Ball bat exhibiting optimized performance via selective placement of interlaminar shear control zones

A ball bat including a barrel, a handle, and a tapered section joining the barrel to the handle, comprising:

• a first region in the barrel, adjacent to the tapered section;
• a second region in the barrel, adjacent to a free end of the barrel;
• a third region in the barrel, between the first and second regions, including the sweet snot of the barrel;
• wherein the second and third regions each include at least one non-gaseous interface shear control zone, and the first region includes at least one more non-gaseous interface shear control zone than does the third region;
• and
• wherein at least one of the first and second regions includes at least one interface shear control zone that is continuous with at least one interface shear control zone in the third region.

A ball bat including a barrel, a handle, and a tapered section joining the barrel to the handle, comprising:

• a first region in the barrel, adjacent to the tapered section;
• a second region in the barrel, adjacent to a free end of the barrel;
• a third region in the barrel, between the first and second regions, including the sweet snot of the barrel;
• wherein the second and third regions each include at least one non-gaseous interface shear control zone, and the first region includes at least one more non-gaseous interface shear control zone than does the third region;
• and
• wherein at least one of the interface shear control zones in the barrel comprises a non-gaseous bond-inhibiting layer.

A ball bat including a barrel, a handle, and a tapered section joining the barrel to the handle, comprising:

• a first region in the barrel, adjacent to the tapered section, comprising a plurality of layers;
• a second region in the barrel, adjacent to a free end of the barrel, comprising a plurality of layers;
• a third region in the barrel, between the first and second regions, comprising a plurality of layers;
• and
• a continuous interface shear control zone traversing the first region, the third region, and the second region, wherein the continuous interface shear control zone intersects a plurality of the layers in at least one of the first region, the third region, and the second region.

A ball bat including a barrel, a handle, and a tapered section joining the barrel to the handle, comprising:

• a first region in the barrel, adjacent to the tapered section, including at least one interface shear control zone;
• a second region in the barrel, adjacent to a free end of the barrel, including at least one interface shear control zone;
• a third region in the barrel, between the first and second regions, including at least one fewer interface shear control zone than at least one of the first and second regions;
• wherein at least one of the first and second regions includes at least one interface control zone that is continuous with at least one interface shear control zone in the third region.

A ball bat including a barrel, a handle, and a tapered section joining the barrel to the handle, comprising:

• a first region in the barrel, adjacent to the tapered section, including at least one interface shear control zone;
• a second region in the barrel, adjacent to a free end of the barrel, including at least one interface shear control zone;
• a third region in the barrel, between the first and second regions, including at least one fewer interface shear control zone than at least one of the first and second regions;
• wherein at least one of the interface shear control zones in the barrel comprises an elastomeric layer.