Softball
Softball is not baseball with a bigger ball. It is its own sport, with its own physics — and it deserves its own science. The bat geometry is different. The pitching arc is different. The swing plane is different. Baseball Performance Lab is applying its data-driven research to softball with the same rigour that transformed professional baseball equipment.
Softball
What are we doing for Softball?
Working alongside the engineering team at Marucci Sports, BPL is applying its measurement science to softball bat construction — studying center of mass, moment of inertia, balance point, and the acoustic profile of ball-on-barrel impact through the specific lens of softball mechanics and equipment standards.
One of the more consistent findings in BPL’s research is the measurable gap between how a bat sounds and how it performs. Players at every level have strong acoustic preferences — and those preferences don’t always align with exit velocity. Understanding that gap is part of building a better bat. There is nothing better than the sound of a well-struck ball, but the science of what produces that sound is more nuanced than most people think.
softball
BPL’s work in softball starts from the same foundational question we asked in baseball: what does the data actually say about how a bat performs, and how does it interact with this athlete’s swing? The answers in softball are not identical to baseball — and that’s exactly the point.
Softball
NCAA softball operates at an elite level, and equipment matters at this level. BPL’s approach to bat fitting — grounded in biomechanics, swing data, and physical measurements — translates directly to the college game. Programs looking to give their hitters a science-backed equipment edge are welcome to reach out.
Softball
The growth of professional softball through leagues like Athletes Unlimited has created a community of elite athletes whose equipment needs are as sophisticated as those in professional baseball. BPL is actively developing the research and tools to serve this community. If you’re a professional softball player or organization, we’d like to hear from you.
