Two years ago Baden Sports introduced the Axe Bat to the world of baseball. It was meant to refine the way that batters gripped the bat.
Since that time Vijay Gupta, professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of California Los Angeles, along with a team of researchers have performed a study that shows that an axe-shaped bat handle offers players significantly more bat control, power transfer and acceleration while significantly decreasing the risk of injury compared to traditional bats with round knobs and handles.
The study, which used NCAA Division I baseball players and slow-motion video analysis, applied principles of dynamics and biomechanics to compare bats with axe-shaped handles to those with traditional round knobs. The analysis extended to comfort, bat control, transfer of power to the ball and injury potential.
“Looking at both handle types from a biomechanical standpoint, the angled knob with a flush backside offers many compelling advantages,” said Gupta, who authored the study. “This includes a more stable grip and a more even distribution of swing forces on the hand and palm, resulting in a safer, more comfortable, and more controlled swing.”
Applying findings of the biomechanical analysis presented in the study, compared to bats with round knobs and handles, the Axe Bat offers:
• Improved grip stability: The Axe Bat distributes the forces generated by the bat during the swing over more surface area, resulting in a more stable grip and better bat control.
• More efficient power transfer: The geometry of the Axe Bat eliminates the pressure points caused by a round knob, allowing the batter to generate more grip force with less muscle tension. Because less muscle exertion is dedicated to gripping and controlling the bat, the batter is able to transfer more power to the swing.
• Enhanced barrel acceleration: The Axe Bat puts the batter’s wrist in a more neutral position, providing an additional 15-20 degrees of in-plane bat rotation prior to ball strike. This gives the batter more space to accelerate the barrel in any direction, enhancing the ability to track the plane of the ball and/or achieve maximum bat speed at the point of contact.
• Reduced risk of injury: The Axe Bat allows the batter to better control the “hammer effect” that occurs during ball strike when the lower handle and knob oscillate violently between the fingers and the hypothenar region of the batter’s palm. With a protruding round knob, this effect puts tremendous pressure on the hamate bone and is a major cause of hamate bone injuries. The Axe Bat eliminates the protrusion because of its ergonomic design.
• Decreased risk of thrown bats: The Axe Bat removes localized pressure from the ulnar nerve in the lower hand. Bats with round knobs apply greater direct pressure to this area, which can lead to the involuntary relaxation of the grip through the pinching of the ulnar nerve. High-speed video proves that most thrown bats begin with the release of the grip by the lower hand.
Axe Bat Official Website
[Via PRWeb: Study Reveals Axe-Shaped Handle Improves Bat Control and Power Transfer, Promotes Safety]