Baseball players claim that hitting the ball at this spot "feels" best and produces the most solid hit. If the baseball strikes outside of the sweet spot, the bat vibration causes a terrible stinging sensation in the palms. Of all the places on the body where a ball can hit, hands and arms are the only ones protected by armor-plated skin and bone. However, even through these protective layers, getting hit by a baseball is painful.
When a ball hits a hand or arm, it may cause no more than a stinging pain. But a ball that strikes a hard surface with great force, such as a baseball diamond, will often cause more serious injury. The sound of the ball against your hand or arm may be enough to startle you into taking your hand off the bat, which could lead to fatal injuries if you're batting from the hip.
The part of the hand used to grip the bat determines how much damage a player might suffer when he hits the ball. The thumb and first finger form a tight grip on the barrel of the bat, while the other fingers spread out across its face. A batter who uses a balanced swing with proper form will not get hurt when he hits the ball. But an unbalanced swing or a foul ball that misses the play area and goes over the fence might strike a player's hand against the ground or another object on the field.
Post-impact Vibrations for impacts outside the sweet spot Bats sting because the ball's impact causes the bat to vibrate, and the vibrations in the handle can generate a stinging sensation in the hands of the person gripping the bat, particularly the top hand. The stinger is most noticeable if the batter tries to keep control of the bat by gripping it near the barrel; then the back of his hand will feel the vibration from previous hits.
The stinger is generally not serious but can be annoying. If you know that you are going to hit many balls hard, you can practice with a friend or coach to reduce the sting of the bat on your hands. But even then, some people will always experience a stinger. The good news is that the pain usually lasts only for a few seconds after an outstretched arm swings down on a ball.
The main thing is not to worry about the stinger too much. It is completely normal for young players' hands to sting from time to time as they learn how to swing a bat properly. The more you play, the less often you should experience pain from swinging a bat.
Hitting with a wooden bat is one of the finest methods to teach that "feel." Because the sweet spot on a wood bat is significantly smaller than on an aluminum bat, it causes batters to feel the barrel's sweet spot more and helps the hitter focus on improved mechanics and approach. Wood bats provide far more "input" on a hitter's stroke.
A baseball bat will vibrate with a variety of resonant vibrational bending modes after impact with a baseball, and the animation at right depicts the shapes and average frequency ranges for the first three bending modes of a 34-inch adult-sized baseball bat.
Bats sting because the ball's impact causes the bat to vibrate, and the vibrations in the handle can generate a stinging sensation in the hands of the person gripping the bat, particularly the top hand.
Batting around is another phrase for hitting a single, which occurs when everyone of the nine batters in the lineup has a plate appearance within a single inning. Bat flip: an action often performed by a hitter to demonstrate his or her accomplishment after hitting a home run.
In fact, out of all the many forms of baseball, hitting a softball hurts the most. This is because there is less force behind a softball swing than either a ball from the bat or off the blade of a knife. Also, the softer the ball, the more damage can be done to it during contact.
As for a hardball swing vs. a softball swing, they are both effective ways of hitting the ball, but since there is less mass involved with a softball, you need to put more pressure on your bat to produce any kind of power shot. However, since there is more force behind a hardball swing, you can do some serious damage with one of these if you know how to handle it.
Overall, hitting a softball is easier than hitting a hardball because there is less force involved and thus less damage can be done to the ball. With that being said, there is still plenty of force behind a softball swing/hit so it can be done effectively.
The sound of a wooden bat hitting a baseball is so piercing and resonant that you can almost see it if you close your eyes, like a flash of light. The sound of the bat hitting the ball is not like the smooth, gentle breaking of an egg. Instead, it is a loud crack that can be heard for many yards around the base path.
Bats are manufactured from wood and metal alloys. The most common materials used to make bats are maple and ash. Bats are designed with different weights in mind. For example, one made for a small child will usually have less weight per square inch (lb/in2) than one made for an adult male baseball player. However, they will usually have the same mass (grams). A heavy bat will hit the ball farther than a light one, but it also carries more risk of injury because of how hard it hits objects on its way to home plate.
When a bat meets a ball, there are several factors that determine how far it will travel: the type of wood used to make the bat; the size of the bat; and the speed with which it strikes the ball. Generally, the faster the bat moves through the air, the farther it will travel. But there are exceptions to this rule. Some woods, such as hickory, are known for their high "ball speed" without being as fast as other woods like maple or ash.