The Effect That "Corking" A Baseball Bat Has On The Distance Traveled In The Air By A Struck Ball With A Constant Velocity
School Name
Heathwood Hall Episcopal School
Grade Level
10th Grade
Presentation Topic
Engineering
Presentation Type
Non-Mentored
Abstract
A corked bat is believed by many to give a batter an advantage over the pitcher while at bat. This theory was tested by measuring the distance that two identical bats hit the balls before and after being drilled and corked. A skeet shooter was modified to fit this need. Three identical baseball bats of same length that were made by the same company took twenty-five swings on a modified skeet shooter. When this process occurred, the bat speeds were constant as the speed of the bat was 65 mph. Each distance the ball traveled away from the tee was recorded in meters. A hole three-fourths of an inch in diameter and five inches deep was drilled through the center of the bats. Three wine corks were then pressed down into the hole. Each bat then took twenty-five swings with the distances having been recorded in meters. The data then showed that the cork did affect the ball by allowing the ball to travel 5.6% shorter than the wooden bat.
Recommended Citation
Dawkins, III, Lamar, "The Effect That "Corking" A Baseball Bat Has On The Distance Traveled In The Air By A Struck Ball With A Constant Velocity" (2016). South Carolina Junior Academy of Science. 211.
https://scholarexchange.furman.edu/scjas/2016/all/211
Location
Owens G08
Start Date
4-16-2016 11:45 AM
The Effect That "Corking" A Baseball Bat Has On The Distance Traveled In The Air By A Struck Ball With A Constant Velocity
Owens G08
A corked bat is believed by many to give a batter an advantage over the pitcher while at bat. This theory was tested by measuring the distance that two identical bats hit the balls before and after being drilled and corked. A skeet shooter was modified to fit this need. Three identical baseball bats of same length that were made by the same company took twenty-five swings on a modified skeet shooter. When this process occurred, the bat speeds were constant as the speed of the bat was 65 mph. Each distance the ball traveled away from the tee was recorded in meters. A hole three-fourths of an inch in diameter and five inches deep was drilled through the center of the bats. Three wine corks were then pressed down into the hole. Each bat then took twenty-five swings with the distances having been recorded in meters. The data then showed that the cork did affect the ball by allowing the ball to travel 5.6% shorter than the wooden bat.
