are the standard and most companies have a variation on percentage of elements and trademark the concentrations and call them a wide variety of names. You can apply SC900 and SC888 to any bat type. One can only definitively determine if any bat is a single wall or multi-wall by doing a thorough analysis of the bat. The alloy designation is not the key indicator for bat classification/type.

Q66. My question is twofold and relates to bat choices related to weight and Bat speed.

First, is there a way without expensive equipment to determine which ounce bat allows a person to achieve his optimum bat speed.

Second, what would you determine the pros and cons to be on his own overall performance for a person who keeps bouncing back and forth with different weight bats.

A66. We know of no other way except with calibrated radar devices or high-speed video analysis to accurately determine one's optimal bat weight. Bat speed is NOT the determining factor when choosing your optimal bat weight. It is momentum/energy transfer that determines your optimal bat weight. There is no pro, at least none that we have determined, to switching back and forth between bat weights. Inconsistency would be the result from constantly switching bat weights. A 28oz. bat is a good starting point for the majority of players. If you have zero success with this ounce, then switch to a 26oz. bat, then a 30oz. bat. There is no significant weight difference or performance when switching between 1 ounce in bat weight (e.g. 28oz. to a 27oz. OR a 26oz. to a 27oz.). Lastly, be sure not to think about bat ounce when you get up to the plate because THINKING can get in the way of your consistency. Don't think at the plate, just take a powerful, level swing at the ball and you will get on base more often than not.

Q67. Would you clarify in general terms the Infield Fly Rule relating to the following situation based on your experences.

Bases loaded, no outs, pop up to the infield. All runners take off on the swing and the umpire calls Infield fly rule. If Fair. (Thus advancing at their own risk) Ball drops to ground and all runners had advanced to the next base safely with one run scoring. Batter is out.

NOT SO. All runners told to return to base they held because they could not advance until the ball was either caught or touched the ground whichever came first. (and they had to hold the base until such time) Thus the batter was called out and no run scored nor players advanced.

Just very interested in a different opinion than mine. Would also appreciate any feedback from some members.

Q67. The umpire did not make the correct call in this instance. When an Infield Fly is called, the batter is out whether that ball is caught or not BUT the runners run at their own risk. If the ball is caught, all runners must tag up in order to advance to the next base. If the ball is not caught, all runners can advance until they score or are tagged out.

Q68. One of the players in our league wished to purchase a Worth Hybrid EST which is listed as a Recommended bat YES (Aluminum Multi-Wall) but did not do so as the literature he read noted it was a composite alloy bat. The word Composite stopped him...Could you clarify this confusion for us. thank you

A68. The Worth Hybrid EST bat has a composite handle (not barrel) and is very similar to the DeMarini F3 line of bats... It is correctly classified on our website...

Q69. If you were to rate the DeMarini White Steel, Demarini Raw Steel and the DeMarini Black Steel for performance, would there be any difference? If so, how significant.?

Also, in the same vein, when a manufacturer sends out the next years bats, ie the Demarini White Steel, is it the same bat as the prior year for all intents and purposes? And if not, would the manufacture have to change the name , model number.??

Your thoughts appreciated.

A69. We do not rate bats against each other. We ONLY rank bats against the same safety standard and all three bats that you mentioned are considered “safe to use” by Bomani Sports Research, Inc. Bat manufacturers have their own release strategies for bats and do not communicate any of that information to us.

Q70. I have been asked my some league members about a couple of the Mattingly Slow Pitch Softball Bats. How would you rank the following.

Mattingly VGrip MVP (I am being told this is an older singlewall)
Mattingly VGrip Beast (looks to be a composite)

A70. While we have heard of Mattingly Slow Pitch Softball Bats, we have not actually seen or tested any of them. Before we rank any line of bats, we MUST acquire one or more to do a thorough analysis of the bat before classifying them. We will investigate the Mattingly line of slow pitch bats as soon as possible and post our rankings but in the meantime, your league can classify the bat as they see fit.

Q71. In the interests of safety, a new version ?? (as was explained) ??? of the Anderson Pyrotech was attempted to be introduced into the league last night. Are you aware of any reason it should not be used in a single wall league where the DeMarini white steel and other two piece bats are used. The bat is labeled single wall. Just trying to be sure. thanks

A71. The Anderson Pyrotech Slowpitch bat is an aluminum single-wall bat. We are not aware of a two-piece Anderson bat with a similar design as the DeMarini White Steel.

Q72. I've got a question for you regarding the Easton SSV1 SV12, 2009 edition. Is it single wall? It seems to be basically the same construction as the DeMarini White Steel or the Easton Quantum.

Q72. The Easton SV12 SSV1 does appear to have the same construction as the Easton Quantum/DeMarini White Steel. It does appear to be a single wall bat. This bat, along with several other 2009 bats will be included on our updated bat list soon...