The Physics of Baseball Introduction Baseball has always been a pretty simple game. Of course, you also run the risk of becoming so preoccupied with the nuance physics of the game, you won't be able to hit a curve ball for entirely different reasons. The batter exerts some 6000-8000 pounds of force on the ball. Batters swinging at baseballs have to swing the big ol' bat fast, if they want good things to happen.
Heavy bats make for hard work.
For the last 100 years, players have tried to quicken their bats by breaking the rules. It's tricky, and it doesn't work very well. And as if I've got to tell you, it's science. For years, perhaps as long as the game's been played, players have tried to add a little more spring to their swing by filling their bats with springy cork, and sealing them up cleanly in hopes that no one would notice. Similarly, if you've ever knocked your knees with an ash wood baseball bat, you've undoubtedly noticed that it's not especially soft.