alt.hn

4/3/2026 at 2:49:17 AM

Study investigates how mass distribution of baseball bat affects performance

 https://news.wsu.edu/press-release/2026/04/02/science-confirms-torpedo-bat-works-as-well-as-regular-bat/

by Magi604

4/8/2026 at 7:49:03 PM

Yeah, it's like just ignoring the actual conclusions. I mean, it's easier to hit and then it hits less hard, which is actually good because professional baseball players generally hit it out of the park when they get a good hit. So the conclusion is actually completely opposite what the title of the article is - it's not the same. It is a substantial improvement.

by Mathnerd314

4/8/2026 at 8:00:49 PM

The moment I saw “slight difference in location of sweet spot” I knew the bat would have tremendous real-world impact even if the robots couldn’t hit any better.

by bombcar

4/8/2026 at 8:20:27 PM

Modern 2026 click bait:

1. Provide “distinct” proof 2. Title it as the antithesis

by sam1r

4/8/2026 at 8:44:58 PM

i'm sorry but where are you seeing this completely opposite and substantial improvement?

>The team found nearly identical performance for the torpedo and standard bats except that the sweet spot for the torpedo bat was a half inch farther from the bat tip than the standard bat.

>“It was actually pretty phenomenal how close they were,” said Smith.

>For some players who like to hit the ball closer in, the torpedo bat might be a better option for them

some players with some batting characteristics may find this better? is that what you are referring to? What part of the article disputes this at all, let alone concludes the opposite? Is it the researcher's own quote? I really don't understand your objection here. It seems to be based on your own intuition about how players "generally" hit balls. But the researchers themselves have presented their own data and conclusions pretty clearly here.

by devindotcom

4/8/2026 at 8:45:22 PM

I forgot all about the torpedo bat "craze", It was largely a dead story by the all star break.

by wnevets

4/3/2026 at 3:40:58 AM

So... The Torpedo Bat is basically the Placebo Bat?

by restlessforge

4/8/2026 at 7:22:28 PM

The end of the article notes several very real changes in behavior, including being more likely to get a hit, which is significant.

And it compares equal weight bats. If the torpedo bat allows you to use a lighter bat, that will increase your swing speed.

by bryanlarsen

4/8/2026 at 8:11:28 PM

they compared equal _swing_ weight bats. so actually in their experiment the torpedo bat was heavier.

by postflopclarity

4/8/2026 at 9:29:49 PM

> For some players who like to hit the ball closer in, the torpedo bat might be a better option for them, though, he added. And because the barrel is wider in a place where those batters do hit, they will be more likely to hit the ball more often — giving players a higher batting average.

If the only constraints are material and weight, it should be possible to create a design that performs even better for this purpose. But at some point it stops looking like a baseball bat.

by excalibur

4/8/2026 at 8:33:44 PM

> “Wood is wood,” said Smith

Ahh, finally. A definitive answer!

by orthecreedence

4/8/2026 at 8:28:19 PM

Imagine writing a whole article like this and only including one really unclear photo with a distracting background and not indicating which bat is which in the photo.

by jeffbee

4/8/2026 at 8:27:54 PM

Very ugly bat. Poor aesthetics for baseball.

by nsxwolf

4/8/2026 at 8:58:42 PM

Scientists spent money confirming that wood is wood.

by talkfold

4/8/2026 at 7:44:19 PM

Disappointing article. As another commenter mentioned, the very last sentence of the article reveals a potentially positive impact on batting average, which is extremely relevant to how well a bat works! But this seems to be ignored by the conclusion of both the researchers and the article, which focuses on hitting power.

by kaonwarb

4/8/2026 at 8:17:34 PM

This is just the most oxymoronic article. It’s like it knew we would all be like… wait.

by sam1r

4/8/2026 at 8:38:44 PM

the last sentence is part of a paragraph specifying it "might" be better for "some players who like to hit the ball closer in"

not really ignored when it's in the article. the researchers themselves are quoted saying the results are incredibly close.

by devindotcom

4/8/2026 at 9:26:41 PM

Clicked on the story expecting underwater bat-like weapon system. Was incredibly disappointed.

by lawrenceduk