CORKING A BASEBALL BAT (the right way) 

It’s always been hilarious to me how baseball diamonds almost always seem to be facing a road or area where cars are parked. It never fails

"apparently that video went viral in the carpenter community" that had me dying Will

I think to really make sure you control for all variables, you have to have a single blind test. Have someone completely unaware of the differences between the two, then do the exit velo test. If they know it’s corked, they might swing harder unconsciously.

I remember that corked bat video and now the channel has grown a lot since. Job well done.

I had no idea it was about reducing and transferring the weight! I thought it was all about making the bat more reactive from the hollow section plus cork. Learn something every day!

I do corking methods for the fungo bats i make. Sometimes i do slits, and sometimes it's round bores with lightweight inserts like yours. The demarini wood composites use carbon fiber instead of cork and it actually increases durability There's 2 ways that wood bats increase ball speed. Hardness and mass. Hardness increases the efficiency of a ball's rebound whereas mass transfers more energy total if the speed decrease is less than the mass increase. A corked bat balances out a bat design, but even if you increase the density to have the same mass or increase the mass to have the same swing weight, this kills any amount of endload. Endload bats are more efficient per swing weight than balanced bats. This is an important topic of discussion when it comes to usssa because you can get a balanced drop 5 to feel like an endloaded drop 8, but the drop 8 will be more efficient at the same swing weight (not counting wall thickness and things like that). Wood is the same way. A light endloaded bat is more efficient than a heavy balanced bat. For jacked pro players with enough strength to swing a tree axe, corking is less effective at increasing total power because the speed they gain maybe not be as much as the mass they lose. However, bat speed and control helps you get BETTER hits, so even though you lose power overall, you're more consistent with your power and have more consistent launch angles. It's a complicated topic that comes up frequently with cupping, which can be thought of as a sort of legal method of corking a bat ever so slightly

The cut half way through the flex grunts is peak comedy

I love the cut every time Zack screams 😂

You could really tell that they were swinging the bat faster because as soon as they switched to the corked bat they were hitting more to left field. That means the bat was meeting the ball sooner than they were expecting it, so a bit in front of the plate instead of directly over the plate. After using it for a bit they began to compensate and then started getting one or two to center field.

I really appreciate the alternation of each person hitting the bat! Subtle change but takes significant care to make that decision in editing! Great job baseball bat bros!

What got me was seeing how much more flat the trajectory on the corked is before it falls off. Like the tiger I's short 88 versus the long 88 on the tiger ii, the round is just going so so much faster, and it's so cool to see it happen with a baseball.

Very interesting seeing it done today. I did this test for a 6th grade science fair project in the late 90s using the base store bought LS wood model because they were so accessible and affordable then. I had unaltered, cork, super balls, and sawdust filled by a family friend who was a carpenter. My dad and I built a swing machine to guarantee the same swing path to the ball off the tee to guarantee being struck in the same spot. The altered bats were lighter, but nothing outperformed the unaltered bat. With a mechanical swing releasing the same amount of force on each swing, back in the 90s with ash, it only helped as far as reducing weight, not increasing distance. Obviously bat tech and design has advanced a LONG way even in wood, but the density definitely mattered back then. Won the science fair too!

Never gonna get used to seeing birch bats. Makes me feel old

I think what makes corking effective is PERIMETER WEIGHTING. It's a method of taking away weight, but crucially because this weight is reduced from the centre, it stabilises the barrel during contact, effectively creating a larger sweet spot. Look up Perimeter weighting. It is used a lot in golf club design.

The first video that might have led me to your channel was a review of the Baum bat back in Summer 2020. Crazy how much your channel has grown since then!

I always love a new baseball bat bros upload also I remember that old vid. Your videos have helped me so much pick out my BBCOR bats. Boutta buy some merch too love the channel and keep it going

Hey Ridgefield Spudders! I don't live too far from here! I remember when they were still building this complex, glad it looks so nice!

You guys should do one with corked metal bats. We had a bat in HS the end cap came off of and found it to be hollow with some light foam. So, we decided to pull the foam pack it with, if I remember right, tennis balls as tight as we could and used cement glue to place the end cap back on. I used the bat in batting practice the next day and hit 10 HRs in a row. One of teammate asked me to use in a game, so I did and hit a pitch low and away that would normally have resulted in pop out and I ended up going yard. Told the guys we can't use this anymore in games or we are going to be done. I'd be curious to see if it still works with today's bats.

Yo! Got an idea for you guys. Have you seen the puck knob wood bats some pro players have been using lately? I believe Dovetail bats and maybe marucci have them available for retail sale. It's supposed to improve bat speed and makes the bat an extra couple inches. Would like to see you guys try them out.

You know it’s gonna be a good day when will uploads. Keep up the great content!!!

The sound coming the bat is one of my all time favorite sounds

Glad y'all redid this test! Thanks for the time y'all put into it.

I feel like if you compressed the cork, you'd get a pressurized effect that can increase the pop. I would like to see more experiments around this like: seeing how wide of a bore you can get with a carbon fiber tube insert, maybe also pressurized with air, thin titanium tube insert.

Love the shirt @ 4:17...S.O. AL CHAMP GUARDS!! (still the tribe like he said tho!) and lovin my guy again @ 5:05 ......"SHOUT OUT STEVEN!!!" Tribe takin out the Yankees tonight!!!!

“Apparently that video went viral in the carpenter community” 😂😂😂. Great video guys!

Love that wood bat sound at the field!

I came across this channel because of that original video now I am seeing this one (granted 6 months after it came out) kinda surprising that it makes a big difference at least in this one video.

I will make sure to try this in my next organized game 😊

Much love and respect guys keep up the hard work

HELL YEAH! Rocking the GV Artwork shirt!!!

Would be cool to see you team up with either SmarterEveryDay or The Slow Mo Guys to use their high speed cameras to see if you can see the bat flexing in slow motion. If you can see a difference between the corked and normal bat and to see a metal bat and any other variations you have.

Awesome video! So glad I found this after the original.

I was at a White Sox game once when Albert Belle hit a HR for Cleveland and I said to the people I was with, that sounded weird! They should check his bat. The next night, they did. BUSTED!!! 🤣

Awesome video. Thanks for sharing!

I have corked quite a few the right way myself and I feel like it depends on the original wood because I don’t like the way my corked maples feel. The ball feels like it flies off the bat but then it doesn’t really carry, pretty similar to a BBCOR bat with an extra 20 or 30 feet maybe

I am a hockey guy but enjoy watching the different bats you show.

I use American batsmith i love it 👍🏻

Thank you for the pic at the all American classic

It's super awesome you revisited this again. That's a sub from me.

Immediately thought of Sosa when I saw the title haha. Great video as per usual. You guys ever thought of doing a bp sesh with subs type of thing? I played ball in Utah and now live in Oregon. Would be cool haha. Just throwing it out there. Keep up the great content!

Cutting out the center of the bat will allow it to oval the barrel slightly on impact (at least compared to the control bat that is denser and more compact in its form) and then the bat will spring back to normal shape adding a bit of extra pop off the bat! Being lighter I don't believe helps with power simply because it will slightly have less follow through power and you can just purchase one that is an ounce lighter, which would end up sacrificing a bit of density to be lighter and distance never goes up with the same hitter! Also, I would imagine cork bats require a lot of impact to see the intended results. Even though the center has been replaced with a less dense material making the spring effect easier to achieve, I believe the impact between bat and ball would have to be extremely high. In conclusion, the harder the bat is swung the more advantageous it becomes IMO!

Dope Vids guys. I'd really like to see a comparo between the BatSmith FT23 and the Victus Tatis23. Curious how the two models of the same bat would fare against each other. Would make for an awesome shootout! Just a thought. Keep em coming y'all!!!!!

Thanks for giving a shout to our Cleveland Guardians! Steven Kwan!!! My man 👊🏻

This is awesome!! Thank you for this

I’ve got a Rawlings Fungo that was hallowed out from the factory, it was fun to play with when I was coaching!

I've always thought the cork was to give the bat more bounce in some way I've never really thought about it as a weight saving thing. I figured if it's packed tight with cork that the cork would help facilitate bounce or possibly the bat being hollow would help facilitate bounce and the cork might help reduce shock to the wood and keep it from breaking as easily. That's how I've always thought about it. Definitely excited to finish watching the video I paused it to write this comment. Maybe try doing a nice cork job like this to a really heavy bat and see if there's a big difference. You'd shave more weight off with a harder wood.

The ALBIN aluminum alloy AX05 BESR bat was ridiculous in 2011, under the radar bat but it smacks

In the 5th grade, yes 5th, I corked a bat. Step 1, buy every superball your local pharmacy has and use your fingernails to make it into little chips. Step2, drill the bat as seen in this video. Step 3, fill the bat all the way with the superball grains. All the way. Step 4, compress the grains and refill. Step 5, using a wood plug with glue on it, place the whole contraption in a hydraulic press. Add 5 tons of pressure and leave it there until the plug is glued in. Step 6, finish as seen in this video. My older brothers friend used that bat in a preseason game. He was an 8th grader. He checked his swing, accidentally hit the ball, and it went all the way to the warning track. He was so scared that he flung the bat hard into the dugout while running to first. He never used it again because this was in the aluminum bat era around 1989.

I think at the start you said something about American Bat Smith having a Wood composite if so you should review it

Such a satisfying sound.

How about using expandable foam instead of cork? Will it work the same or better?

My buddy's dad corked a bat for us when we were like 10 playing in the back field. We spent more time looking for the balls in the woods than playing.

Well done Will!

The on the field testing you could easily see the difference. You guys got good swings and contact on all the ABs you showed. Control bat, anything without a “good” launch angle stayed in the yard. Cork bat, anything with solid contact was gone, launch angles were all over the place but the ball still got out.

Bro wills hands are so good on his swing… gets the barrel where it needs to be…. Love his swing

Awesome as always, but, ready to see if the '23 Omaha might be worth making a change for!

That grain orientation on the end plug is doing my head in!! Shoulda been the other way around… Other than that… As a ball fan AND a full time carpenter. I love this. I swung a 33/31 in our mens league, ash bat. It’s insane how much more control you get with a lighter swing weight and shorter bat.

Do you suppose using an expanding foam like "Great Stuff" would lighten the bat more, and keep the bat strong enough?

love the Steven Kwan shoutout...go Tribe!

Love ur vids I just got a cat9 comp a couple months ago but my fav bat is the meta

That corked bat sounds SICK! 🤣👌

Bro that first swing that zack took with the corked bat sounded just like a perfect perfect

Love the tribe and now we’re in the ALDS let’s keep it rolling

It's such a different sound profile, I feel like you gain some advantage because you were going yard with the reg bat. It's just like warming up with a weight ring before batting.

i love that sound..

Nice video! What is the purpose of the cork? To hide the hollow bat? Is it the weight or some other phenomena helping?

I've wondered why with all the velo measurements like exit velo, pitch speed, spin rate, etc., why we haven't seen a measurement of bat speed through the zone. That's what seems to be affected here with the reduced mass at the end of the bat, swing speed is increased. The measure every other velocity, why not this one? Great vid, BTW

Let's just take a moment to think about how well they throw for these vids...🤣🤣🤣

👍From this day forward you will be known as "Will the Legend". May your tankard always be full and the tail never end. You lucky sob you 😉Rock on man🤘😎

Hahaha I didn't expect to see my comment from the last video in this video! Awesome job revisting this!

True temper dynamic bbcor bat review

Aye dude rocking the Oreo 5s 🤙🏿

"bout 3 inches in"... Sounds like a friday night at my place 😂😂😂😂.. I could'nt resist.. I tried

Yeah I knew y’all was hitting cars lmao 😂 back there

Great video!

hi guys, great vids. thank you for them as i've learned so much. I live in the Tampa area. Where is that facility you're in? I couldn't make out what you said.

what if you drilled it the same but filled it with a foam which you let expand, then cap it normally like here? maybe even lighter and possibly still structurally sound?

hey man how you doing? I need your help, can you test the difference between BAUM BAT & KR3, what is the best composite bat? I would like to buy one of them. thank you so much, you are the best!!!

Love ur videos

Bro, that OG Rays hat is 🔥🔥🔥

I've watched both vids and some of the comments on that first one really were unnecessarily shitty. Have always been curious about this subject, so appreciate the effort to demonstrate how much of an advantage a corked bat actually is.

You might not have many mechanical or carpentry skills but we're here to see you hit dingers and you do that well. Keep them coming.

Have you tested two identical bats with one ounce removed from one of them via cupping? Seems like it be be the same only it could be legal.

I’ve got a 2009 Easton stealth cnt sc900 y’all can test again some newer and older bats

THIS IS MY HIGHSCHOOL FIELD AHHHH

Ok, I know nothing about baseball so this might be something already known about. but what would happen if you removed the pommel and replaced it with solid steel to pull the balance toward the hands, and what would the effect be if you combined this and cork?

Corking a bat isn't about removing weight, its about creating bounce and a higher exit velocity. I'd beat you're not swinging any faster (in any significant way anyway) but the base is leaving the bat far faster. Its like in golf a driver is limited to a "smash factor" of 1.5. Drivers can be made to have a 2.0 smash factor at the same weight and user swing speed,.. the face is hotter.

That is crazy!

Damn, you start hitting at ridgefield right after I move north? Wild 😪

As a guy who makes his own wood bats, I always “cork” the fungos I make. Coaches love em..

Yooo is that GV ARTWORK shirt ! LETS GOOO

I'm not really a baseball guy, but I was curious why you would put cork in your bat. Well, my theory about that got confirmed. And seeing the direction of that field facing, I assume Baseball isn't about guys running from base to base while another guy tries to catch the ball, it is a game where you try to hit pedestrians and passing cars. Corking your bats seemingly really improves your chance in doing so. I can even hear them screaming: 'Stop!Stop!' ;-)

Definitely a difference cool stuff

You need to try the camwood European beech bats. They are claiming alot with them.

5:23 the cutoff 😂

It’s still crazy impressive y’all are casually hitting bombs 370’ with a normal wooden bat! Mad props!

Watching another video/channel...saw a bat bros video notification and IMMEDIATELY clicked on it! #notdisappointed

Great video

I still dont understand why they use dried bottle cork. In the 80's we used Renia's Cork Filler for soles that came in tin jars that was soft and pliable and packed it in. It would expand when dried. This is how most of the pro's did it in the 80's. At least the ones I knew of. But this is a much better test than the last one.

Disco Dan Ford, the cork king. I remember him hitting a homer against the Tigers and it sounded like a giant celery stalk being crunched.