GB2382309A

GB2382309A - A cricket bat

Info

Publication number: GB2382309A
Application number: GB0204472A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jonathan Mark Sillett
Original assignee: WOODWORM CRICKET Co Ltd T
Current assignee: WOODWORM CRICKET Co Ltd T
Priority date: 2001-10-11
Filing date: 2002-02-26
Publication date: 2003-05-28
Anticipated expiration: 2022-02-26
Also published as: GB2382309B; GB0204472D0; GB0124399D0; ZA200403229B

Abstract

A bat, preferably for cricket, comprises a handle 141 and a blade 142. The blade comprises a front face 143, a rear surface, shoulders 146 and a toe 145. The blade is characterised by one or more recesses on the sides 149, 150 so that the front surface of the blade narrows inward at that point, e.g. to form a waist.

Description

A SPORTS BAT The present invention relates to a bat for use in sports activities. In one form it relates to a bat for use in the game of cricket.

BACKGROUND A variety of sports use bats of various different shapes to strike a ball. The present invention relates to those bats that comprise a handle, one end of which is connected to an elongate blade. In the following description the invention will be described with reference to a cricket bat but it will be appreciated that it applies equally to other bats comprising a handle and an elongate blade.

The general shape of cricket bats, rounders bats and other similar bats has remained standard for many years. The shape of cricket bats has been standard and little changed for the best part of 150 years. Today's bats are almost identical in blade shape to those that were produced well over a century ago. Very few attempts have been made over the course of time to adjust the width of the blade of a cricket bat. One feature that has remained constant has been the shape of the profile of the front playing face of the bat.

The blade is generally rectangular in shape except for the shoulders near the point where the blade and handle join. Often the edges of the front face are bevelled or rounded slightly to prevent splintering of the bat along its edges. Another feature that has been little changed has been the balance point, pick up, of the bat. Traditionally cricket bats have been made of willow and the handle is spliced into the blade.

The rear surface of the bat has traditionally been shaped to be convex in cross section and/or V shaped. In these bats, the thickness of the blade decreases away from the point of maximum thickness both towards the sides and towards the toe and also towards the shoulders in such a way that that the rear surface of many bats has a central line extending down most of the length of the rear surface. Cricket bats have been symmetrical about a central plane running through the centre of the bat (handle and

blade) perpendicular to the front playing surface. The central line of the V is located on the plane of symmetry of the blade. The rear surface of the blade has been shaped so that the maximum thickness and hence mass is situated at a point approximately 15cm from the toe concentrated around the plane of symmetry in the central section of the back surface. This provides a"sweet spot", that is the optimum location for bat/ball contact to obtain the most effective hit in terms of distance and direction of travel of the ball relative to the work done by the player using the bat to strike the ball. The sweet spot on the front playing face is the striking area opposite the location of the maximum mass on the rear surface. Bat shapes to date have restricted the sweet spot to a small area.

The effect of the impact of a ball against the front face of the bat to either side of the point where the central plane intersects the playing surface is to try to turn the bat about its longitudinal axis so that a misdirected or week hit results. Impact of the ball on the front playing face at a point between the handle and the sweet spot results in the ball being lifted with a higher trajectory than desired, and the force delivered to the ball being weaker, with the result that there is a greater risk in the batsman being caught. Impact of the ball on the front playing face at a position between the sweet spot and the toe results in the ball being imparted a lower trajectory than desired, and a shorter hit results.

One of the aims of a bowler is to cause the batsman to strike the ball adjacent the edge of the bat, causing the ball to be deflected to a fielder. This is achieved by causing the ball to swing in the air or to turn off the pitch. Other methods used include causing the ball to bounce sharply and/or bowling very quickly so that the batsman does not have time to fully coordinate his movements to strike the ball cleanly. One of the greatest risks to a batsman staying in the game is when he strikes the ball on the edge of the bat above the sweet spot as this not only causes the ball to be deflected but it also causes the ball to rise with a higher trajectory and less speed. There is therefore a greater risk of him being caught.

Various attempts have been made at redesigning bats to overcome the aforesaid problems. In UK Patent 1391120 Messrs Wheeler and Garner describe a bat in which the

rear surface has been depressed in such a way that the maximum thickness of the blade is adjacent the side of the blade and is thinnest towards the central plane so that instead of the maximum weight and mass being concentrated largely behind the central plane about one spot it is distributed around the rim and towards the toe and shoulder of the blade to allegedly provide a sweet spot whose area is allegedly considerably extended. In UK Patent 1586706 Mr Garner describes a bat in which the rear surface again contains one or more depressions to allegedly provide a sweet spot whose area is allegedly considerably extended as in UK 1391120 but also includes a reinforcing portion at least partially surrounded by said depression/s, the reinforcing section being disposed about the longitudinal axis of the blade in the region of the sweet spot, the thickness of the blade at said reinforcing section being greater than the thickness of the blade in said depression.

However, these bats do not provide the same level of power to play a stroke as standard bats.

Very few manufacturers have made changes in recent history to the front playing surface of the blade. Slazenger attempted this in 1985 with the introduction of the WG bat that effectively was a shoulderless blade. Newbery's Excalibur bat was very similar to Slazenger's in that it had a shoulderless blade. The profile of both bats was changed to remove the playing surface area in the third of the blade closest to the handle as shown in Fig. 1. However, the problem with both of these bats was that they reduced the playing area to an unacceptable level and removed the shoulders, resulting in a loss of performance.

The present invention overcomes these problems by providing one or more revolutionary recesses in the front playing face of the blade. This provides a balance between reducing the surface area in the top section of the blade and maintaining as much as possible of the front playing surface in this area so as to provide enough surface area in the upper third of the blade for the batsman to be able to effect a normal defensive shot by making contact with the ball. With the aforementioned Slazenger and Newbery bats, playing a normal defensive shot using the top third of the blade was next to impossible in that there was insufficient playing surface in the upper third of the blade. Further, by transferring the

mass and weight of the wood removed from the upper third of the blade to the sweet spot of the bat, functional advantages are given to the bat. Providing a bat with a lighter upper third of the blade results in a more balanced pick up of the bat and the sweet spot can be made bigger and deeper giving an extended sweet spot without adding extra weight to the bat.

According to the present invention there is provided a sports bat comprising a handle and an elongate blade having a hitting sweet spot, the blade comprising a front playing face the majority of which is substantially planar across its face, an opposing rear surface, sides extending between the front face and rear surface, a toe and a pair of shoulders extending one each side of the handle to the sides, characterised in that the front playing surface comprises one or more recesses adjacent at least one side.

In one embodiment the one or more recesses are provided in one side only of the front playing surface. Preferably in this embodiment the recess/es are located on the side furthest away from the legs of a player when he is holding it in the normal stroke playing position.

Preferably at least one pair of side recesses are provided, one adjacent each side of the front playing face. Preferably, the bat is shaped such that it is symmetrical about the central plane. In one embodiment the recess/es are located in opposing sides of the blade.

Preferably the width of the front playing surface is reduced by each recess by no more than 25%, more preferably each recess reduces the width of the blade from 2 to 20%, more preferably from 5 to 17%, more preferably from 10 to 15% and most preferably about 15% of the width of the blade.

Preferably the length of each recess is from 10 to 50% of the length of the blade. More preferably it is from 15 to 40% of the length of the blade and more preferably from 20 to 34% of the length of the blade. Most preferably the length of the recess is less than 30% of the length of the blade.

In a preferred embodiment the recesses each have a maximum depth of 20mm and more preferably 16mm, and maximum height of 150mm and more preferably 130mm. The recesses preferably start about 70mm down from the point where the shoulder meets the side of the blade and finish about 200mm down from the shoulder point. A typical cricket bat has a blade with a total length of 555mm and a width of 106mm.

The recess/es may be concave, trough, stepped, hourglass, parabolic, waist or any suitable shape. The sides of the recesses joining the blade sides may be tapered, stepped, chamfered, curved or any suitable shape.

Preferably the recess/es are located in the section of the blade located closest to the handle; preferably within the third of the overall length of the blade closest to the handle.

Whilst in the preferred embodiment the recesses are located in the section of the blade within one third of the length of the blade, it will be appreciated that one or more recesses may be included in other sections of the blade.

In another embodiment the section of the side and/or rear surface adjacent the recess/es may further comprise depressions to remove additional weight from that region of the blade.

Preferably the at least some of the recesses extend through the entire side of the blade and through the rear surface. However, it will be appreciated that one or more of the recess/es might be formed by removing only a part section of the side adjacent the front playing face, so that some do not extend through the rear surface.

Preferably at least part of the mass of the blade that would have been located where the recess/es of the present invention are located, the removed mass, is added to the rear surface in the region of or adjacent the sweet spot. Preferably at least part of that removed mass is added to the back surface adjacent the normal sweet spot region so as to extend the area of the sweet spot. This redistributing of weight in the blade not only

enables the sweet spot to be enlarged but also enables the centre of gravity of the bat to be changed. This enables the"lift"of the bat to be changed, without adding any extra weight to the bat and without removing weight from the region of the blade along the central plane. It may also provide the bat with greater stability by removing weight from the sides and locating it closer to the central plane thus changing the rotational pitch of the bat.

Preferably the removed mass taken from where the location of the recesses and moved to the sweet spot is between 10 gram and 100 gram in a cricket bat. The standard weight of a cricket bat varies from 1.049kg to 1. 475kg, with the average being about 1.134kg. The amount of weight removed from the recess/es is preferably from 1% to 10% of the total weight of the bat, more preferably from 1% to 7%, more preferably from 2% to 4% of the weight of the bat.

In one preferred embodiment at least part of the mass from the blade where the recess/es and any depressions are located is not included in the bat and the remaining weight is distributed such that a bat is produced which is lighter than an equivalent traditional bat but with at least as good hitting qualities. More preferably only part of the removed weight is added to the sweet spot so that a lighter bat with an extended sweet spot is

produced that has at least as good hitting qualities as the equivalent heavier traditional ZD bat.

Additionally, the back surface may include depressions and/or other shape changes to enable weight to b redistributed within the bat. Preferably, the back surface is chamfered in the region of handle and/or in the region of the shoulders, and/or in the region of the toe. Weight and mass from one or both of these chamfered sections or other depressions in the rear surface may be added to the back face at or adjacent the sweet spot or elsewhere to balance the bat.

The bat is preferably made of wood or a combination of different woods. Current bats are made of willow but any suitable wood or combination of woods may be used.

Further, metals, aluminium, plastics, glass fibre, carbon fibre and other composite materials and any other suitable materials and combinations of materials may also be used in the construction of the bat or parts thereof. Preferably the handle is sprung.

DRAWINGS The invention will now be described by way of various examples with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In Fig. 1 there is shown a plan view of a Slazenger WG bat according to the prior art design.

In Fig. 2 there is shown a plan view of a back surface of the prior art bat of UK Patent 1391120.

In Fig. 3 there is shown a side plan view of the prior art bat shown in Fig. 2 In Fig. 4 there is shown a cross section of the blade of the prior art bat shown in Fig. 2 taken through line 3-3.

In Fig. 5 there is shown a plan view of a front playing face of a bat according to one embodiment of the invention.

In Fig. 6 there is shown a plan view of a back surface of the bat shown in Fig. 5.

In Fig. 7 there is shown a side plan view of the bat shown in Fig. 5.

In Fig. 8 there is shown a plan view of a front playing surface of a bat according to another embodiment of the invention.

In Fig. 9 there is shown a side plan view of the bat shown in Fig. 8.

In Fig. 10 there is shown a plan view of a front playing face of a bat according to yet another embodiment of the invention.

In Fig. 11 there is shown a side plan view of the bat shown in Fig. 10.

In Fig. 12 there is shown a plan view of a front playing face of a bat according to yet another embodiment of the invention.

In Fig. 13 there is shown a plan view of a back surface of the bat shown in Fig. 12.

In Fig. 14 there is shown a side plan view of the bat shown in Fig. 12.

In Fig. 15 there is shown a plan view of a front playing surface of a bat according to yet another embodiment of the invention.

In Fig. 16 there is shown a side plan view of the bat shown in Fig. 15.

In Fig. 17 there is shown a plan view of a front playing face of a bat according to yet another embodiment of the invention.

In Fig. 18 there is shown a side plan view of the bat shown in Fig. 17.

In Fig. 19 there is shown a plan view of a front playing face of a bat according to yet another embodiment of the invention.

In Fig. 20 there is shown a side plan view of the bat shown in Fig. 19.

In Fig. 21 there is shown a plan view of a front playing face of a bat according to yet another embodiment of the invention.

In Fig. 22 there is shown a plan view of a front playing face of a bat according to yet another embodiment of the invention.

In Fig. 23 there is shown a plan view of a back surface of the bat shown in Fig. 22.

In Fig. 24 there is shown a side plan view of the bat shown in Fig. 22.

In Fig. 25 there is shown a plan view of a front playing face of a bat according to yet another embodiment of the invention.

In Fig. 26 there is shown a plan view of a back surface of the bat shown in Fig. 25.

In Fig. 27 there is shown a side plan view of the bat shown in Fig. 25.

In Fig. 28 there is shown a plan view of a front playing face of a bat according to yet another embodiment of the invention.

In Fig. 29 there is shown a side plan view of the bat shown in Fig. 28.

In Fig. 30 there is shown a plan view of a front playing face of a bat according to yet another embodiment of the invention.

In Fig. 31 there is shown a side plan view of the bat shown in Fig. 30.

The Slazenger WG bat shown in Fig. l comprises a plan section view of the front playing surface of the bat comprising handle 1, front playing face 2 of blade 3. Blade 3 comprises toe 4 and sides 5. As shown, the bat is shoulderless.

Fig's. 2 to 4 show the prior art bat of UK Patent 1391120. The bat comprises handle 10, and blade 11. Blade 11 comprises front playing face 12, toe 18, rear surface 15, shoulder

19 and sides 13 & 14. Elongate depression 16 is located in rear surface 15, so shaped as to create a narrow rim 17 around the periphery of rear surface 15. The blade is thus thinnest towards the central plane and thickest around the periphery so that the mass and weight are concentrated at or near the periphery of the blade 11. The weight and mass is substantially evenly distributed throughout the length of the blade.

Fig's. 5 to 7 show plan views of a bat according to one embodiment of the invention.

There is shown a bat 20 comprising handle 21 and blade 22. Blade 22 comprises front playing face 23, rear surface 24, toe 25, shoulders 26 and sides 27 & 28. Front playing face 23 comprises recesses 29 and 30. Recesses 29 and 30 are concave in shape and extend through the entire side and rear surface of the blade. There is a distinct join 31 between recesses 29 and 30 and the related side. Central plane 32 is shown marked by lines A-A.

Fig's. 8 & 9 show plan views of a bat according to another embodiment of the invention.

There is shown a bat 40 comprising handle 41 and blade 42. Blade 42 comprises front playing face 43, rear surface 44, toe 45, shoulders 46 and sides 47 & 48. Front playing face 43 comprises recesses 49 and 50 that extend through the entire side and rear surface of the blade. Recesses 49 and 50 are concave in shape and there is a distinct join 51 between recesses 49 and 50 and the related side. Recesses 49 and 50 are located further down the sides, namely further away from the handle, than recesses 29 and 30 of Fig's. 5 to 7.

Fig's. 10 & 11 show plan views of a bat according to yet another embodiment of the invention. There is shown a bat 60 comprising handle 61 and blade 62. Blade 62 comprises front playing face 63, rear surface 64, toe 65, shoulders 66 and sides 67 & 68.

Front playing face 63 comprises recesses 69 and 70 that extend through the entire side and rear surface of the blade. Recesses 69 and 70 are concave in shape but unlike Fig's.

5 to 9 there is no distinct join between recesses 49 and 50 and the related side, the recesses merge into the sides in a smooth curve. Recesses 69 and 70 are located further

down the sides, namely further away from the handle, than recesses 29 and 30 of Fig's. 5 to 7 and 49 and 50 of Fig's 8 & 9.

Fig's. 12 to 14 show plan views of a bat according to yet another embodiment of the invention. There is shown a bat 80 comprising handle 81 and blade 82. Blade 82 comprises front playing face 83, rear surface 84, toe 85, shoulders 86 and sides 87 & 88.

Front playing face 83 comprises recesses 89 and 90 that extend through the entire side and rear surface of the blade. Recesses 89 and 90 are concave in shape and there is a distinct join 91 between recesses 89 and 90 and the related side. Recesses 49 and 50, sections of the sides 87 & 88 and rear surface 84 adjacent recesses 89 and 90 comprise depressions 91 and 92, which remove additional weight from that region of the blade.

Fig's. 15 & 16 show plan views of a bat according to yet another embodiment of the invention. There is shown a bat 100 comprising handle 101 and blade 102. Blade 102 comprises front playing face 103, rear surface 104, toe 105, shoulders 106 and sides 107 & 108. Front playing face 103 comprises recesses 109 and 110 that extend through the entire side and rear surface of the blade. Recesses 109 and 110 are trough shaped and there is a distinct join 111 between recesses 109 and 110 and the related side.

Fig's. 17 & 18 show plan views of a bat according to yet another embodiment of the invention. There is shown a bat 120 comprising handle 121 and blade 122. Blade 122 comprises front playing face 123, rear surface 124, toe 125, shoulders 126 and sides 127 & 128. Front playing face 123 comprises recesses 129 and 130 that extend through the entire side and rear surface of the blade. Recesses 129 and 130 are concave in shape and there is a distinct join 131 between recesses 129 and 130 and the related side. Recesses 129 and 130 are longer relative to the length of blade sides 127 & 128 than are the recesses shown in Fig's 4 to 18.

Fig's. 19 & 20 show plan views of a bat according to yet another embodiment of the invention. There is shown a bat 140 comprising handle 141 and blade 142. Blade 142 comprises front playing face 143, rear surface 144, toe 145, shoulders 146 and sides 147

& 148. Front playing face 143 comprises recesses 149 and 150 that extend through the entire side and rear surface of the blade. Recesses 149 and 150 are concave in shape but are deeper in proportion to the recesses shown in Fig's 4 to 18. There is a distinct join 151 between recesses 149 and 150 and the related side at the lower end of the recesses but the upper end 152 closest to the handle is curved and merges with the sides. It will be appreciated that the arrangement could be reversed.

Fig. 21 shows a plan view of the front face of a bat according to yet another embodiment of the invention. There is shown a bat 160 comprising handle 161 and blade 162. Blade 162 comprises front playing face 163, rear surface 164, toe 165, shoulders 166 and sides 167 & 168. Front playing face 123 comprises a single recess 169. Recess 169 is concave in shape. A bat of this design when used by a right handed player would have the recess located on the side furthest away from the legs of a player when he is holding it in the normal stroke playing position.

Figs. 22 to 24 show plan views of a bat according to yet another embodiment of the invention. There is shown a bat 180 comprising handle 181 and blade 182. Blade 182 comprises front playing face 183, rear surface 184, toe 185, shoulders 186 and sides 187 & 188. Front playing face 183 comprises recesses 189 and 190. Recesses 189 and 190 are concave in shape and extend through the entire side and rear surface. Rear surface 184 comprises ridge 191 located on the central plane. The removed weight and mass from recesses 189 & 190 has been added to ridge 191 both adjacent sweet spot 192 and in the region of sweet spot 192 to provide and extended sweet spot compared to the bat without the extra material; a comparison can be seen because the normal shape of the ridge is shown by line 193. Back surface 184 comprises chamfered section 194 in the region of handle 181 and shoulders 186, and chamfered section 195 in the region of toe 185. Weight and mass from one or both of these chamfered sections or other depressions in the rear surface may be added to the back face at or adjacent the sweet spot.

Fig's. 25 to 27 show plan views of a bat according to yet another embodiment of the invention. There is shown a bat 200 comprising handle 201 and blade 202. Blade 202

comprises front playing face 203, rear surface 204, toe 205, shoulders 206 and sides 207 & 208. Front playing face 203 comprises recesses 209 and 210. Recesses 209 and 210 are concave in shape and extend through the entire side and rear surface. Rear surface 204 comprises ridge 211 located on the central plane. The removed weight and mass from recesses 209 & 210 has been added to the back surface to form mound 213 both adjacent sweet spot 212 and in the region of sweet spot 212; a comparison can be seen, with the normal shape of the ridge being shown by line 214. Ridge 211 on back surface 204 merges into mound 213 adjacent the region of sweet spot.

Fig's. 28 & 29 show plan views of a bat according to yet another embodiment of the invention. There is shown a bat 220 comprising handle 221 and blade 222. Blade 222 comprises front playing face 223, rear surface 224, toe 225, shoulders 226 and sides 227 & 228. Front playing face 223 comprises recesses 229 and 230. Recesses 229 and 230 are concave in shape but do not extend entirely through the sides and do not extend through the rear surface.

Fig's. 30 & 31 show plan views of a bat according to yet another embodiment of the invention. There is shown a bat 240 comprising handle 241 and blade 242. Blade 242 comprises front playing face 243, rear surface 244, toe 245, shoulders 246 and sides 247 & 248. Front playing face 243 comprises multiple recesses 249,250, 251 and 252.

Recesses 249,250, 251 and 252 are concave in shape.

The present system is obviously susceptible to numerous modifications and variations.

For example the principles may be applied to different shaped bats. These are included within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

CLAIMS :

1. A sports bat comprising a handle and an elongate blade having a hitting sweet spot, the blade comprising a front playing face the majority of which is substantially planar across its face, an opposing rear surface, sides extending between the front face and rear surface, a toe and a pair of shoulders extending one each side of the handle to the sides, characterised in that the front playing surface comprises one or more recesses adjacent at least one side.

2. A sports bat as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a central plane extending longitudinally through the handle and blade, the plane of which is perpendicular to the front playing surface at the point where it intersects said surface, wherein there is provided a pair of side recesses, such that the bat is symmetrically shaped about the central plane.

3. A sports bat as claimed in claim 1 wherein there is only one side of the blade comprises one or more recess/es.

4. A sports bat as claimed in claim 3 wherein the recess/es are provided on the blade side located furthest away from the legs of a player when he is holding it in the normal stroke playing position.

5. A sports bat as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the recess/es are located in the section of the blade located within a third of the overall length of the blade, closest to the handle.

6. A sports bat as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the width of the

front playing surface is reduced by any single recess by no more than 25%.

1-1

7. A sports bat as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein each recess reduces the width of the front playing surface by from 2 to 20%.

8. A sports bat as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein each recess reduces the width of the front playing surface by from 5 to 17%,

9. A sports bat as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein each recess reduces the width of the front playing surface by from 10 to 15%.

10. A sports bat as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein each recess reduces the width of the front playing surface by about 15%.

11. A sports bat as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein the length of each recess is from 10 to 50% of the length of the blade.

12. A sports bat as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein the length of each recess is from 15 to 40% of the length of the blade.

13. A sports bat as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein the length of each recess is from 20 to 34% of the length of the blade.

14. A sports bat as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein the length of each recess is less than 30% of the length of the blade.

15. A sports bat as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14 wherein the section of the side and/or rear surface adjacent one or more of the recess/es further comprises depressions.

16. A sports bat as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15 wherein the amount of weight removed from the location of the recesses and/or depressions is from 1% to 10% of the total weight of the bat.

17. A sports bat as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15 wherein the amount of weight removed from the location of the recess/es and/or depressions is from 1% to 7%.

18. A sports bat as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15 wherein the amount of weight removed from the location of the recess/es and/or depressions is from 2% to 4% of the weight of the bat.

19. A sports bat as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 18 wherein at least part of the mass removed from the blade where the recess/es and any depressions are located is added to the rear surface in the region of or adjacent the sweet spot.

20. A sports bat as claimed in claim 19 wherein distributing of at least part of the removed mass provides an enlarged sweet spot to be and/or changes the centre of gravity.

21. A sports bat as claimed in claim 19 or claim 20 wherein the mass is used to form a mound about the sweet spot symmetrical about the central plane.

22. A sports bat as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 21 wherein the removed mass from the recess/es and any depressions is at least partly not included in the bat so that the bat is lighter than an equivalent traditional bat but has at least as good hitting qualities.

23. A sports bat as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 21 wherein only part of the removed weight is added to the sweet spot so that a lighter bat with an extended sweet spot is produced that has at least as good hitting qualities as the equivalent heavier traditional bat.