At the beginning of each new slow pitch season, the average tournament player is faced with a number of pressing questions – from what the most effective workout might be to which shoes offer the most support to which team he’s going to play with – but the most important question each year is “what bat is the player going to swing?” Gone is the time when there was a consensus “best bat” out there. In these days of perfor¬mance limits, most companies’ top offerings perform relatively similarly to each other. So it really comes down to which bat has the best feel, gives the best performance, and is the best fit for each hitter. Here are some our favorite new bats
TECHNOLOGY
The one-piece, 100% composite, multi-wall Kendrick Gear Supremacy Reloaded carries the name of USSSA Hall-of-Famer and 32-time All-World player Jason Kendrick and features Combat’s top technologies. Blended Fiber Technology uses several different fiber types in varying proportions at carefully controlled angles including carbon and aramid fibers for strength and glass fibers for performance. Separation Barrier Technology, which is different than traditional multi-layer design, allows multiple walls to flex individually and in tandem for maximum performance without having to break through layers of stiff composite in the barrel. Variable Stiffness Technology engineered into either end of the normal sweet spot enlarges the area with which maximum performance and distance can be achieved. Gear Technology, which consists of long grooves around the outside and inside of the taper, dampens vibra¬tion to the hands while allowing more whip between the hands and the barrel. The entire thing is put together with Precision Molding Technology which uses computer controlled, machine-hardened steel tooling to strictly control the thick¬ness and consistency of the walls. Finally, Nanocomp Technology Inside allows the fiber and resin to be uniform at the molecular level which fills the natural gaps between fibers and strengthens the entire shell. The Kendrick comes in a balanced model and a Fully Loaded end load.
COMPANY LINE
“Combat Sports’ mission state¬ment includes ‘providing composite sporting good products which improve player performance.’ To achieve this, we have active world-class players as fulltime employees in our engineering, marketing and sales departments. Plus, we have assem¬bled an advisory board to further supply both player and coach input to the design of our leading-edge products.” – combatbaseball.com
REVIEW
The Kendrick combines most of what Combat has learned about slow pitch performance into one bat. The multi-wall barrel makes for quick, if not instant, break-in; the variable thick¬ness of the barrel ends makes more of the hitting surface viable; the “Gear” grooves in the taper give you more flex than a traditional taper; and the nanocomp helps create consistency from hit to hit. Combat designs bats for distance; the image they have portrayed from the begin-ning is that of a hammer – you grip it at the bottom, you swing it at the nail, you hit the target out at the end where the swing speed is greatest, and drive the nail as far as it can go. So it is with the Kendrick. However, in addition to the extreme Fully Loaded end load, Combat offers a balanced model for players looking to add control instead of just power to their game. It still feels a bit end-loaded, but the Balanced also swings truer to its listed weight than the Fully Loaded version. The sweet spot does feel longer than in previous models such as the Virus and SX3 as balls were responsive along at least 9 inches of the barrel (as we recorded it). The claim of “hot out of the wrapper” that the company makes is true – the bat seemed to loosen up after about 35 hits, but that may have simply been the hitter getting used to the feel of the bat too. For those not familiar with Combat, the bat makes a different sound compared to the typical Easton or Miken/Worth offering. Because the walls are thin (which helps with the “hot-out-of-the-wrapper” perfor¬mance) the bat has an intimidating, jarring snap to it even when hit on the screws. The graphics are magnifi¬cent, using a wrapper to mimic a carbon weave pattern (we know it’s a sticker as part of it wore off during testing) along with orange and white lettering. Because the bat is designed for immediate performance (no break-in), it lacks the overall durability of some bats, though the number of swings it gives should be similar to the number of swings you get once your “other” bat has broken in completely.
DESCRIPTION
n Blended fiber technology n Separation Barrier Technology in barrel n Variable Stiffness Technology in barrel n Gear technology in taper n Nanocomp technology in resin n Balanced weighting n Jason Kendrick signa¬ture series
DeMarini Stadium
TECHNOLOGY
DeMarini continues to channel the spirit of founder Ray DeMarini with the new Stadium. It was Ray who first created a bat to help average hitters improve performance with the original Doublewall and it was he who created the F1, the forerunner to the company’s Half & Half tech¬nology. The Stadium, developed for the Bombers tour where company hitters Chris Larsen and Geno Buck knock balls out of baseball stadiums, has an N-Spec composite barrel which combines a proprietary alloy enriched resin system with exclusive “Hi/Lo” fiber angles designed to allow the barrel to perform as a home run stick regardless of the compres¬sion of the softball. The handle is not composite, but an SC4 alloy – an exclusive alloy 12% stronger than any ever used by DeMarini – which makes it the stiffest handle ever in a DeMarini two-piece bat. Half & Half Technology bonds the two pieces in such a way that they flex before contact and the recoil after contact for an extraordinary transfer of energy. It has a Dual Durometer end cap (with the company logo and Larsen & Buck’s numbers designed into it) which helps contain the energy created by the two-piece design. The Stadium has an end load to help with momentum during the swing, which is important when trying to hit home runs.
COMPANY LINE
“DeMarini is committed to making the best bats for players of all ages and abilities. We design bats with the player in mind to make the perfect bat for each individual, and we scour the earth for the highest quality compo¬nents to make sure the bats perform. All components are performance matched for optimum distance, dura¬bility, and feel.” – demarini.com
REVIEW
DeMarini bats have always been easy to hit – at least going back to the original Doublewall anyway – and the Stadium is no exception. We tried it with an assortment of balls – .47/525 NSA logos, 44/400 USSSA logos, 44/375 ASA logos and even some unmarked practice balls and a few Incrediballs – and had fairly good performance with all of them. Of course, the harder balls still go farther, but if forced to hit rag balls
the Stadium will keep you competi¬tive. The 12” barrel is live as long as you make contact in the center 7” or so; hitting it too far out on the end or too near the handle muffles the recoil and deadens the action. Any type of hitter can use the Half & Half technology, but it seems to make more difference the slower a batter’s swing speed is; for example hitters we measured with 60 mph swings saw more improvement in personal distance than those with 80+ mph swing speeds (who were already hitting the balls pretty far anyway). The main complaint among hitters with the fastest swings was the amount of flex the batter feels during the swing; this flex is also the thing that gives the hitter that extra distance and there was no complaint from the rest of the testers. Even after using it the Stadium barrel was cleaned up and looked practically new.
DESCRIPTION
n N-Spec composite barrel n SC4 aluminum alloy handle n Half & Half Technology n Dual Durometer end cap n Chris Larsen and Geno Buck signature series
Louisville Slugger Z-1000
TECHNOLOGY
Think of it as a restrictor plate… Louisville Slugger has returned to the top of the slow pitch world with the Z-1000, a bat that features three technologies never used in a TPS product before, but none so unique as this – Swing1 Inner Disc Technology (S1 iD), which allows the barrel to flex to its maximum allowable performance level on the first swing and never allows the bat to go beyond that, regardless of the number of swings on it. It features two inner discs positioned inside the barrel at the sweet spot to stop the wall from flexing past the performance limit while allowing each swing to reach the maximum allowable performance. In the 2012 model, Louisville Slugger also intro¬duces a new LS-2X composite which is a higher strength yet thinner and lighter weight graphite fiber than the 2011 model which allows for more layers in the wall for added strength, but in a wall that is still thinner than last year’s. The Z-1000 is a two-piece bat with an iST barrel-to-handle connector which creates a solid connection between handle and barrel and gives the hitter one-piece feel. The new Z-1000 is a glossy black and shiny chrome color – also unique in the field.
COMPANY LINE
“From the earliest days of the game, Louisville Slugger has always employed the most powerful tech¬nology available in the bat business. Back in the days of Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth, that meant having the most skilled craftsmen at the lathe, hand¬crafting bats to the most demanding specifications of the world’s most demanding players. Today, it means applying the latest aerospace technology to bat making, deliv¬ering high-tech aluminum, hybrid and composite bats that give new meaning to the word ‘performance.’” – slugger.com
REVIEW
The idea of a performance damp¬ener – which is essentially what the Swing 1 inner disc is – is generally not appealing to players looking for an edge. But Louisville Slugger was able to come at it from a completely different angle: instead of designing a too-hot bat and dialing the perfor¬mance down below acceptable limits as is the normal procedure, they designed a too-hot bat and put an inhibitor on it to keep it from performing above the limits. But the Z-1000 isn’t only named like a race car, it handles like one. From the first swing the bat was impressive in the hands of all types of hitters, from league players to tournament slug¬gers. And if it wasn’t the favorite bat of every tester, it was not disliked by any tester. It is a two-piece bat but it doesn’t feel like one: the flex is obviously there during the swing as judged by the results, but it feels as stiff as a one-piece bat. The 12” barrel, standard 7/8 grip and end load give the bat a comfortable feel – you’re not dealing with anything that seems unfamiliar, even though everything about the bat is new. The sound is certainly distinctive, maybe even unpleasant, but that just tells you the technology is working. And what that technology truly gives is distance: some of the farthest balls hit in testing were with this bat. The 2012 model is made with a stronger composite, which should be an improvement over the 2011 model which was prone to early breakage.
DESCRIPTION
n LS-2X Composite design n iST Composite Connection n S1 iD Technology n End load weighting
Miken MV3
TECHNOLOGY
The MV3 can trace its lineage back to the original 100% composite bat, the 2001 Miken Velocit-E. The Maximum Velocity 3 is similar to its predecessor in that it too is a one-piece, 100% composite. But the similarities end there as the technology of the MV3 outstrips the original bat by more than just the 10 years that separate them. It is made of R900 Carbon fiber, the bat industry’s highest grade carbon, which is up to 40% stronger than Miken’s previous fibers. Multi-layer Biaxial Technology precisely aligns those fibers for maximum performance and durability. The MPa7 resin is exclusively calibrated to optimize the performance of the fibers. Then the whole package is put together with Advanced Innerflex Technology – a design where the barrel is customized for maximum performance and batted ball speed and the handle is precisely calibrated to flex for optimum energy transfer and barrel rebound. It features the industry’s longest barrel at 14.5” and the knob features X-Tack coating to enhance grip for those hitters who like to place the knob in the middle of their palm. It is available in Maxload end load or Balanced weighting.
COMPANY LINE
“Miken continues to lead the industry with the game’s most inno¬vative high performance equipment, the nation’s leading composite engi¬neers, patented processes, premium materials, rigorous field testing and player feedback: the proven formula to deliver ‘Certified Miken High Performance Equipment’ and ignite the field.” – mikensports.com
REVIEW
Miken has always had some of the best bats on the market as well as some of the easiest bats to use. The MV3 is the perfect example of that kind of stick. It features Miken’s top materials (R900, MPa7) and processes (Innerflex Technology) combined with a long and respon¬sive barrel and a complete absence of sting, which makes the batter fearless when attacking his pitch. Never underestimate the power of confidence in the batter’s box. We hit the balanced version and were impressed with how the ball jumps off the barrel; line drives and gappers come off this bat with the easiest swing. It is a good bat for distance too, though it is so easy to chop, slap, drill, drive or push the ball with this thing that home runs are just a small part of what the MV3 can do for you. It is a multi-layered bat which means it starts tight and loosens up with use. On the plus side, we find the MV3 to be one of the most durable of the high performance bats.
DESCRIPTION
n R900 Carbon fiber n MPa7 Resin system n Multi-layer Biaxial Technology n Advanced Innerflex Technology n X-Tack knob coating
Reebok Hank Garris Vector O Plus
TECHNOLOGY
It’s all about the O. The thing that makes the Reebok unlike any other bat in softball (or baseball, hockey or lacrosse as well) is its O-Technology, a design which places three strategi¬cally arranged ducts (“Os”) in the taper of the bat that allow air to flow through the bat during the swing, reducing drag and wind resistance. As a pure, aerodynamic concept for softball, the increased bat speed helps determine how far the ball travels. As a product, the Vector O Plus helps achieve increased bat speed. Independent wind tunnel analysis has shown the Vector O Plus has 7% less drag than the leading bat by the competition. And a 7% improvement could put a 285-foot fly out over a 300-foot fence with all other factors being the same. The Vector O Plus is the bat of choice for Suncoast/Reebok and the 2011 model carries 20-time All World slugger Hank Garris’ signature; Garris still holds the record for home runs in a single Major season with 228. The Vector O Plus has a two-walled 13” barrel made of a high-strength blend of carbon and glass fibers designed
