Mark Saghy was kind enough to provide the following information regarding the new bat rules that will be in effect for the upcoming high school season.
BBCOR (Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution)
This new standard measures bat performance and replaces the old standard called BESR (Ball Exit Speed Ratio)
Starting in January 2012, all bats must be BBCOR certified for NFHS (high school level) play.
Instead of measuring the speed of the ball after it is batted, BBCOR measures the "bounciness" of the ball and bat, or the "trampoline" effect. Whenever a bat hits a ball during a game, the ball actually compresses by nearly a third.
A pitched ball holds a lot of energy that you can see in the spin and speed of the ball. With solid wood bats, much of that energy is lost as the ball compresses at impact. The batted ball speed gets a lot of its energy from the bat. With hollow-core aluminum or composite bats, the thin walls "give" a little, and the ball distorts less and retains its pitched energy and adds to it the power of the bat speed. That's why non-wood bats hit balls faster.
The loss of energy at collision is what BBCOR measures. The less energy lost, the faster the ball speed after it gets launched off the bat.
Does this mean I need a new bat?
If your team plays under NCAA or NFHS guidelines; Yes, you probably need a new bat. Fortunately, bat manufacturers have been able to adjust their designs with very little notice. The first BBCOR-certified bats started swinging into the warehouse in August 2010.
Manufacturers are modifying aluminum and composite bats to make the walls stiffer. Sometimes they are actually inserting a block behind the sweet-spot so it won't flex as much. Other times they are simply adding thickness to the wall.
Adjusting to the new standards will certainly be difficult for some players, but the change will take the game back to its roots. Eastbay will continue to help improve your game by providing you with the most options and the best advice to accentuate your performance, especially when big changes like BBCOR happens in the equipment industry.