I ran across this article from BigDawgBatRolling and thought I would share…it’s quite interesting. It’s touches on a grey area where people have different and often heatedly different opinions.

[Beginning of BigDawgBatRolling article]

It is clear that all associations believe that altering a bat not allowed as spelled out by their rules but let’s clear the air; there is not any law that states a rolled bat is illegal.  I

It would be hard for a prosecutor to prove that a rolled bat is any hotter than a bat broken in by hitting baseballs or softballs repeatedly.

There have not been any landmark civil suit cases to date.  There has been one court case to date about altering bats but this was a shaved and a painted bat: “Oklahoma City, OK—The Amateur Softball Association (“ASA”) is pleased to report that the U.S. District Court  for Western Oklahoma has awarded ASA $100,000 in damages and attorney’s fees totaling approximately $12,000 against the first two defendants in the Association’s ongoing attempts to rid the game of softball of illegal equipment including painting and other techniques used to alter bats”.

This was not damages to a person but to the ASA organization and it was three years ago.  Association can suspend you if a bat is found to be altered but bat rolling is virtually impossible to detect, without a shadow of doubt.  Unlike shaving or end loading a bat the effects of rolling are not easily detectable.

A bat would need to be cut long ways and scientifically examined to find a pattern of resin break down consistent with rolling; no association has that type of time or money.  I have personally known of bats that were sent to large bat companies for warranty which were rolled and not one was denied a replacement.

I will now go into what each association’s rules are in regards to rolling.

ASA

Rule 3 Equipment

“We have had several questions pertaining to bats and what is legally permissible to do to a bat.  One item that appears to keep coming up is the rolling of bats for quicker break in of the fibers.  There are those who maintain that rolling of one’s bat is perfectly legal.

According to Rule 3 Section 7 NOTE: ‘The characteristics of any approved equipment can not be changed. Examples’.  Therefore, according to our rules, rolling of one’s bat is illegal and would make that bat an altered bat according to Rule 1 Altered Bat: When the physical structure of a legal softball bat has been changed”.  They specifically mention bat rolling but as I stated earlier there is no way to detect rolling.

USSSA

“Altered Bats – Excessive Pressure Included in the USSSA view of what is an altered or doctored bat are any bats that are subjected to pressure in any manner that exceeds that of striking the bat against an approved ball traveling at game like speeds. Such excess pressure would include, but is not limited to, any compression, rolling, placing in a vice, hitting a stationary object such as a pole, etc”.  Again the same type of verbiage

NSA

“An altered bat is considered altered when the physical structure of the legal bat has been changed in any way, or when an illegal or non approved bat has been made up in such a way as to appear to be a legal bat. Examples of altering a bat are, but not limited to the following: Painting a bat, replacing the handle or shaving the handle or barrel or the taper changed in any way. Such as by sandpapering or applying a solvent to the surface such as fingernail polish remover or by any other means. .

Removing or replacing the plug or changed in any way other than factory repairs. Had the knob removed/ replaced or changed in any way or had anything removed or added to the inside or outside of the bat other than the legal way to tape the bat the specified and appropriate place as described in the NSA Rule Book”.

There is nothing specific about rolling but some could see this as a way to say it is illegal.

Bat rolling is a very hot topic among softball associations, players, and bat companies.

Associations are trying to level the playing field as best as possible with their resources.  Only one bat company has made huge commitments to keeping altered bats off the field of play.

Easton has made reveal composite and started stamping there end caps where the cap meets the bat.  This, I’m sure, has made a slight dent in altered bat use but without testing bats at the parks with a precise compression tester there is no end to bats going above the mph legal limit.

ASA has made such a machine but it is archaic at best.  The machine can tell if the bat is over the 98mph limit but it will not tell you by how much.  Bats that are broken in by batting practice can be deemed illegal because they are over that limit and with that the owner is at risk being labeled a “cheater”.

Bat companies are to blame, for the most part, because there is an unspoken competition as to whose bat can change in batted ball speed the most after being broken in.  This would be the bat everyone seeks to obtain and thus sales go up.

With all that being said bat rolling is no different than a well broken in bat, so why spend days, weeks, or even months breaking in your bat when you can get it rolled?  With such a drastic difference between new and broken in bats, you need to get your bat rolled or spend days breaking it in to level the playing field.

If it was increasing distance like shaving does I can see the argument of cheating but we are talking about apples and oranges.  Bat rolling simply speeds up the break in process with out any detection.

[End of BigDawgBatRolling article]

Ok…funny story.

It’s a scorching hot Alabama summer day and I am playing in a USSSA tournament.

It’s about 2:30 so it’s just absolutely miserable out.

We are beating this team (leaving this team unnamed but you know who you are) by 27 runs and it’s one of those games where we are just trying to get out and can’t do it.

So it’s my third at-bat of the third inning and I want nothing more than to speed this game up and go sit in the shade for a couple of hours.

So I bat left handed. Of course this is news because I am a righty, but to be honest my left handed swing isn’t awful.

That is the disclaimer. I am a righty who NEVER bats lefty BUT in the cage I’ll take a few cuts and the swing is not terrible.

So I am walking to the plate and I’ve got a little smirk on my face. My teammates see it and they know what is about to happen.

I step through the batter’s box and across the plate…I am batting lefty.

You know something great is about to happen or I wouldn’t be writing so I’ll get the technical stuff out of the way.

(I was using a 2011 Worth Titan Resmondo 26 oz bat)

Now I know this pitcher and he gave me the eyeroll like “really” your are really about to do this.

Yep. I am.

So the first pitch comes and I take a hack. I swing so hard that my left foot crosses my right foot all the way out of the batter’s box and I fouled the ball back over the backstop.

Needless to say, it was an ugly attempt.

I am back in the box after laughing that swing off and ready to take another hack….and not expecting a whole lot.

Well I made contact on the next pitch…and it went over the fence.

Like way over.

I just hit a left handed homerun. The caveat is that it was an out officially because we were out of allowed homeruns, but I hit the ball over the fence left handed and I had to tell……..

EVERYONE!

So keep lacing them up fellas and don’t get discouraged. It’s the dog days of summer but there’s still fun to be had.

Not Promising you will hit lefty homeruns but this bat is killer….but you know that already.

The 2010 Worth Titan Resmondo needs no sales pitch. This slow pitch softball bat is the real deal. If you play softball then you have hit it or one of your friends owns it.

It’s a sweet bat now at a closeout price.

You can get yours here.

So now the bat I really want to talk about is the 2010 Louisville Triton. THE MOST UNDERRATED SOFTBALL BAT of 2010.

I bought one when they went on clearance just to test after hearing a lot of great chatter about it from the very few people I know who own one.

The Triton is red hot.

I think it must have gotten overlooked with all the great brands out there. If I had to buy one bat for $300 I don’t know that the Triton would be my bat of choice either.  BUT….For $179? I challenge anyone to find a better slowpitch softball bat for $179.

I am not confident that many people will try it but if you have read my other reviews you know I don’t lead you wrong. Seriously for $179 this is a freaking cannon.

Balanced

End-Loaded

Anyone who has played a good bit of slowpitch softball knows that occasionally bats crack. It happens to every model bat with every brand of slow pitch softball bats. Not every bat of course cracks, but there will always be a flaw somewhere to exploit. So when it happens to you, you definitely want the company to stand behind their product and treat you right.

Recently one of my Worth softball bats cracked during a tournament. It was a bat that I allow the team to use so it gets hit a good bit. I first started using this bat during the first tournament of the season in late February. I was somewhat leery of using it in the cold weather but I know Worth makes great bats so I figured what the heck, let’s go for it.

The first clue I had that the bat could have a short life was that we broke it in within 100 swings. You know the feeling I am talking about when you can feel the wall loosen up. The bat gets HOT and you are hoping it’s going to last for a long time afterwards. Some last forever, some last two months. You really never know.

So a couple of weekends ago about midway through a tournament the bat cracked. I was not pleased of course but because I do this website I was ok with it because hey, I have some content! Needless to say I was intrigued about how my customer service experience would be with Worth.

So when I got home the first step I took was to go to worthsports.com and fill out the return authorization warranty form. I filled out the necessary info and submitted the information and then waited for the authorization number.

Two days later the authorization number was emailed to me.

I then followed the instructions and taped the receipt to the barrel of the bat after it was placed in a white envelope. I then wrote the return authorization number clearly on the box with a Sharpie and dropped it off at my local Fedex Office and waited.

The bat arrived on a Wednesday and since it was deemed unfixable a new bat was shipped to me in a week’s time.  I received my brand spanking new Worth softball bat in a week!

I was stoked. I expected 4-6 weeks.

So for the record my experience with Worth’s customer service was completely top notch. I didn’t have any runaround and in fact I never had to deal with a single person. Something I like. I can’t share any experience with phone support because I simply did not have t use them.

I will buy more products from Worth because I know they stand behind their bats.

I rank my customer experience a 9 of 10 (small deduction for having to wait 2 days on the authorization number).

One note, my bat was still under warranty. Don’t expect a new bat if you crack your older model.

You can check out the latest and greatest Worth softball bats and many more brands at Softball Sales and Softball Rampage.

Both companies have great reputations and good products.

It’s time to pull out the credit card.

It’s the best time of the year! The new models of slowpitch softball bats are being stocked up and last year’s models are this year’s new crop of closeout softball bats.

The 2010 Easton Synergy Trizone Brett Helmer edition is my favorite slowpitch softball bat. This is my personal go-to bat. While products from Worth and Miken are maybe the hottest, I have always found Easton softball bats the most durable by a large margin.

I was having a conversation with one of my friends about the difference in the newest bats from the most recognized brands and he shared my opinion on Eastons. He currently swings the Worth BJ Fulk Mayhem but still has has his grandfathered Easton Synergy 2 and loves it.  My main point in the discussion was I choose Eastons because they simply last longer than the other brands.

I can use the bat if I play weekend tournament and in leagues all year long. I can beat the bat to death and it just doesn’t crack or break. Now I understand that every manufacturer has an occasion bad batch that creates horror stories and kills reputation. So if you have had a bad experience with an Easton Synergy then by all means leave a comment because I have owned 3 of them and have never experienced any troubles.

I don’t understand manufacturing processes enough to explain why the Easton softball bats last the way they do but I know I buy them and while I do own other bats, there is always one constant, I will always have an Easton Synergy available.

I will give one tip about the Eastern Synergy Brett Helmer; drop an ounce from a typical balanced bat. It’s end loaded and the swing weight will be a little heavier. I typically swing a 28 oz if I am using a balaned weighted bat but my Synergy is a 27 oz. I dropped the ounce this year from a 28 and I have absolutely scorched the ball this year (including last fall).

The Easton Synergy Brett Helmer is now $100 cheaper than it was when it came out. I am trying to keep myself from buying another one but I may have to give in. Either way, the bat is awesome and if you like to have a stick in the bag that you can always count on, you won’t go wrong with the Synergy.

Where in the world have I been?

The 2010 Miken Long Haul Bomber has been out for a while now. It’s even on closeout at some places.

Last night was the first time I have ever swung it. Yeah I have seen this slowpitch softball bat a few times but had never even held one to my knowledge until last night.

I got a call about 6:30 and some buddies of mine were a player short and as luck would have it (or lack of a thriving social life) I was available to go fill in at 7. So as you could imagine I had to hustle a bit to get there on time and walked ran straight out the door without by ballbag.

I arrived at the field just in time and the only weapon I had with me was my spare glove which happens to be a first baseman’s mitt. I was a little out of sorts but nothing major and anyway it’s league softball so needless to say I was not going to have to get in front of a Joe DiMaggio line drive.

Now to the good part.

So it’s time for me to bat. I have my usual choices in front of me. There was a Synergy and there were a couple of Worth softball bats but there was also the 2010 Miken Long Haul Bomber. Might as well try that one and if it’s garbage then I can write a negative review for my first product downgrade.

Well I am disappointed to say (because I so wanted to be critical) that on my first swing I hit an absolute worm burner through the five – six hole. My first impression was this bat has some pop.

Then an inning later I had my second at bat with the 2010 Miken Long Haul Bomber slowpitch softball bat. .

500  feet (I wish)…. Or maybe 350 feet later….SOLD!

I smoked one. I mean I really smoked one. It was one of those situations where I was trying to hit a hommerun and I connected right on the sweet spot and BOOM.

Speaking of the sweet spot…this thing is nearly all sweet spot. The barrel is freaking huge. There is a ridiculous hitting are on this bat and unless you really…and I mean really…jam yourself then you are going to be making contact on a good hitting zone. This slowpitch softball bat is a beast and it even has a pretty smooth paint job.

I did a price check on this bat at Softball Sales and it’s on closeout now for  $249.99 NOW  $229.  It’s still $299 at Softball Rampage but if you’re wanting to buy it and Softball Sales is sold out you might keep an eye out there.

update: There is very limited quantity available and you won’t beat the price now…$199!

So here’s a link straight to the bat. Check it out for yourself. It’s a great homerun bat.

NOW $199

]]> http://esoftballbats.com/miken-softball-bats/2010-miken-long-haul-bomber/feed/ 1 http://esoftballbats.com/slowpitch-softball-bats/the-case-for-miken-softball-bat/ http://esoftballbats.com/slowpitch-softball-bats/the-case-for-miken-softball-bat/#comments Sat, 10 Apr 2010 05:01:28 +0000 owen http://esoftballbats.com/?p=103

I thought I would dive into a question that many softball players get stuck on. Which bat manufacturer’s equipment should I buy?

Today I will make a case for Miken softball bats.

- Miken softball bats have the industries highest grade aerospace carbon fiber which provides 38% higher tensile strength and 40% higher elongation. Miken softball bats have the strength to endure whatever challenges you can give it under the most greuling play imaginable. This fiber can withstand all the tests and scrutiny the aerospace industry gives it. Just imagine how it will perform for you on the field.

- Miken softball bats have hybrid technology.  This technology  provides you the chance to outperform your competition. This process of combining the highest grade aerospace carbon fiber with tempered alloy sets the stage for Miken softball bats to be the performance leader no matter what association standards have been set.

- The BCS or Ballistic Crosslinked System provides 300% higher elongation for increased resiliance at impact and superior durability. You benefit from the power of premium materials.  Miken softball bats could have used resin that all the other bat manufacturers use but found something better. Miken’s proprietary BCS  delivers unmatched barrel rebound and the durability can’t be touched by the competition.

- Revolutionary helix process utilizes a continual strand of high quality aerospace carbon fiber material. No start and stop in material means one continuous strand of the highest grade aerospace carbon fiber means unmatched durability and consistency.

- ESD: Extended Sweetspot Design consistently gives Miken softball bats the largest sweet spot in the industry.  Providing you the largest area to work with means with a Miken softball bat you will have more opportunity to perform at optimal levels and make every swing count.  You dont have time to pound softballs all day in the cage or on the field. So to improve your game Miken developed a product that is more forgiving.

-  E-flex is the ground breaking formula that is the foundation of what makes Miken softball bats outperform the competition. E-flex produces maximum flex throuout the barrel for maximum performance and durability

- Dynamic flex ratio was developed to enhance swing speed. DFR is formulated to maximize performance by producing optimum handle recoil for swing speed.  Power hitters typically have higher swing speed which will result in less recoil and in turn the lower swing speeds will produce higher recoil which provides more pop due to the extra bend.

- Finally Miken softball bat’s X-Tack coating provides superior knob grip and gives you more control of your swing to help you dominate your competition.

Miken softball bats make a pretty good case for themselves with all that technology in each bat. Hopefully this article gave you some insight into why Miken softball bats are beloved by many.

One look…

One look was all it took.

I had not swung it. I had not gripped it.

I hadn’t even touched it….One look and I was ready to buy it!

The 2011 Miken MV-3 slow pitch softball bat is a beautiful piece of art. Those of us who love this crazy game of slowpitch softball have our quirks.

One person will swear by Demarini and the next will say Worth softball bats are untouchable.

I have a feeling that we will finally be united behind a single product. The 2011 MV3 from Miken slow pitch softball bats.

I know what you are thinking. So what..the bat looks cool. But can it hit?

…It can hit.

We all know Miken slowpitch bats changed the game with their 100% composite softball bats.  Miken uses the highest quality carbon fiber available and it shows in this 2011 Miken MV3 slow pitch softball bat.

The 14 1/2 barrel is super forgiving. There is a balanced model and an end loaded supermax model. This Miken bat is awesome. It’s a simple as that.

The swing weight is comparable to the MV1..but it hits better. Typically I will swing a 28 oz balanced softball bat and a 26 oz end loaded bat because the swing weight of the end loaded bats is greater.

If my choice was between the MV1 for $199.99 and the MV3 for $299.99, I would definately spend the extra loot and go with the MV3. It is a better slow pitch softball bat. (and the MV1 is no joke)

Miken is being modest with their standard promo for this bat. The supermax version of the 2011 Miken MV3 slow pitch softball bat promo reads:

“New for 2011! The new MV-3 Super Maxload is the latest high performing softball bat from Miken. The MV-3 Super Maxload is constructed of 100% R900 Carbon Fiber. The R900 provides 38.8% higher tensile strength and 40% higher elongation than industry standard carbon fiber. R900 Carbon Fiber is proven to endure grueling play. The new MPa7 resin system is exclusively calibrated to optimize the performance and resilience of Miken’s premium carbon fiber materials. The Multi-Layer Biaxial Technology precisely aligns and bonds filaments of premium aerospace grade carbon fiber to produce unrivaled durability and maximum performance. The MV-3 Super Maxload has a End Loaded swing weight for Greater Distance. ”

I think they are doing themselves a disservice by talking too much about the technical aspect of the bat and not enough about the out of this world performance.

This bat sells itself.  Any review I could do would add nothing.  The bat freaking rocks. You know it…I knew it before I touched it.

I tried to come up with something negative to say about it but I can’t.

The 2011 Miken MV3 slowpitch bat is awesome.

If you are on the fence about which slowpitch bat to buy this year go ahead, drop the cash on the 2011 Miken MV3 slowpitch softball bat.  You’ll be smiling in the batter’s box.

You can get one right now by clicking on the link below.

First off, let me start by saying the quality of this Miken Freak slow pitch softball bat is fantastic. I have no scientific evidence to support what I am about to say but this slow pitch bat feels like a bat that you can swing for years and not destroy. Something like the Synergy 2 felt like back a few years ago. Don’t mistake, this 2011 Miken Freak DST feels like a Miken softball bat. The reference to the Syngergy softball bat was just for durability comparisons.

The new Freak DST Maxload slow pitch softball bat is the latest high performing bat from Miken softball bats and it’s worth every penny of the sticker price.

This Miken slow pitch softball bat is red hot right out of the wrapper but it has a tightness to it that gives me the confidence that it will loosen up much more. The bat has an excellent feel to it. The ball jumps off the bat far more impressively than most ASA approved bats I have swung. This is definitely a home run crunching slow pitch softball bat.

The handle is not as thick as lots of other bats I have experience with which will please those of you who like the feel of a thinner grip complemented with an end load. When you stroke it pure the ball has no chance. Think of the feeling of hitting a golf ball with a tennis racket. The feeling is not quite that dramatic but I definitely feel that after the full break-in this bat will have a similar trampoline effect.

The end load design of the 2011 Miken Freak DST Maxload will give you feedback on mis-hits. This is an advantage (or drawback) of the end load design.

I will admit, I have never been a Miken softball bat homer but this could sway my opinion. If you are in the market for an all purpose bat approved in all associations, this may just be the slow pitch softball bat for you. This is THE BEST ASA approved softball bat I have ever swung.

Maybe you should give this baby a try.  I have added my affiliate links below to the balanced and the maxload version. It’ll take you straight to the buy page and you can be hitting seeds within a week.

After you receive your bat stop back by and leave a comment…maybe even say thanks!

The quick and dirty tech review of the 2011 Miken Freak DST slow pitch softball bat:

- The Miken Freak DST Balanced is constructed of 100% R900 Carbon Fiber.
– The R900 provides 38.8% higher tensile strength and 40% higher elongation than industry standard carbon fiber. R900 Carbon Fiber is proven to endure grueling play.

- The new MPa7 resin system is exclusively calibrated to optimize the performance and resilience of Miken’s premium carbon fiber materials.
– The Multi-Layer Biaxial Technology precisely aligns and bonds filaments of premium aerospace grade carbon fiber to produce unrivaled durability and maximum performance.

- The new Inner Flex Technology Advanced is customized to barrel specifications for maximum distance and ball speed.

- The new DST technology is a durashell that acts as a composite shield on the outer shell of the 100 percent aerospace grade carbon fiber barrel, maximizing performance out of the wrapper.

- The Miken Freak DST Maxload has a End Loaded swing weight for Greater Distance.

- The Freak DST Maxload is approved by ASA, USSSA, NSA and ISA.

- Made in the USA.

<

Today we are going to take a look at the slow pitch softball bat that I feel is the best value on the market right now. It is a worth softball bat. The 2010 BJ Fulk Mayhem Worth slowpitch softball bat.

I have come to the conclusion that this bat gets more bang for the buck than any other new slowpitch softball bat on the market right now.

Here’s why…

Retailing at 199.99 the BJ Fulk Mayhem Worth softball bat is around one hundred dollars cheaper than other slowpitch softball bats available at softball equipment retailers. This Worth softball bat is 100% composite and has a traditional balanced feel. I am comfortable recommending this Worth softball bat to anyone looking for a new slowpitch softball bat because with the traditional, balanced feel you know what to expect from a performance aspect, plus at this price point there is not much competition in bang per buck.

This is a slowpitch softball bat that I have seen, held, and swung in person and once I took grip of the handle it sucked me in and gave me instant confidence to get in the batter’s box knowing I was going to hit a frozen rope through the infield, off the wall, or wherever I chose. The bottom line with this slowpitch softball bat is it hits and it hits HARD.

The silencer grip complements this bat so well. When you put your hands on the grip it’s as if the bat becomes an extension of your arm and because of its balance you know exactly what the bat is going to do. It provides the ability to place the ball anywhere on the field. (of course as long a YOU have the ability to hit it where you are trying to hit it)

I do not know why the price point is set where it is, but do not mistake it for lack of quality because this bat is on fire. Mine was well broken in WITHIN 100 swings. I can’t guarantee the same result for every Worth Mayhem softball bat but from personal experience I will vouch for this slowpitch softball bat that it is a winner.

The 2010 BJ Fulk Mayhem Worth softball bat does exactly what you would expect from a $300+ bat without the sticker price and it also offers forgiveness on mishits. You get the performance you have come to expect from a Worth softball bat AND you get (in my opinion) more pop when you miss your sweet spot that you get with any other slow pitch softball bat at this price point.

From its sweet baby blue paint scheme to the feel of it’s seemingly luxurious silencer grip, I am confident that you will fall in love with this slowpitch softball bat before you ever take a swing with it. Once you get this Worth softball bat to the park and start hitting seeds through the gaps, you’ll fall in love all over again.