Baseball Bats

I like the Connexion or you might check out the new Armour.

http://www.highviewheat.com/index.asp

http://www.kristensfastpitchworld.com/index.asp

Go buy LAST YEAR'S MODEL on CLEARANCE SALE

And SAVE A FEW $$$$$$$

All HS bats are BESR rated and so the performance should all be similar. Just find one that FEELS good/comfortable to you.

I've heard guys say they could hit 300 with the Sunday paper. I agree find one that feels good.

rpalmer_51

My sons have tested about every bat on the market and the difference in "pop" is negligable because of BESR standards. I would recommend the getting the most durable bat available, particularly being from PA where the spring temps are going to be cooler. IMO, you can't go wrong with the 888. It is a tough bat. So if it feels good go for it.

(I would not reccommend a rolled up newspaper though because the ink stains are hard to get out!)

Good luck!

I do think there is some difference in the world of metal bats. The BESR standard is not without it's imperfections. It tests the bat in a static position. That's what lead to the theory behind the Easton Connexion and the two pieces. The two pieces supposedly cause a whip effect that generates a greater exit speed that is not shown through the BESR test methods.

the Connexion also has a "dead" spot, though, where that coupling is located so you don't get the cheap dinger hits you might off the handle of most metal bats.

Also, the BESR standard sets a maxium exist speed and obviously, companies make cheaper bats that don't hit the max or not consistently or don't have as long of a bat "life".

A post above suggested to buy last year's model and that is a great suggestion, 'cause often the only change from year to year is purely cosmetic. They change the color and graphics and absolutely nothing else.

I also think that Easton's tend to be a little "top" heavy and the Louisville's are a little more evenly balanced.

The "Air" bats I think also lose their pop very fast, those air "bags" breakdown. I also think it's interesting, I've never seen a D-1 college player use any "Air" model. If they are a Louisville sponsored team the Omaha seems to be the most popular model and I've seen the Armour used recently and whether it's an optical illusion or what, I've not seen a ball come off a bat that hard since Colleges were using -5 bats with the bigger barrel a few years ago. There's some type of ceramic in the finish of the Armour Louisville and the ball just seems to explode off of it. Not seen anything else like it.

There was no "888" version last year, so it would be impossible to purchase last years version. There were alloy "improvements" from the previous "777's" according to Easton.

We too have experienced the Air bats loss of "pop" very quickly and also breakage. The connexion's actually have less "pop" then the "888's" that we tested, albeit unscientifically.

I have already shared my experiences with the Liquid Metal bats, but we have not yet tested the Armour bats. We will very soon as I have absolutely no self control!

Let me see... every YEAR a NEW ALLOY comes out that is significantly BETTER than the one previous... First a stadard CU-31, then 405, then 405 plus then 555, and 777, then Titanium, (until some obscure rule halted that....) NOW 888... Remarkable how a better one comes out every year.

Do you really think technology works that quickly and on a regular cycle? Metallurgy has been around for a long long time. Its not computer chips, they are designing.... How is all this research funded? Don't you think other MAJOR US INDUSTRIES would be involved? Maybe even NASA? Think GM or FORD might be interested in a stronger lighter aluminum?

The whole REASON for the BESR standard was to put a MAXIMUM level in the preformance of bats, to protect, primarily, PITCHERS and keep the integrity of the game. Do you really think a manufacturer would now produce a bat with LESS performance than the MAXIMUM level especially when 2-3 years ago they were making them significantly above that level.

Here is the link to the NCAA testing standard for those of you interested. It is NOT a static test. My only problem with it, is the SAMPLE size is VERY small.

BESR Testing Standord

SD- with you on the nonsense with what's being marketed. By the way, what I meant by static was the fashion in which the bat is held and moved by a mechanical device as opposed to what I think is different "physics" by what is generated by the fashion a person swings a bat.

Having not done real well in my college physics class maybe I'm not understanding the concept or used the wrong term.

I have been told on pretty good authority that the original idea for the Connexion was that the two piece design creates a "buggy whip" effect when swung by a person that is not measured by the BESR procedure and so Easton has skirted the BESR measurement intentions with this design. Then again, maybe that's just somemore marketing bs to make the connexion seem to be some secret weapon.

I think the bigger issue is that, as you point out, the companies are not inventing new technologies, they are just using different existing metals/technologies, some of better qualities than others that last longer, dent less etc. But, I too cannot believe there is any serious enough R&D going on that justifies the "change" every year and the constant increase in prices. It's truly alot to do with gimmicks, bells and whistles. Change the colors, change the graphics etc. but, unlike other technologies such as with DVD, VCR computers, etc. where prices drop as the technology moves on, metal bats have done the opposite and the price keeps going up and up.

With that said though, I am impressed that there's something about that Louisville Armour, except after thinking some more about it, the bat reminds me an awful lot of their C555 with the blue/gray graphics that came out about 3-4 years ago.

If the NFHS would eliminate metal in Baseball there would be two basic choices for the most part, Ash or maple - plain and simple and the way it should be.

I doubt it will ever happen though.

CV

"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts."

Earl Weaver

This bat that bat, which one do I pick? above all I must pick a bat with the largest barrel or I simply cannot put the barrel on the ball, "A FALLACY," in it's own right. Too many coaches, players and parents have their minds so deeply engulfed in bats and their ridiculously large barrels that they have totally forgotten or never knew in the first place about the most important bat out there "THE GOOD OLE WOODEN BAT." and that the bat is not the most important aspect of making good hard barrel to ball contact, Learning how to properly use one's body with proper "ROTATIONAL"and "LINEAR" movements along with executing "HIP TO "SHOULDER" "SEPARATION" is what makes the bat work for a batter, It is not the bat alone that makes a hitter although it does assist to a certain degree beings a batter must use a bat to or not to swing at a ball, wooden bats certainly will also make for better batters/hitters.

Make no mistake about it, one does not have to be big and strong to be able to hit good hard line drive gappers, I was a skinny five foot ten 145 pounder and I got my share of line drive gappers and home runs. Learn to think, visualize, focus and to use the good old important body, hips and hands and barrel inside to the ball properly.

Nuff said.

kom_don

 

 

FOR ME IT IS MAPLE