What makes the perfect swing in baseball?

With opening day around the corner, fans around the country are gearing up to watch the big hitters. We asked U-M Engineering Professor Noel Perkins to tell us the factors that going into swinging the bat, and to show us how his new technology can help analyze and engineer the perfect swing.

ABOUT THE PROFESSOR: Noel Perkins ( is the Donald T. Greenwood Collegiate Professor of Mechanical Engineering ( and an Arthur F. Thurnau professor at the University of Michigan College of Engineering ( His research interests are dynamics including vibration and stability, nonlinear dynamics, experimental methods. Applications to nonlinear dynamics of elastic cables, nonlinear fluid-structure interaction, DNA supercoiling, sports engineering, MEMS inertial sensor applications, vehicle systems, axially moving materials.