ASA Bat compression testing debacle... any expert chime in?

C

CornWood

Member
Hey guys,

Had an issue at championship night for our local league tonight. Last year before the season ending tournament they took all bats and tested and those that didn't pass were not allowed to play in the championship tournament. This year we show up and they decide it's not "worth it" to test. The league director says test before the season because someone could test valid and then go "roll or shave it after anyway."

The team we were set to play first we've played 3 times already this season. First two times we saw nothing special but the last time we played them they showed up with a ASA 2018 DC-41 (we have one on our team as well, mine) and all the sudden they have a homerun (320ft field, it clears by 30+ feet almost in the other field with .52/300) and everyone that uses the bat hits an absolute rope. Balls are through the infield faster than we can react and line drives to the outfield are crushed. This bat was on loan from another team in our league. I called it out and made a point that no one our our team has ever hit a ball like ANY of the balls that came off that bat even though we have the same bat, even in the same weight 27 oz.


After we mention it to the league director he agrees to test both DC-41's, ours and the other team. He comes back and says "theirs is 1450 PSI and yours is 1475 PSI". 1300 PSI is pass/fail for this bat according to the paperwork. Now I've had mine tested 3 times over the last month for other leagues I am in (they test and then sticker to validate) and mine has consistently tested 1340-1360 depending on the tester. I mention this to the LD and get a smart remark about "you got what you wanted with the bat testing and you're still questioning it".

So I'd like an honest opinion or some advice from others on the board. I've never seen a bat hit like this teams bat. It sounds different, and the ball carries like nothing I've seen crush .52's before. We have some absolute mashers on my team and we've had homeruns but nothing even like what we saw off their bat the week before. Is it a cut bat? Will cut bats still pass compression? Why were the compression results so far off compared to the other parks I've had mine tested at? 1475 from my understanding is higher than mine even comes from the factory and I have about 1500 hits on mine.

Ideas? Thoughts?
 
TWmccoy

TWmccoy

3DX Connoisseur
Tough to say. I've seen some ASA DC41s get NASTY hot with lots of use. They have a weird sound (different from a USSSA DC41). The bat almost sounds like its breaking on every swing.
 
ShortYellowBus

ShortYellowBus

Well-Known Member
You can’t really get any benefit from rolling a non-linear ASA bat, especially not a 2018 DC41 ASA; the outer shell is already super soft and won’t pass compression on its own. The performance trick is in the insert. That’s the area where the testing is performed on.

Get over it. They probably just had a better day than you.
 
clementeunknown

clementeunknown

Addicted to Softballfans
If it sounds different the inner tube was probably taken out. Once it passed compression, the next step is to cut the bat open.
 
Country469

Country469

Well-Known Member
For everyone here worried about the actual # on the tester................ if two bats are tested on the same tester and test within 50-100 points of each other, they are close enough that it doesnt matter anyway so ****ing play ball
 
K

kvander

Addicted to Softballfans
Country469 said:
For everyone here worried about the actual # on the tester................ if two bats are tested on the same tester and test within 50-100 points of each other, they are close enough that it doesnt matter anyway so ****ing play ball
Click to expand...
But the other team's bat was 1.7% hotter. Not fair. Not fair at all
 
C

CornWood

Member
Country469 said:
For everyone here worried about the actual # on the tester................ if two bats are tested on the same tester and test within 50-100 points of each other, they are close enough that it doesnt matter anyway so ****ing play ball
Click to expand...

This is the part I am trying to figure out. On this tester my bat would literally never fail until it breaks. Whereas I've come close on other testers run by more "legit" leagues in my opinion.

What causes one tester to read so different from another? Can the results be botched? Some weird replies in this thread.
 
Country469

Country469

Well-Known Member
CornWood said:
This is the part I am trying to figure out. On this tester my bat would literally never fail until it breaks. Whereas I've come close on other testers run by more "legit" leagues in my opinion.

What causes one tester to read so different from another? Can the results be botched? Some weird replies in this thread.
Click to expand...

the testers come with a calibration ring that should be set to the pass fail line to calibrate them
 
Country469

Country469

Well-Known Member
CornWood said:
Does this not alter the compression test? I'd assume no because the compression test only tests the outter shell correct?
Click to expand...

no the inner rings are in place to keep the bat from compressing further past the legal point. Taking them out is like taking the governor off a golf cart.

Testers can and SHOULD be inconsistent some. You will never get a uniform break in legally swinging your bat, so different spots should always test differently on the bat. But 200-300 point differences per week is gerenally due to calibration/user error
 
Bobby Buggs

Bobby Buggs

SBF Site Sponsor
miken_asa_cap.png


Thats the inner barrel for a DC 41. If you take that out it would never pass comp. Its designed to allow the shell to flex to a point and stop it.
 
ShortYellowBus

ShortYellowBus

Well-Known Member
Linear ASA bats definitely have higher susceptibility to tampering. Shave cut roll and gloss. Old bats.

Non-linear bats have different variations of that sleeve that @Bobby Buggs just showed. Without that sleeve, the barrel will absolutely fail compression testing and is too fragile to hit a softball on his own. It would break.

Again. They’re absolutely proven that they weren’t cheating so just stop making excuses and simply move on!
 
nutmegs

nutmegs

IDGAFOS
Country469 said:
the testers come with a calibration ring that should be set to the pass fail line to calibrate them
Click to expand...
One of our local TDs thought the ring was to hold the bat up during testing. He'd been testing with it for like two years. We mentioned it to him at a tournament where he was failing bats left and right. Sunday he calibrated it and 90% of the bats that failed passed. I wonder how many people out there never calibrate their testers.
 
Country469

Country469

Well-Known Member
a lot. We used to have one when we travelled to be prepared for it and know what was up. Fortunately its usually on the good side they err.
**** I got a 190 OG freak to pass once and lol'ed all the way to the dugout
 
TWmccoy

TWmccoy

3DX Connoisseur
I'll just go ahead and say this again.... I've swung UNALTERED ASA DC41s. The damn bats smoke the ball. They sound like a wet board hitting a tree. I can see why some people would think they're shaved, but they aren't.

I don't know what ASA's testing system is, and I don't care. Some ASA bats are as hot (or hotter) than their USSSA counterparts.

In fact, if I had to pick the hottest ASA bat out there I'd probably say DC41. Some of the Demarinis aren't far behind though.
 
jbo911

jbo911

Super Moderator
Staff member
The most important factor is what were they swinging before? If they were swinging crap, then a new bat can absolutely make that difference. If they all had asa DC's before, and then they all switched to this one, that's different.

I don't think it's proven that they weren't cheating since he clearly botched the test or didn't test them at all and just came out and said numbers, but I don't even think I'd assume they cheated.
 
MaverickAH

MaverickAH

Well-Known Member
It's been my experience that, if the effort is put in, most teams and/or players tend to get better as the season goes on. Isn't it the whole point to be performing optimally when the playoffs role around? At least that's always been my goal...…..
 
C

CornWood

Member
SammyJaxxx said:
After reading your post, I'm not sure that you know what debacle means.
Click to expand...
You guys are ruthless.

If my bat tests 1340-1360 at three other parks and 1475 at this park... somethings different. Period.

This team was swinging a combination of slightly older freaks and other "average" bats before this DC41 came out. The homerun wasn't a 320 foot shot. The fence itself is 320. This ball went closer to 340-350 as it crossed the road between the fields and hit the high fence on the girls softball field. I honestly forgot this was SBF where 350- 400' shots with .52's and ASA bats were a common thing.

Everyone on the team was hitting ropes. I know what a DC41 can do, I own one for gods sake. We also have some bomb hitters on our team but no one has seen a homerun that far since playing in this league. .52's just don't fly like that here.
325-330 homeruns are common here when someone gets a hold of one. This ball slammed the fence on the girls softball field thats 7 feet high and prob would have landed 345-350 which is exactly the kind of performance I'd expect from a modified bat, 15-20 foot extra and a few mph exit speed higher with the .52's. I know that shaving or modifying these doesn't have the same effect that it did on .44 cores. This bat turned an average team into one that couldn't get out. Frozen outfield ropes. Balls hit off the taper carrying over outfielders and into gaps. Balls hit down the third base line faster then anyone could react. It is what it is; but this wasn't a normal DC41.
ktB1llJ.jpg


Keep on keeping on SBF.
 
Last edited:
C

CornWood

Member
tonys1 said:
Bro you have some of the most experienced and helpful guys respond to you. It’s like you came here expecting an answer you wanted to hear and nothing else will appease you.
Click to expand...

Yall ignored half my post with some dumb remarks.

I asked why the compression testing could be 100+ points off from one to the next. If the bats legal its legal, I want to know why the results are so far off league to league. Seems useless if you can just make the tester say whatever you want.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top