Newest Softball Bats

  • deertracker
    Posts: 9231
    #1357134

    what is the hot new bat this year for men’s slow pitch? It needs to be USSSA and ASA certified for a few tournaments. I have always liked Miken but open to others and have never really hit Demarini well.
    DT

    biggill
    East Bethel, MN
    Posts: 11321
    #1391686

    I can tell you that if it has to be ASA, they’re pretty much all the same. ASA bats are the most regulated.

    If you’re looking for USSSA, I recommend the Miken Psyco. I’m not sure about this years bats yet, but historically these have been best for me.

    big_g
    Isle, MN
    Posts: 22418
    #1391687

    I only swung the DeMarini’s… I remember when they came out with the triple wall technology… I bought a Doublewall in 1998, talk about jumping off the bat and caving a few in I was glad when they outlawed them though… I pitched As for late model, I quit playing in 2007… so I probably won’t be much help

    vikefanmn77
    Northfield,MN
    Posts: 1493
    #1391688

    With the new stamp BS, you can no longer use your old bats. That being said, I think that Worth is the leader in feel and pop since the change. I’ve been a Miken guy my whole life, and that’s changed now. The new Mikens come stiff as heck and don’t break in the same as they used to. The Worth is hot right out the wrapper. 454 Titan my favorite so far.

    Also, you can have an ASA for a Utrip tourney, but not a Utrip for ASA.

    biggill
    East Bethel, MN
    Posts: 11321
    #1391694

    Quote:


    I only swung the DeMarini’s… I remember when they came out with the triple wall technology… I bought a Doublewall in 1998, talk about jumping off the bat and caving a few in I was glad when they outlawed them though… I pitched As for late model, I quit playing in 2007… so I probably won’t be much help


    And I thought Hoffies was old.

    biggill
    East Bethel, MN
    Posts: 11321
    #1391707

    Not personally. But I have heard that Worth is making its way to top of the list for bats. I do know that legit is one of them. You can’t go wrong with that bat.

    If you play in a utrip league, I recommend getting a utrip bat. Use someone else’s ASA bat for those tourneys. That’s my opinion.

    nhamm
    Inactive
    Robbinsdale
    Posts: 7348
    #1391712

    Coming from the outside on this one, the in laws are huge into ASA, Utrip, and we go to watch many of the games and tourneys. With HR limits on many of the games, why the ell do you guys spend so much in bats! Can’t count how many balls I’ve seen fly over the wall only to be worthless outs. Seems your average Joe bat is more than suffice for corner and gap shots

    Don’t want to equate it to the guys with the way oversized yachts, or souped up trucks with huge wheels and chromed out everything but…….

    Grouse_Dog
    The Shores of Lake Harriet
    Posts: 2043
    #1391726

    Quote:


    Coming from the outside on this one, the in laws are huge into ASA, Utrip, and we go to watch many of the games and tourneys. With HR limits on many of the games, why the ell do you guys spend so much in bats! Can’t count how many balls I’ve seen fly over the wall only to be worthless outs. Seems your average Joe bat is more than suffice for corner and gap shots

    Don’t want to equate it to the guys with the way oversized yachts, or souped up trucks with huge wheels and chromed out everything but…….


    That became the problem when I played – I quit as it become goofy to have HR limits.

    They should just have everyone play with wooden bats –

    Man up.
    Dog

    biggill
    East Bethel, MN
    Posts: 11321
    #1391734

    A sport with enough interest is going to attract manufacturers that want to make a profit. Softball being a pretty popular sport has caused all bat manufacturers to push the envelope of the rules to make the best product every year. With so much invested, it’s inevitable that one will be better than another. Otherwise, why get in the business?

    Sound familiar? The fishing industry is almost the same. There’s just no rules on how a fishing rod can be made. Kinda comical if you ask me.

    Softballs have actually been made softer over the years to adjust for these bats and illegally modified bats.

    Quote:


    Don’t want to equate it to the guys with the way oversized yachts, or souped up trucks with huge wheels and chromed out everything but…….


    Or G loomis, skeeter, TUC, or marcum.

    cupspits
    Posts: 308
    #1391736

    Z2000 is hot as hell worth legit good psycho good!

    kidfish
    Posts: 235
    #1391798

    Personally, I think it`s a crime that USSSA and ASA are making all players have new bats in order to play. All this will do is drive more players away from the game.
    I figure Easton, Miken, Worth, and all the big bat companies made a hefty donation to both governing bodies to raisr their bat sales.
    I swore I would quit when they made me buy a new bat, but I had a pretty good year last year, so I have to give it one more season.
    The way it sounds this year, ASA standards are a little hotter than USSSA. ASA is going to a much softer ball, so the bats will be a little better.

    icefanatic11
    Nelsonville, WI
    Posts: 576
    #1391872

    Any of the easton salvo’s!!! Best bats I have ever used I use them for the occasion that I play slowpitch but mostly use them for semi-fast and fastpitch. My personal favorite is the SRV5. Most of the guys on my teams use easton or demarini. Tried Miken, Worth and Louisville and even combat and have always came back to my salvo’s. Just my two cents

    kidfish
    Posts: 235
    #1391914

    i have been using a Salvo for the past two years and I do hit well with it, but because of the rule changes, they are now not allowed in USSSA because they do not have a 2013 stamp.
    Sorry to dissappoint!

    ozzyky
    On water
    Posts: 817
    #1392016

    Been hitting combat antivirus since 2009. Swung many since then but nothing compares yet. As close to the freak and synergy but still legal. Haven’t swung the new worth so can’t compare.

    icefanatic11
    Nelsonville, WI
    Posts: 576
    #1392018

    My bad I skipped over reading the USSSA stamp, just saw the ASA. Must be a MN leagues thing to require USSSA because 95 percent of the slowpitch tourneys in central WI at least just require an ASA and Semi-fast as well.

    hnd
    Posts: 1579
    #1392027

    i’ve switched to nothing but combats the last few years. i do have a z2000 that i really like.

    if you want an all associations bat, look at the Combat wanted or the 275. Demarini has The One which is an all associations bat. Eastons L7’s and L8’s are also all associations bats.

    thats about it for all association bats anymore.

    i prefer the z2000’s and eastons for utrip. i prefer the combats and the J3 for ASA.

    hnd
    Posts: 1579
    #1392028

    Quote:


    I can tell you that if it has to be ASA, they’re pretty much all the same. ASA bats are the most regulated.

    If you’re looking for USSSA, I recommend the Miken Psyco. I’m not sure about this years bats yet, but historically these have been best for me.


    both associations are anymore. ASA bats actually perform about the same anymore. the new bats perform at higher levels (because both are going to softer comp balls (44/375 to 52/300)) but don’t last as long. shaving and rolling took over the market. with the new standards and thin walls these things have now, a shaved z3000 will last about 15 swings and a rolled bat will have such awful track marks that it won’t pass any test.

    hnd
    Posts: 1579
    #1392029

    Quote:


    Coming from the outside on this one, the in laws are huge into ASA, Utrip, and we go to watch many of the games and tourneys. With HR limits on many of the games, why the ell do you guys spend so much in bats! Can’t count how many balls I’ve seen fly over the wall only to be worthless outs. Seems your average Joe bat is more than suffice for corner and gap shots


    because outside of hr’s, the name of the game is getting the ball through the infield as fast as possible. its all about bat controll. a 10′ lazer that chingalings off the fence usually gets more oooos and aaaaahs than a towering bomb.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0k51FN6oBk

    icefanatic11
    Nelsonville, WI
    Posts: 576
    #1392104

    This is why I rarely play slowpitch anymore hr limits makes it a game of bass hits and then someone jacks a bomb. That’s not softball to me. Also way too many cheaters who get their bats wrapped.

    hnd
    Posts: 1579
    #1392111

    we had a guy at our church who was a major player for steeles. they came to one of the local fields for a tournament and we went. it was jack after jack after jack. they were using old powerdomes, supercells. right before demo’s and est’s took over the market. the score was 55-60 or something. nearly unwatchable after a while. i much rather prefer the strategy of when to use hr’s today.

    big_g
    Isle, MN
    Posts: 22418
    #1392116

    Sounds like a fence manufacturer needs to figure out how to build one out at 340′ and 10′ high…. (hit it you get it)

    hnd
    Posts: 1579
    #1392121

    around here its rare to find a 300′ fence. 280 is the norm. the balls they are switching to are socks for the most part so i think the days of the 5’6″ 125 lb guy regularly hitting the ball out of the park are near over.

    FishBlood&RiverMud
    Prescott
    Posts: 6687
    #1392133

    I mostly use a Freak. Hope that is still legal this year.

    I play in two leagues.

    Owatonna league you are allowed ONLY 1 homerun PER GAME. 300′ fences and they’re close to 10′ high.

    Mankato league, allowed 5 per game. 275-300′ fences and they might be 6′ high.

    Either way, i never try to jack a homer, i always try to crush a line drive…still hit a lot of homers.

    big_g
    Isle, MN
    Posts: 22418
    #1392260

    Back in the day, late 80’s…. when I played at Big Willow in Minnetonka, the fences were 280′ and 10′ high (suppose they still are) and with the bats then, I could bounce em off and ocassionally get one over Back then I was swinging a STEELE… I still have it

    deertracker
    Posts: 9231
    #1392328

    Did you also have to hit the ball uphill, both ways?
    DT

    hnd
    Posts: 1579
    #1392332

    Quote:


    I mostly use a Freak. Hope that is still legal this year.

    I play in two leagues.

    Owatonna league you are allowed ONLY 1 homerun PER GAME. 300′ fences and they’re close to 10′ high.

    Mankato league, allowed 5 per game. 275-300′ fences and they might be 6′ high.

    Either way, i never try to jack a homer, i always try to crush a line drive…still hit a lot of homers.


    depends. there are like 100 freaks out there now. if its the original freak 100 or a freak + and you play utrip, no. if you have a freak 98 and play asa, yes. if its a new freak, maybe.

    big_g
    Isle, MN
    Posts: 22418
    #1392369

    of course… & in a blizzard

    FishBlood&RiverMud
    Prescott
    Posts: 6687
    #1392574

    Quote:


    Quote:


    I mostly use a Freak. Hope that is still legal this year.

    I play in two leagues.

    Owatonna league you are allowed ONLY 1 homerun PER GAME. 300′ fences and they’re close to 10′ high.

    Mankato league, allowed 5 per game. 275-300′ fences and they might be 6′ high.

    Either way, i never try to jack a homer, i always try to crush a line drive…still hit a lot of homers.


    depends. there are like 100 freaks out there now. if its the original freak 100 or a freak + and you play utrip, no. if you have a freak 98 and play asa, yes. if its a new freak, maybe.


    Haha.
    It’s the freak i bought off of a teammate right after he blew out his knee in practice and sworn off softball for the rest of his life. He didn’t more than get the words out of his mouth that he was DONE, and i said how much for that bat? lol $100 out of the pocket and i have had a nice bat the last two years..

    So long story short..I have NO idea what freak it is. Hoping our team captain will know though.

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