Welcome to Softball Nation 365! Softball 365 days a year.

After 20 years of playing softball around the country and being on teams I’ve seen many things (good and bad) and decided that it’s time for me to start putting my thoughts down.  That’s what this site is … a site about my thoughts. Topics such as Players, proposed rule changes, local softball and others.  If you have something you’d like me to write about, please feel free to email me.  If you have something to say (good or bad) about articles on this site, please remember, these are my opinions and therefore judge them as such.

Welcome and I hope you enjoy reading these articles!

Why Failure is Important

I can’t believe I’m actually having to write about failure…but I’ve noticed an alarming trend …coaches quit or resign from sports because of the politics of being a coach. Parents who love their kids (not a bad thing mind you) all believe they deserve playing time because, darn it, they are just so good at (insert sport here). Parents (and I am one) time to grow up. We are NOT objective observers in our childrens future. It’s time to listen up (or read up I guess).

Don’t get me wrong it’s important to encourage our children and make sure that they play some sort of organized sport in order to learn how to be part of a team. But that does not entitle them to play after a certain point. I believe it’s fine to let all kids on the team play if the sport they’re playing is not considered “competitive”.. Because at that point they’re playing just for fun and it should be fun. However, once you enter the world of competitive sports it’s important for you as a parent to understand that the coach is there to win games and to teach our children what’s necessary, including recognizing that they may not be the best player, in order to win games.

This fosters many life lessons, learning how to be a productive member of a team, understanding your role in the bigger picture, and the hardest one of all accepting what you are good at and what you are not good at.

Which brings us to the original Concept behind this article, failure. Learning to cope with failure is the single most important lesson an athlete or any child for that matter, has to deal with.

Winning is easy. You shake the other person’s hand and you graciously say good game. What’s more difficult is giving a 100% and still coming up short. It may not even have been your fault that your team lost. It could have been someones else on your team that was the reason you didn’t win (or even multiple people). This is the important lesson, because as part of a team we are always taught win as a team, lose as a team.

Failure has a distinct role to play in our lives. It teaches us that we can always work harder and always be better. Losing provides the motivation and drive to be better. It pushes a true athlete to work even harder than they did before. The feeling of coming up short… that horrible sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach in that final moment, when all is lost… it’s that feeling you never want to experience again. That is why you pick yourself up, and you go to the gym before everyone else, you stay after everyone has left, and you just work harder than ever. Each loss you take upon yourself to be better, to pick up the slack for someone else, or perhaps you help a teammate and begin to mentor them, teach them your work ethic, and help them find that push they need to reach the next plateau.

It’s this kind of attitude that leads others by example. You don’t have to talk about being good, you don’t have to puff out your chest and proclaim your skill… no, you just show up play. You will elevate those around you to be better, and that, well that’s a lesson that can ONLY be found in the depths of failure.

So you lost…. well, now what are YOU going to do about it?

The Next Generation

It all started more than 10 years ago… my son watched me play at his first softball game…and just like that the next generation saw a game he was destined to play.  10 years later when we were short a player and we discovered that our league would allow him to play at 15 he walked out onto the softball field as a player … and it has been a runaway train since then.  He paid his dues in E, and then fought his way into a starting spot on a D team.

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Weeks after he started playing, two of his friends were also playing, and another one pinch running… within a month 4 16+ year old kids had discovered softball and they were in love with it.  This, the Xbox generation, they were outside, in 90+ degree weather and playing hard and having a blast.

That’s when it occurred to me… we as parents need to work harder to get our kids involved in sports…. for fun.  What do  I mean? Because most parents involve their kids in sports.  I mean, involve them in a game they can play WITH you.  Why?  Because even if you don’t think so…your children still look at you as a role model.  Doesn’t matter of your a man or woman, you’re that kids world.  Nothing in the world matches the high you get of taking the field with your child…and nothing matches the frustration you feel when they struggle, or the joy you feel when they succeed.

What makes this sport so special is that it’s easy to play and very hard to master.  The beauty of that is that our children can play it, and they don’t have to be great at it, nor do they feel peer pressure that if they aren’t the best player on the field they want to quit.  In fact, my son knew how much work he had to put in to get better, and he did it.  In a year and a half he improved immensely.  I taught him my work ethic, and the importance of practice, and how skill alone isn’t the path to success, but a pairing of hard work and ability.  This lesson will serve him well as he gets older … whatever he does, he will know that success is tied to hard work.  A valuable life lesson learned from playing a game we love.

My final thought is this, if this game we love is to survive then we have to prep the next generation, it’s up to us to ensure that this game survives…and we do that by gracefully passing the torch.

Shaved Bats – Why Today’s Game Has Rendered Them Obsolete

How many times have you hit a home run and had somebody yell nice bat? It seems like it’s an everyday occurrence now days. No one believes that anyone has the talent to hit a home run or hit a ball hard because of this stigma of cheater/shaved bats.  Well I’m here to tell you (and explain in simple physics terms) that shaved bats in the modern game are NOT giving players the advantage they once did…and in some cases actually HURT them.

What many don’t seem to realize anymore is that the game has changed. More and more we are now seeing a safety ball. What does that mean?  In ASA we hit a 52/300 ball and in USSSA  We use the M plus which is a 52/275.  Both balls use a hardcore and soft outer compression.   This means that upon impact the ball expands and flattens out. Older balls such as the 44/375 for ASA and the 40/325 for USSSA used a soft core with hard outer compression.  Which means that they do not flatten as much and instead have a single point where all the momentum is concentrated.

The reason the Monsta Torch and other new bats have been successful with the high core,  lower compression balls is because a softer bats equals less distance.  Wait…did I just say that?!? I did.  Let me explain why.

With the older 44/375 and 40/325 balls the bat provided “trampoline” affect at the point of contact.  As I mentioned earlier the harder balls have single focal point at which the momentum of the bat striking it provides the inertia to send the ball flying.  The distance is further improved by the trampoline affect.  The trampoline affect is when the bat buckles and then snaps back into shape. In other words the round bat flattens out to provide more surface area at the point of contact and “throws” the ball off of it as it comes back to shape.  So how does “shaving” a bat improve this?  Simple.  When you shave a bat you lessen the resistance provided by the barrel, which now can flatten out more (thinner walls) and trampoline back into shape faster.  This provides the added distance to make a 275′ hit into a 320′ monster shot depending on the amount of material that has been removed from inside the barrel.

Enter the 52/300 or 52/275 ball.  The effect was the exact opposite.  Now when the ball strikes the bat, the ball flattens out and uses the stiff surface of the bat barrel to trampoline off.  So the stiffer the barrel the better. Demarini was first to make technology that made the ASA ball fly.  The original Flipper used “linear compression” technology to provide a stiffer wall surface which made the ball fly better.  That was just the start.  In comes Monsta.  There bat provides an floating inner barrel (FIB) which “slides” to the point of contact stiffening the barrel on contact.  As I said before, stiffer barrel equals more distance. Now Easton, Miken and Worth have all caught up.

This is not to say shaved bats have disappeared…because there are still a number of places where a rock hard classic M ball is used…but those places are becoming fewer by the day. With ASA standardized on the 52/300 I suspect that USSSA will soon implement the 52 M+ ball as a standard.  Which puts us one step closer to dual stamped bats again…making it less expensive for a player who plays in both …

All the new modern ASA bats perform well with the 52 core balls and soon if we see USSSA change to a 52 we could see another massive shift…and shaving will be left to getting rid of the stubble on your face in the morning.

Life, Softball and Friendship

Everyone has those days… when nothing seems to go right.. Hell some of us can have that for weeks or years.  Yet the key to surviving those tough moments is in finding the joy in something … be it your children’s smile,  your dog being nutty or some other situation that makes you smile, no matter how fleeting.  That’s what drives most of us to play this game.  Because no matter how bad a day, week or even a year has been, for that hour or so that you take the field with 9 (or 10) other friends and teammates fighting for that same goal … you forget all of your troubles and you focus your attention on a stupid little yellow ball.

So often in this crazy world of technology with cell phones, Instagram, Facebook, Snap Chat and who knows what else, for a brief time we connect with each other… on a personal level.  We support each other, fight for each other, pick each other up when we falter and in the end (win or lose) we leave EVERYTHING on the field.

There’s a life lesson in this.  One that gets washed over because of, well, life.  When you’re team is down by 5 runs and it’s the bottom of the 7th you don’t quit, and you damn sure don’t admit defeat before that 3rd out.  So why do we not approach real life like this?  Is it because on the field we have 9 other friends pushing us to the same goal?  Perhaps. … but have you ever been the one to spark the rally?  To pick the team up and put them on your back and run with it?  There is no greater moment than that.

That’s the lesson in here friends.  We play this game because it elevates us, brings us together and makes us better friends.  Perhaps if we took the same approach in our jobs, stopped at someones desk that you don’t know well, or never talk to, and ask them to have coffee… or if you can help them with a report.. or just make small talk.. then the hum drum office can be a better place.  True, not every office can be like that… and not every person wants to interact with others… but ask yourself this, how would you feel if someone in your office came up to you and asked you to coffee? or just to hang out and talk?  Wouldn’t that day be just a little better?

Yeah, I know… not a great blog about softball… but in this world of crazy where people shoot up schools, fight each other over gun rights, send out anthrax in an envelop and face the reality of racism and other social atrocities.. we DON’T have to be part of the problem.  Take some of that fight and spirit you have on the field, off the field, to your work, office or school. Lift someone up when they’re down. Help someone less fortunate that yourself.  Be that better person you are when your on the field.  Do that, and maybe this world we live in will be brighter tomorrow.

See you out there…

ASA Bat Reviews

2018 Monsta DNA Mutated  – What can I say about this bat that wasn’t answered with the War on the Shore? Since my tester is USSSA only I could not test the bat and give any accurate readings.  What I can say is that this 12 1/2 barrel bat is a absolute BEAST for hitting ASA balls.  In this test I used the ASA .52/300 Tattoo spinner balls.   First I did the usual tunnel testing and hit even a few off the T.  Since I normally swing a Monsta Torch I was thrown off a bit by the .5 weight difference.  Surprisingly the 27.5 did not feel as smooth as the 27 Militia I have.  However, after a few swings I began to get a feel for it.

The bat comes in a nice bag without the handle tape applied.  This is a nice touch as you can see your name and handle model, and if you don’t like stock tape you don’t have to cut it off.  Monsta provides a unique configuration that allows you (the buyer) to specify the handle type.  The 2500 (whippy), the 3500 (stiff) and the 4500 (super stiff) allow the bat to be comfort fitted for the player.  I have two models that I’ve tested.  One was configured as a 27.5 with a 2500 handle the other was a 27.5 with a 3500 handle.

After a scant 50 swings the bat began to feel much better.  By 100 swings I was really starting to drive the ball.  So we moved outside to do some real distance testing.  The bats were really starting to loosen up at this point as the FIB (floating inner barrel) was now starting to slide better.  Another 100 swings and I was digging it.  This bat is different from the Torch…not in construction so much as the weighting changes the “feel” of the bat.  It does however, REALLY smash the 52/300 ball.  In the outdoor test we switched to hitting the .52/300 NX3 Tattoo ball (with some standard .52/300 Tattoos thrown in for comparison).

Final Thought: This bat is MADE to hit this ball a country mile.  With my Torch prefer the 3500 handle but with the DNA Mutated I found the 2500 handle more to my liking.  Overall this bat is one of the best made PERIOD for hitting the 52 core balls.

2018 Easton Ghost – I’m not sure what they’ve put in the water over at Easton, but this is the year of Easton, because they’ve come out swinging.  The new ASA Ghost is no exception.  If you’ve swung the Easton Fire Flex then you’ve got a good idea what this bat feels like.  With a 13 1/2″ barrel the sweet spot is massive.  The bat itself is not marked as having an endload and for the life of me, I didn’t notice if it was missing (a quick web search indicates that it’s balanced).  The ball flat out JUMPS off this bat.

The first time I unwrapped this bat at a League night I hit back to back dingers.  I loved the thin handle tape, which provided good grip without added thickness.

In the tunnels I had no problem judging the bat to be a launcher.  This bat felt great and with each swing I was more impressed with what Easton has accomplished.  To get a solid ASA bat is not as easy as you’d think.  The fact is that Demarini with the Linear compression technology changed the bat game a few years back follow by Monsta and the FIB and now Easton has done it with the dual barrel technology.  Easton uses a double wall technology to achieve a better  flex and the lowest allowable (750 PSI) compression rating.

When we moved outside I noticed that I could easily hit gaps as well as blow the ball out.  The lack of an end load did affect my ability to pull the ball some, as I didn’t hit many to Left Field.

Final Thought : For those (like me) that play different associations this bat provided me with a quick transition from USSSA to ASA with little effort.  The bat’s big sweet spot, light swing weight, and double wall technology make it a true hammer.  A must have for any serious ASA ball player.

2018 ASA Worth Legit Ryan Harvey XL –  This bat is the ASA version of Ryan Havey’s Worth Legit.  I loved this bat.  The XL refers to having a .5 oz end load.  Again with no ASA dial for my tester I could not determine compression and/or loss of compression after testing.  Like the USSSA model this bat is a 13 1/2 barrel.  It boasts a massive sweet spot and felt almost identical to my USSSA model.

The 52/300 ASA Spinner balls came off the bat well in the initial testing the tunnel. The first 100 balls took nothing to get used to.  The 27 oz model I tested was slightly used when I got my hands on it (the owner claimed 25 cuts) and the more I swung it the more I really liked the feel.  This is definitely a bat that a casual ball player can swing.  In typical Worth fashion the bat has a nice mid load feel (although it claims to be XL for max load) and swings very clean and it’s easy smash the ball.

Once we went outside and continued hitting it was more of the same. The bat has plenty of pop and you can hit the ball out with it, but the handle felt a bit to stiff for me.  It was a great bat for spraying the ball around as the stiffness of the handle made it easy to judge where the bat head was going to wind up.

Final Thought : Overall this is a great bat for ASA and an excellent choice for the casual ball player as it doesn’t require hours to get comfortable with it.

Bat Reviews Continued

2018 Louisville Slugger Jeff Hall Z1000 – This bat was one that originally I didn’t think I would like it.  Ease of use is not out of the gate… by that I mean, that unlike many of the other bats I tested this bat took some rounds of BP to get comfortable with…but once I had a feel for it, it was golden.   This bat tested at a shocking 300 in the plastic.  I took 2 rounds of 100 balls (Tattoo NX3 Spinner 40/325) and at the end of the second round I finally started to get a feel for the bat.  The weight distribution feels very good, but to my surprise the extra .5 oz took some adjustment.  The bat has a half ounce end load and swings light for a 27.5.  On the scale with the handle tape on she weights 27.7 oz.

After the first two rounds I tested the bat again, and she was still hovering around 300.  The next 100 balls (also 40/325) flew by.  By the middle of the round I was really getting the swing dialed in.  Like the original Z1000 this bat has a decent sweet spot (not huge but good sized), but what I did notice was that it was almost natural to cut the ball with this bat.  The more I swung it the more I found myself cutting the ball, and it was easy to do.  Testing again and we’re down to the 250 mark but now she’s REALLY starting to break loose.

I was running late so we took it with us to a game, and some of my buddies asked to use it.  Both immediately were crushing the ball, so much so that after hitting homeruns over our limit the bat was tested another 3 times…and still clocked in at 250.

Final thought :  This bat is definitely hot.  To me it took work to adjust from a Worth or Easton, but for others they picked it up and just started crushing the ball.  This bat is competitive.  TPS will turn heads this year for sure.  In previous years the bat has simply not been at the level of the competition but now, the numbers on the tester may not say it is, but this bat is on point.  Best Z to come out in the past 4 years.  Go get you some!

2018 Pure Integrity –  This bat was a conundrum… I do not like 1 piece bats since making the change to two piece bats 6 or 7 years ago…that being said.. Surprise!!! Unfortunately I did not get this bat new and actually borrowed it (they aren’t the easiest to get your hands on right now) so I couldn’t test it in the plastic.  I tested it with some league hits on it, no BP and it tested at 245.  I have been warned that this bat would get super hot very fast, so I didn’t tempt fate by using 40/325 balls.  Instead we use the NX3 52/300 Spinners.

Just a scant 50 balls in and this bat was REALLY breaking loose.  The stiffness in the handle was not reflected as the barrel was just stupid hot.  Sweet spot is not the biggest but it my well be the only non-senior bat I’d use for the senior circuit.  This bat immediately brought to mind the original Ultra or Ultra II.   It was that hot.  After hitting 100 balls I tested it again…fluttering at 225-230…  and it felt like it was going to bust with every swing.  When you hit it on the sweet spot its absolute money, even when you miss the ball comes off hard.

Final Thought : While I do think this bat is a missile launcher I can’t see it lasting very long.  I suspect that another 100 balls and we’d be below the 220 mark.  It’s everything you’ll want in bat…except it’s not going to be legal for very long if you take much (or any) BP with it.  The good news is that it’s not a complicated bat and it’s easy to get a feel for.  A dozen swings and you’ll have it down.  The Good : Unreal performance.  Borders on being a Senior bat.  The Bad : Can’t see this bat staying at 220 for very long.  Overall for those who play some league and the occasional tournament this bat is definitely for you.  Get your hands on one and start hitting scuds.  Make sure you keep the reciept though… because it’s not a matter of IF you’ll need it, but rather WHEN.

Bat Reviews – Continued

As promised the Bat Reviews continue.

2018 – Twisted Mistress – Another Demarini bat, right?  Not so fast my friend another 2-piece bat designed using Demarini’s Advanced Performance Composite (APC) barrel.  It also comes with the ZnX Alloy Handle.  This bat tested at 375 in the plastic…but don’t let that number fool you.  This 12″ barrel doesn’t take much to shake loose.  Since it tested so high I decided to start with the Tatoo NX3 Spinner .40/325 Classic Ms.  One round…One ROUND and she was ready…  The ply (composite layers) technology that Demarini uses is quite impressive.  The bat got hot F-A-S-T.   You’d think a bat that tests at 375 would be stiff…and it was…for about 10 hits.  Then it started to heat up.  By the end of the round (108 balls later) it was testing at 270.  I switched to the NX3 .52/300 spinners for the next two rounds.  The sweet spot was a bit further up the barrel from what I expected but overall it was a good experience.  This bat does have bigger sweet spot than the New Breed for sure..but that could also be the nature of the end load.  If you hit it…it will go..if you miss it..head to the dug out.

Final thought :  This bat also has that distinctive Demarini  feel to it. Unlike the New Breed however, this bat “felt” better.  The end load felt better (and from what I’ve been told that New Breed was supposed to be more of mid-load than end load anyway) and your hands come through the zone quicker with this one.  Mine hit 250 by the end of the 3rd round, and I suspect will continue to drop with more BP.   The unique thing about this bat is that you can go on the Demarini website and customize it. http://www.demarini.com/custom/slowpitch/model pick your paint color and finish, handle color, grip tape and even the end cap and knob design.

2018 – Juggy (DB44) – This update from last years Juggy is worth the wait.  Demarini again used there ply technology to produce a bat that tested at 400 in the plastic, yet immediately felt like it was hot.  I also hit the Tattoo NX3 Spinner .40/325 balls to get this bat broken in.  The surprise to me was that it felt hot even after testing it at 400.  At the end of the round this bat still tested high (320) but didn’t “feel” like it was at 320.  The ball was jumping off the bat.  So I continue to hit the .40/325 for another round.  The result was another drop in compression, though not as significant as the first round to test at 280.  However, the bat was really starting to feel good.  At this point I switched to the .52/300 for a round.  To my surprise the balls continued to come off just as hard as the .40/325.  Final test put the at at 265 (ish).

This bat also felt “whippy”.  For those of you that have swung a Juggy you’ll know what I mean.  With a composite handle the “whip” from this bat is insane. The sweet spot on this bat took some time to find, because you had to get the feel for where the bat head was.  Also a 12″ barrel construction this bat uses what Demarini calls a “Stacked Double Wall Construction”, and like last years model, is one of the BEST bats to use in the heat.  Being from Texas, it gets HOT down here and with the DB44 performance doesn’t fall off in the heat.   This bat is not for the faint of heart.  Takes some work to get used to it.  The whip puts the bat head back behind your hands in many cases.  It’s a massive risk/reward scenario.  Master it and you can blast the ball at will, but until you do, you’ll feel off while hitting it.

Final thought :  This 12″ barrel does not feel like the other Demarinis. Unlike the New Breed or Twisted Mistress this bat has a completely unique “Juggy” feel to it. Overall my impression of this bat was one that if you master it (as Dale has) you will be surprised at how much control and velocity you can achieve with it.  It is NOT a bat to use at game time if you haven’t hit it before, and it’s not one for beginners.  This bat will take some work, but in the end it’ll be well worth it.

2018 – Miken Psycho (Brandon Dillon)  – Another Long Barrel Bat.  This one is listed as a 14″ barrel.  On the tester this bat starts out at 270.  The first thing I noticed was that this bat didn’t feel like a typical long barrel with a mid load feel.  The 26.5 I got my hands on felt a bit weighty in the end.   If your accustom to a 27 then you may want to pick up the 26.5 instead of the 27.5 given the way this bats end load felt.  With it’s lower tester rating I only hit a few of the Tattoo NX3 .40/325 before switching to the .52/300s.

This bat is MADE for the new players.  They can grab this bat and hit shots right out of the plastic.  It’s a great all purpose bat.  Now let me clarify, when I say made for the new players I don’t mean ONLY new players.  I mean that it’s ease of use makes it ideal for a new player just coming up OR a pro who’s been at it for years.  The bat I tested did have a small problem with the paint cracks at the bottom of the barrel, which is no doubt a result of the whip produced by barrel with the heavy end load.  Miken says the Max Load is .5 oz but this particular one felt heavier than that.  This 26.5 swung like a 27 (to me).

Final thought : Good all purpose bat.  The heavy end load makes it ideal for guys with less power to generate more hand speed and hit harder/deeper shots.  With the big barrel you have a massive sweet spot and it’s much easier to hit the ball harder.  If i have a knock on this bat it at times did feel “stiff” because the long barrel didn’t seem to lend itself to having such a heavy end load.

Still to Come… the Jeff Hall Z1000 and the Worth Legit (Dedonatis), and the Easton OA Connell

Bat Reviews

Well it’s almost here…the official start of the 2018 Conference season…and we tested a number of bats before we ultimately decided which equipment manufacture we’d go with.  We did not get to test everything as we had only limited access to specialty bats, and no access to some, so this list is not by any means complete.  Note, I tested all of the bats listed here…so lets begin

First the thank yous – Jason Kendrick – Miken/Worth, Mike Cornell – Demarini, and of course Brett Helmer and Easton.

Each bat was placed in the Tester and run through 3 rounds of BP using Tattoo NX3 Spinner BP balls.  Then re-tested.  Before you guys send me hate mail, I have not had a chance to test the following bats that I have : 2018 Demarini Twisted Mystress, 2018 Demarini Juggy, 2018 Easton Resmondo, and the 2018 Miken Pyscho.  I have the bats, but time didn’t permit me to get to them, as they all arrived later than the ones below.  Bats I have not been able to get (yet) to test 2018 Louisville Slugger Jeff Hall, 2018 Easton Travis Clark, 2018 OA Easton Connell,  and the 2018 Worth Legit Jason Branch model. So without further interruption…

2018 – New Breed – I was fortunate enough to play for Demarini last year and so I can actually compare some of the improvements made in the 2018 New Breed over the 2017.  The biggest thing I noticed was that the end load was more noticeable… Although they often refer to this model as a mid loaded bat…  The sweet spot on this bat has always been tiny however the performance has been quite good. Provided you hit it on the sweet spot.  The biggest complaint about this bat is that if you miss it you had a 47 hopper to the pitcher.  The 2018 model  Is no exception it has a great feel to it when you crush them all off the sweet spot.  This bat tested at a whopping 375 in the plastic!  When placed in the tester it sounded like a bowl of Rice Crispies with milk being poured over it.  Given the high compression test I was not expecting great performance in my limited test.

This bat is a 12″ barrel  Which provides you with significantly more whip and better performance.  Made with the ZnX alloy handle it definately has a stiff handle feel.   Just like the previous year’s model in only took a few rounds of BP for this back to feel good.  It offers decent performance and the one I had seemed quite durable.  However, my limited 3 rounds did not get the bat to what I would consider peak performance.  This bat does get hot,  but not immediately.

Final thought :  For those that prefer 12″ barrel this bat has the distinctive Demarini  feel to it. Which means for those of you who like Demarini you will really like this bat and for those of you that don’t you probably won’t.  It’s hotter than last year’s model with a short break in time.

2018 – Ryan Harvey –  The 1st time I swung this bat was right after I had broken my 2017 EST… I was playing in a tournament at BLD I needed another bat.  So I purchased this one unwrapped it and used it the very next game. I was stunned at how quickly the bat seemed to break in and how easy it was to make good contact.  Right out of the wrapper the bat performed very well.   This bat tested at 250 in the plastic.

The sweet spot on this bat is huge and it makes sense as the Harvey is a 13.5″ Barrel. With a (.5 oz) end load this bat doesn’t feel overloaded on the end.  But the real interesting thing about this Bat is the flex 50 technology and the handle. Talk about whip…it adds distance for sure.  It only took about 20 swings to get really comfortable with this bat.

Final Thought :  This bat is one that was designed for the masses. With its massive sweet spot and long barrel you hardly need many swings to feel comfortable using it.  With its good performance it’s bound to give you confidence when you step into the batter’s box. This bat is great for the beginner just coming up and very durable.  I’ve got well over 500 hits on mine.  You can’t go wrong with this bat.

2018 – Kyle Pearson (Freak 23) – Another 12″ barrel bat, this bat is straight fire.  The first time I swung this bat it reminded me of the Freak ASP I swung at the end of last year.  That was one my of absolute favorite bats of all time.  This bat is even better.  I’m not sure HOW they do it, but it seems that each year they take the best from last year and add one more dimension.  This bat tested at 245-250 in the plastic.

The sweet spot on this bat is huge and quite surprising as it’s a 12″ Barrel. With a maxload (.5 oz) end load this bat feels heavier on the end than the Harvey did.  In reading about the bat Miken has what they are calling a Triple Matrix Core (TMC) +  which increases material volume by 15% which removes wall seams and improves the layer processes…man that was a mouthful… basically .. the things a rocket launcher.

Final Thought : This bats is definitely one tailored for more advanced hitters, but you don’t have to be an expert to reap the benefits of the technology in this bat.  Being a 12″ barrel model means that you miss and you get less..  a lot less …hit it…and you get maximum distance for sure.  I was surprised to learn that Miken makes a 25 oz version of this bat as well.  This bat delivers RAW power.  If you are 12″ barrel guy this is the original Freak 12 on steroids.  Find one.  Buy it.  Hit bombs. ’nuff said.

2018 – Easton Helmer Blue Line – This is the first 12″ barrel Easton I’ve swung.  I can honestly say that I’ve not really used Easton since the Synergy and CNT models a few years ago (not going guess how many…because that will make me cry).   This bat sports Eastons new Fire Flex Technology and I must say “WOW”… “FREAKING WOW”.  This bat brings back the memories of the Synergy + and the Original Easton Synergy.  This bat tested at 240 in the wrapper….that’s right an Easton tested below 300 in the plastic!

With it’s EXACT Carbon design it provides better vibration reduction in the hands while optimizing barrel performance…. well at least that’s what the literature says… and it translates into a straight BOOM stick.  The other interesting feature of this bat is the full 1 oz end load.  Let me tell you … a dozen swings and I was hooked.  Like all 12″ barrels this bat has the hit and gone, miss it and not…but that 1 oz end load just whips your hands through and delivers crushing power.

Final Thought : There are only 1000 of these bad boys out there.  Find one.  A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this bat go to the family of slain trooper Joel Davis.  That alone makes the purchase worth while, because you won’t be disappointed and some of the money you paid is going to a good cause.

2018 – Easton Fire Flex – This bat surprised me from the get go…with great performance the minute I unwrapped it… Yes, that’s right … an Easton was hot out of the wrapper and didn’t need a few hundred cuts to get heated up! The Easton Fire Flex is made with The second generation of Flex™ Barrel Technology. This bat is a 13.5″ End Loaded bat.  Another shocker…this bat tested at 250 in the wrapper.

The sweet spot on this bat is huge, which is surprising to me as in the past, the Eastons (IMHO) felt more restrictive in that they had a small sweet spot.. that is not the case at all with the new Fire Flex.  Most of the copy on the Fire Flex mentions that it tests 240-250 in the wrapper.  I verified this with my tester.  The second thing that amazed me was the break in time.. 3 rounds of BP (about 75 balls a round – switching bats so not a straight 75) and the bat tested at 220!!! WOW… and I was hitting .52/300 Tatoo NX3 Spinner BP balls.

Final Thought :  If you’ve not swung Easton recently go pick this bat up.  If your a lifetime Easton lover,  go pick this up.  You won’t put it down! As a fan of the long barrel bats, this one felt like it’s cousin the Synergy + which, I must admit, holds a special place in my heart.  I suspect that the more you swing it the more you’re going to love it.

 

 

 

 

Why using a T isn’t just for kids

Ever wonder why some of the best softball hitters in the country use a T? Well, in this short segment (because it’s the off season and yes I have that kind of time) I’m going to talk about some of the benefits of using a T to improve your swing.  More over, it’s winter and with a T and a popup net you can practice anywhere by your self, and even indoors in your garage.  Now this is NOT me saying that you should do that…because you need to make sure nothing breakable is around, in case you miss….  So with that disclaimer out of the way on to talking about why you should practice with a T.

First and most obvious … the T provides a consistent “pitch”.  By hitting a ball in the same location and with the same part of the barrel you become more consistent.

Second with the ball in a consistent position in order to make contact you’ll focus more because you know you can miss the ball and hit the T. This will in turn help you keep your head down and and make better contact.  The contact spot for a pitch down the middle is directly opposite the front hip. Consider if you were going to throw a punch. You would need the target to be standing at this spot in order for your punch to provide maximum efficiency.

Contact for an inside pitch occurs sooner, and out in front of the body.. which means you have to get the bat head out in front in order to “catch” it on the sweet spot. By using a T you can practice and put the ball in various positions which help you align your body and your swing with the location of the pitch. The player must understand where to make contact with different pitches so that they can hit the ball hard at each location. This is what we mean when we say “Hit the ball where it is pitched.”

The third thing that happens (usually by accident) is that the batters swing slows down.  You slow the bat down to maximize your contact and hit the middle of the ball.  This usually has unexpected benefits.  Most batters “swing hard” but that causes them to get there body out of alignment, or pull there head, or be to far out on there front foot… in other words, the mechanics are off and wrong.  By slowing down your swing becomes more “connected” which in turn means you generate more power with less effort.  The result is the ball goes further.  Not what you’d think right?

Finally the T helps the batter focus on the ball and contact which means that they stop trying to muscle the ball and they relax and swing smooth.  The less tension there are in your muscles the “smoother” a connected swing becomes.

Once you use a T for a few days then take live pitching you’ll be surprised and the difference it can and does make.   Once you’ve started using a T as part of your routine you’ll see the benefits and probably incorporate T work into every weeks practice routine.

Have a good off season, and we’ll see you out there.

 

PEDs (Performance Enhancing Drugs) and playing the game

Supplements have long been a part of sports.  Nutrition and diet go hand in hand with these vitamin stacks to make a player recover faster and perform better.  So what about Steroids?  Are PEDs cheating?

Sadly there is no simple answer here…because technically they are not explicitly referenced in the rule books and no tests for PEDs are performed on players.  Hit a pitcher hard enough to injure them and your bat is tested, but nothing happens if you blow up to 280 when last year you were 205.

Here is the simple truth.  Players are going to do what they are going to do.  I cannot mandate to you what you put into your body.  I personally have to take Testosterone in order to keep my levels up and I see a doctor several times a year to adjust it.  So for me to say you can’t do something would be hypocritical.  I’ve played with many guys who have done supplements and PEDs.

You can’t talk about PEDs these days without Lance Armstrong coming to mind.  We praised his abilities and as a nation cheered for him every year as he accomplished what no other had ever done.  Then the story came out, and we as a nation were crushed.  Once the one of the greatest and most praised athletes on the planet, he is now regarded as a pariah and shunned.

You see there are dozens of reports that Steroids cause heart problems, cancer, strokes and numerous other health issues…however (and this is interesting) there are few published studies can provide a PROVEN link to these afflictions as being caused by PEDs.  Now please don’t  send me hundreds of articles and so on, because I’m not here to debate the truth, I’m just a guy writing about a sore subject…

The Anti Doping Agency (USADA) banned Armstrong for life for his transgressions and has stripped of all of his titles…yet this does not diminish what he accomplished.  He doesn’t have to worry about being inducted into a hall of fame, since none exists for his sport, but what about others like Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens?  Both were caught up in the BALCO scandal years ago and now there names are forever linked to PEDs and likely they will never get into the hall of fame.

Which comes to my response…and you’re probably not going to like it. Get rid of the drug testing.  Legalize the use of PEDs.

Why? Because you’re fooling yourself if you think Softball is the only place where PED use is rampant.  The NFL, NBA,  MLB and NHL are just the beginning…before you even get to amateur sports. Here is why I think this: If you legalize it, then it would allow those substances to be effectively prescribed by physicians and adequate studies to be conducted on such drugs, something that is all but impossible under current federal regulations.

Dr. Norman Frost (a professor of bioethics at the University of Wisconsin) says “Legalization would also allow the drugs to be manufactured in FDA-regulated facilities, so athletes could be more confident about dosing, purity, contamination and other safety issues. The present system drives them to obtain drugs from manufacturers who have no oversight, increasing the risk of harm.”  Which is correct.  Buying Steroids is easy, but knowing if you have good or bad or harmful ones …well I’m not a chemist so I have no idea HOW you would know.

You only have to look at the legalization of Marijuana to see this hypothesis proving true.  Little by little states are legalizing it’s use…and because of it, the quality and the controls around it are regulated and it’s doing good.  Well enough that other states are now contemplating legalization.

So if we did legalize PEDS does this violate the integrity of the game?  Let’s think about it…it’s already going on. The pros have been doing it for decades and have access to better quality than we do and they have better ways of hiding it.  Would legalization level the playing field? or lead to more health issue?  We can’t know…because we need to study the long term effects that PEDs would have on the body…and with the illegal nature of the drugs there is no way to establish a baseline and to determine if the PEDs or the chemicals mixed in are the danger… we can’t know because we can’t study it…

“Athletes can sleep in (elevation-mimicking) hypoxic chambers, vaulters use fiberglass poles and riders can use the fastest bikes,” (Softball players the hotest composite bats on the market)  Fost said. “Why shouldn’t athletes be able to take advantage of the latest (doping) technology? People have been doing it since the beginning of time. Fans aren’t turned off by it. It’s quite the opposite, really. Barry Bonds was one of the biggest draws in sports, and Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa brought the fans out in droves during their home run chase. People want to see bigger, stronger, faster athletes hit home runs and Olympic records being set.”

Therapeutic use of testosterone has been shown to be safe. A 1996 paper on use of synthetic testosterone published in The New England Journal of Medicine showed notable gains in strength with no major side effects other than a handful of cases of breast tenderness and increased acne among the 40 men ages 19-40 who completed the study. Men’s health clinics have been popping up all over to help men maintain there health after age 35…all of these gains stem from Testosterone and steroid use.

Fost added that the message that legalization of PEDs would send to children is no different than the one sent by other regulated vices: alcohol and tobacco. “The difference is that smoking kills 400,000 people a year, almost all of whom become addicted in adolescence, and drinking kills tens of thousands, many of them children,” Fost said. “Deaths attributable to steroids are extraordinarily rare.”

When was the last time you were shocked that a pro athlete was linked to PEDs?  It costs them money, some millions…but  the use of PEDs, as testing statistics show, remains largely a consequence-free environment.

In the end who’s life was changed by Armstrong’s revelations? Did your life change? Did your families?  Probably not.  Now I know there are some who have died from improper steroid use, and I’m not advocating it…just offering an opinion.

Which brings up my final thought… is the use of PEDs in Softball cheating…Well, since I take them every week (under doctors supervision) I’m going to say “no”.  There is no rule in any association handbook that says I’m cheating.  Of course there are plenty of players doing far more than I am and doing it with no doctors supervision….but I can’t judge them…only myself.

See you out there.