Nike is a relatively new member of the baseball bat community and is trying to make a name for themselves in the industry. Many still have a problem associating Nike with anything other than athletic shoes and may never accept them in the baseball bat industry. They do have a small following and several big [...]
2011 Louisville Baseball Bat Review: Louisville has a long and respected history in the baseball bat industry, but they’ve falling behind in the composite and hybrid categories. They’re entries into these categories, now 3 years old, have not received a positive response. They are seldom seen at the high school or college level (when composite [...]
Before I start with the baseball bat review, let’s begin with the name. Miken is a combination of the names of its two founders, Mike and Ken. I had always thought it was the name of a well known softball player. Miken was founded in 1997 as a manufacturer of composite golf club shafts and [...]
Last year I said that Rawlings is the Rodney Dangerfield of baseball bats and their brother brand, Worth, is the Joe Piscopo of baseball bats. You know he’s still doing comedy shows somewhere on earth but you just don’t care. For the 2010 model year nothing has changed. Nobody seems to care about Worth bats [...]
Mattingly has not produced ANY 2010 baseball bat models!!! They have absolutely no information on any 2010 model on their web site, no retailer (online or brick and mortar) is selling a 2010 Mattingly bat and their 2009 models are deeply discounted. I’m not sure what’s going on with the Mattingly brand but it can’t [...]
It used to be simple; a bat was one piece of wood, aluminum or composite. How things have changed! Two piece bats are now extremely popular and seem to be the trend for the foreseeable future. Easton, Demarini and Nike have long championed the two-piece design. Demarini and Nike have held fast to this philosophy [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
The Louisville Slugger TPX Omaha Comp baseball bat is Louisville’s 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% [...]
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 [...]