Category Archives: Baseball Bat Reviews

2010 Baseball Bats

The 2010 models have arrived but, for the most part, it’s a disappointing model year for baseball bats.

The only significant changes have come from Rawlings with the introduction of their 5150 series. Louisville and Nike did not make ANY changes to their 2009 line-up other than color. Combat only added Adult versions of their old bats, Easton and Demarini only made minor adjustments to their 2009 line-up of bats. I’d say the 2010 model year provides the perfect opportunity to purchase a 2009 model at a great price.

Here’s my opinion on what they’re saying about the 2010 bats. You can also get in-depth reviews by clicking on the corresponding tabs on the right side of the site.

2010 DEMARINI BASEBALL BATS

Other than a new option in the composite category that makes a lot of sense, not much new with the 2010 Demarini bats. Their new “buss word” for the 2010 model year is Silver Trace technology which claims to be a unique blend of carbon combined with the Silver Trace technology. It claims to be a bonding agent that adds strength to maximize power transfer to the barrel. In my opinion this is just an attempt to make it appear something is new.

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The Secrets Behind Moment of Inertia (MOI) and Swing Weight

Moment of Inertia (MOI) governs how a bat feels and is a more meaningful measure of how well it will swing for you than the actual weight of the bat. Bat speed, not bat size nor weight, is the main factor in driving a ball. Bat speed is affected by a number of variables including bat length, bat weight and bat Moment of Inertia (MOI) which is often referred to as swing weight or balance point.

The distinction between light or heavy swing weight really boils down to the location of the balance point (or center-of-mass) and the moment-of-inertia. The closer the bat’s balance point is to the handle, the easier it is to swing. The basic concept is that it is not the total overall weight of the bat which determines how fast you can swing a bat, but the way that weight is distributed along the length of the bat. For example, a bat with a balanced point closer to the handle will feel lighter and swing faster than an end loaded bat. This is true even through both bats are the exact same weight on a scale.The higher the rating the higher the MOI and the heavier the swing weight.

As a general rule, most players can hit a ball further with lighter (really low MOI) bats. It is only the biggest home run hitters, who can hit the ball further with a heavier (really higher MOI) bats. Also, lighter bats provide more bat control during the swing phase

Good players who are strong tend to prefer bats with a heavy swing weight because they can swing the bat fast enough and the extra inertia of the bat makes for a more effective collision with the ball. Players who are not as strong, or who cannot swing a heavy bat quickly, tend to opt for bats with a lighter swing weight so that they can increase their bat-swing speed and obtain faster batted balls that way.

Here’s a brief Easton video on MOI…

Obviously MOI is only one factor to consider with material, handle flex, mass and design (1 or 2 piece) being the others. But, it is often ignored or misunderstood. You should take the time and effort to decide what MOI is best for you and what the ratings are for the bats you’re considering.

Louisville Slugger TPX Omaha Comp Review

The Louisville Slugger TPX Omaha Comp is their second tier composite baseball bat (the Triton being their top composite bat). It is a one piece 100% composite bat with a stiff handle.

Louisville is wise to offer a two tier composite baseball bat strategy, as the Omaha Comp should compete well against 100% alloy and hybrid bats. It is priced correctly at $299 for the Adult -3 and $149 for the Youth -11. It is my recommendation for second tier composite bats. Continue reading →

Our Review of the Louisville Slugger TPX EXOGRID SL9X5

The Louisville Exogrid has been a popular baseball bat for the last three years. When introduced, it had a unique design that separated it from the pack. In the 2009 model year, with the reemergence of composite bats and introduction of hybrid technology, the Exogrid is no longer a novelty. Louisville is a strong proponent of the stiff handle. Their material says “the last thing you want at the moment of contact is for your bat handle to flex thus the barrel can not.  A stiff handle produces more barrel flex, resulting in maximum trampoline effect and greater performance.” The Exogrid is marketed as the premier stiff handle bat in their arsenal because of its design.

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Easton Stealth IMX Synergy IMX

 

Easton has been the leader in composite bats for the last several years and will undoubtedly continue this trend with the IMX, their new 100% composite bats for 2009. Easton is extremely smart to their approach in manufacturing baseball bats by not putting all their eggs in one basket. They leave no stone uncovered by making top notch models in every category and design. Their top priority is pushing the 2 piece design and flex handle which they pioneered some 6 years ago with the Connection introduction. But they also make and market quality one piece bats with stiff handles that directly compete with manufactures that rely on this design, most notably Louisville and Rawlings.

They say the IMX or Integrated Matrix Technology optimizes composite design, materials and process for maximum performance. In this series Easton offers two bats made from the same IMX composite material in two distinct designs. They are the: Continue reading →

Reebok VECTOR O Baseball Bat Review, Let’s Take a Look.

Reebok VECTOR O Review

The Reebok VECTOR O enters into the baseball bat arena with a unique bat design they hope will break through the clutter. These bats are just hitting the market (as of 10/15/08) so I have not held or used one. I therefore can only provide the published information at my thoughts at the present time. I hope to have my full review for the Christmas buying season.

The Reebok Vector O series of baseball bats has a unique feature is that the handle has three holes in it (called ports) that claim to do two things. First they say it can reduce drag and therefore increase bat speed. We all know bat speed is a critical aspect of hitting the ball farther. Second the holes offer the opportunity to redistribute the weight to the barrel making it longer.The longer barrel would therefore increase the sweet spot.

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Do You Know What a Composite Baseball Bat is?

The composite baseball bat is here to stay, so know them, live them and love them.

Stronger and lighter than high-grade aluminum, they are either made of a graphite-fiber composite material or have an aluminum core with graphite lining.

The main advantage is it’s lighter than aluminum and hence provides for a larger barrel and sweet spot within the designated drop ratio. They give a whole lot more forgiveness for the imperfect swing, and have the potential to make the average hitter a clean-up hitter.

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Do You Know What a Hybrid Baseball Bat is?

So what is a hybrid baseball batand why would I want to buy one? These baseball bats are a combination of composite and alloy material. The handle is composite and the barrel is alloy.

Examples of include:

  • Louisville TPX H2
  • Easton SV12
  • Demarini Voodoo
  • Demarini Vendetta
  • Demarini Vexxum
  • Rawlings Rush Gold Lite
  • Nike Aero Fuse (not to be confused with the Aero Fuse CF2)

The lighter composite handle allows the alloy barrel to be made longer than a traditional 100% alloy bat. This increases the “sweet spot” compared to an alloy bat and provides more leeway to the batter. In contrast, a 100% composite bat has both a composite handle and barrel making the barrel, and “sweet spot”, even larger. Continue reading →

Do You Want to Know the Difference Between Composite and Aluminum Baseball Bats?

When purchasing a baseball bat the first step you need too understand is the material. This is an in-depth article on composite vs. aluminum bats.

Composite material baseball and softball bats have been around for quite a while, but only in the last few years have they begun to seriously compete with aluminum bats. As far back as 1985, graphite and plastic bats were available[1,2] and by the late 1980’s each of the three big bat companies – Easton, Worth, and Louisville Slugger – had graphite bats on the market. These early bats were advertised as “having the strength of aluminum and the performance of wood.” They were very strong and held up to a lot of abuse, but because they did not perform nearly as well as the more popular aluminum single-walled bats then available they did not remain on the market very long. For about 10 years graphite bats pretty much disappeared from the scene, but by the late 1990’s a few small bat companies – most noticeably Miken – were reintroducing carbon fiber, or composite material, bats into the market again. Like their predecessors, these composite bats were pretty durable, but not very high performing. Continue reading →