How to Calculate BPF

Bat Performance Factor, or BPF, is a rating system that indicates how the bat performs in a controlled testing situation. According to MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, it is a measure of the liveliness of a ball hit off a bat compared against a base measurement of the distance a ball travels when it is bounced against a wall. Although every type of bat has a different BPF based on the materials used to make the bat and their density, this rating system is mainly used to regulate bats used in youth baseball and softball leagues.

Things You'll Need

  • Bat holder with pivot
  • Aluminum bat
  • Pitching machine
  • Baseballs
  • Radar gun
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Set the pitching machine at 100 mph.

    • 2

      Fire a few test balls and verify the speed with the radar gun.

    • 3

      Set the aluminum bat in the holder with the pivot.

    • 4

      Arrange the bat and pivot so that the center of the ball fired from the pitching machine strikes 6 inches from the tip of the bat. This is point on the bat is called the "sweet spot," and produces the BPF marked on most aluminum bats certified for use in organized leagues.

    • 5

      Place the radar gun where it can measure the speed of the ball after it hits the bat, often referred to as the exit speed.

    • 6

      Fire the ball at the bat and measure the speed of the ball as it comes off of the bat at the point of contact.

    • 7

      Divide the exit speed by the pitching speed to calculate the BPF. Bats certified for Little League use usually have a BPF of 1.15 or lower. That means that the ball exits the bat at 115 miles per hour after striking the bat at 100 miles per hour (115 / 100 = 1.15).