Performance of baseball headgear.

An experiment was conducted to ascertain the effectiveness of commercially available baseball headgear in a simulated environment where the head of the batter is struck. Using a compressed air cannon, baseballs were fired at an instrumented headform at frontal and temporal locations with and without a helmet. Striking velocities ranged from 50 to 120 mph and rebound velocities were 1/3 to 1/2 of that of the initial speed. Additional impact tests were conducted on equivalent flat helmet sections backed by a rigid steel plate, the results of which seemed to indicate that the materials and configurations currently employed do little to dissipate the energy of the striker. Head accelerations in excess of 1,000 G were measured, but quantitative injury potential could not be assessed since no applicable tolerances currently exist. We concluded that the incorporation of additional external padding on the plastic shell of the helmet and/or modifications of the suspension would significantly improve the energy absorption capabilities of the helmet and further minimize the possibility of head trauma.