Slowpitch softball bats are meant to be used in games which involve slower throws. Consequently, best slowpitch softball bats are the ones which are not necessarily light-weight but exert a solid impact when hitting the ball. Most slowpitch games have pitches limited to a speed of 25 mph. Such slow speeds mean that the player does not to focus a lot on the speed of swinging. So bat manufactures construct slowpitch bats 2016 to be somewhat heavier than the bats used in fastpitch games. Typically, slowpitch bats pack a 2″ barrel and their weight ranges between 26 and 30 ounces. Slowpitch bats are available in balanced and end-loaded varieties. Another notable variation is that of the overall design of different slowpitch bats.
Some of them are constructed in a single-piece, stiffer design which offers more control but is dependent on the power of the player. Others are constructed in a two-piece design which comes with more flexibility and trampoline effect. Another distinguishing feature between different slowpitch softball bats is that some are made entirely from composite material; others may be made from non-composite material in part or as a whole. As a rule of thumb, composite bats are superior in performance and hitting than non-composite bats, although it also depends on the skill of the player.
The bat is a carefully designed tool that allows the player to make the most of every hit. Every part of the club, from the crown to the end cap, is engineered to maximize performance per ounce. There are four main technological components you need to know for your bat: Material, Construction, Barrel Diameter, and Weight Balance. Softball slowpitch bats will offer player advantages such as the weight can be precisely placed on the whole bat, these bats can be made for balance or end load. Usually, they will have a longer barrel (larger sweet spot) without feeling too heavy. A good and suitable bat will help you practice hard and learn techniques and skills. You will practice natural reflexes when the ball reaches you. That’s why you should equip 1 of the 7 best slowpitch softball bats below.
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Why should you use Best Slowpitch Softball Bats 2016?
Do you wonder if a slowpitch bat is different from softball bats? And what are the criteria to evaluate them? In the middle of the market with many products, many brands, place of manufacture, .., what is the choice for you. We know that you will judge against many different criteria, but perhaps below are the most common ones. Let’s explore:
- Brand: We have selected many products from many different famous brands. We are all familiar with DeMarini; Reebok; Miken; Louisville Slugger. These are all major brands and give you amazing results in your softball training.
- Quality: Quality will be the top concern of learners as well as beginners. Because a good stick will help you maximize your potential, as well as support you so that you can comfortably hone your skills and the body’s coping ability. Below are the softball racquets that are highly regarded for their quality.
- Appearance: All products have a special appearance and design with vivid colors, making you the one who shines on the pitch. And each product has different designs, decorations, and different styles for you to choose from to suit your personality. They also come in different colors, you can choose from your favorite color.
- Material: These bats are made from bats that are safe and well-prepared. The following stages are checked before putting products on the market and to consumers. Safe, durable, and beautiful materials, helping to prolong the product’s service life. One of the biggest influences on the performance of the bat is its material. Bats are made of metal, synthetic material, or wood. Metal and composite bats, often made of composite or alloy materials, are traditionally used in youth baseball through college baseball. Wood, meanwhile, is used across professional levels, as well as for specific amateur and tourism soccer tournaments/organizations. Please read below to learn more about bat materials and how they affect performance.
- Price: Many people will be interested in this when buying because they want to spend a large amount of money on an inefficient product. However, the 10 best academy softball racquets below are all the right products for your budget and will not let you down in their performance during practice.
- Release year: 2016 marked the release of softball slowpitch bats, right? Let’s explore with Gondeee!
Above are 05 criteria that are probably the most popular for you when buying. We hope that the options below will not be bad. You know, Gondeee always prioritizes products that are liked by customers on Amazon systems, with positive comments from customers who have purchased, and star scores that speak their value. Gondeee understands that, when making a decision to buy anything, what you want to get back is the value and efficiency of the product. In the midst of a vast market of poor quality products, if you are unlucky and sober, you will encounter dishonest sellers and buy poor quality products. That is why you should choose bats in a place that is appreciated and honest comments from former customers of the store. Specifically, Gondeee has selected the highly-rated and high-rated products on Amazon. They receive a lot of positive reviews, helping to achieve a high reputation for efficiency.
List of 7 Best Slowpitch Softball Bats 2016
So, this is all about the best slowpitch softball bats 2016, these seven really deserve to be appreciated and used. If you have to choose from these bats, I would suggest checking out these pros and cons. We’ve tried our best to not make any biased arguments. If you’re already using them and want to try some other great softball bats, we suggest you look at these best slowpitch softball bats from Softball bats unlimited!
1. Louisville Slugger Slow Pitch Z-4000
The Z-4000 slugger is a slowpitch softball bat which comes with a 2″ inch barrel.
This bat is a good balance between swing speed and power of impact. It has a rather long, 12-inch barrel which gives the player a large sweet spot to hit the shots right.
The bat is made in a three-piece construction, wholly manufactured from top-quality composite material. Its three-piece construction makes the handle quite flexible, letting the player add more power to the swing.
Louisville has finished off the barrel of this bat with a Grit Blast Finish which adds to the impact of the hit and gets the ball spinning into the distance after the hit.
The bat finished in a 7/8-inch tapered handle which is perfectly smooth to wield and carries no vibrations. The overall design of the bat makes it very balance and ideal for some smooth, effective swinging in professional league matches. The bat is approved for use in ASA, USSSA, ISA, ISF and NSA.
2. [ads] – Worth 2021 Mach 1 Boss 302, Slowpitch Softball Bat, 13.5 in. Barrel, USA/ASA Balanced
Worth’s Quad Comp tech increases handle to barrel flex resulting in a bigger sweetspot and greater distance.
Worth’s Flex 100 tech delivers a stiff handle design with a collar that generates flex for bat speed and distance.
- Size: 26 oz
- Sport Type: Softball
- Brand: Worth
- Material: Composite
- Color: Orange/Black
3. 2016 Miken Freak
Miken Freak is a softball bat with an exceptionally long and big barrel which makes it an ideal stick for players looking to easily score a great performance on the field.
The bat packs a 2″ barrel which runs for the length of 14.5 inches, making it one of the longest barrels on a softball bat.
The bat is end-loaded and has a huge sweet spot. The barrel is manufactured using the aerospace grade composite material and a special flex design which gives it maximum flex bending.
The additional flex bend allows the players to swing this bat with maximum impact on the massive, solid barrel.
The bat has a two piece design which adds to its flexibility and mitigates any vibrations at the handle, letting the player swing this stick with smooth ease. It is approved for play in ASA only.
4. Easton Salvo
Easton Salvo is a slowpitch pitch which is a fine balance between overall control and the power of the impact.
The Salvo is made in a single-piece design with a perfectly balanced advanced composite barrel.
The barrel runs for the length of 13.5 inches and supports a fairly large sweet spot for some easy power hitting.
The barrel tapers off into a 29/32 inch handle which is exceptionally thin and incredibly useful for impactful shots.
This thin handle, in turn, is topped with a very slim grip which is effective in giving the player a solid hold on the handle while at the same time minimizing sting.
The single-piece design coupled with a thin handle makes it possible for the player to wield this bat with great control and balance, and hit square shots with the might of its solid barrel. The bat is approved for use in USSSA, ASA, NSA, ISA and ISF. It is available in 34″ length with corresponding weight ranging from 26 ounces to 28 ounces.
5. Easton Mako Torq
Easton’s MAKO TORQ slowpitch softball bat comes with a barrel which runs for the length of 12 inches and has a diameter of 2″ inches.
The bat is end-loaded, so its barrel comes with extra weight. The exact amount of this extra load depends on the overall weight of the bat.
In the 26-ounce version of the bat, the barrel carries 1 ounce end-load. In the 27-ounce version, it carries 2 ounce end-load and in the 28-ounce version, it carries 3 ounce end-load.
The barrel of MAKO TORQ is made from TCT Thermo Composite material which brings a huge sweet spot to it. The bat packs a connection joint between the handle and the barrel which is very effective channeling all the power of the impact into the hit. Consequently, the handle takes no sting or vibrations from the hits.
The handle itself is only 29/32 inches and has a thin gauze grip. This makes the bat’s overall design quite flexible for whip effect during the hits. The bat is approved for use in ASA and ISF. It is available in 34″ length and corresponding weights ranging from 26 ounces to 28 ounces.
6. Worth Sick
Worth Stick is a slowpitch softball bat which is approved for play in USSSA, NSA and ISA matches.
It comes with a one-piece construction with a massive barrel running the length of 14.5 inches.As a result, the barrel packs a long enough sweet spot.
The bat is entirely made from composite material, specifically carbon composite fiber which gives it extra durability and strength.
Another redeeming feature of this bat is that it doesn’t need any break-in time and is ready for use right out of the wraps.
7. DeMarini 2016 Uprising Slowpitch Softball Bat
The DeMarini 2016 bat packs a 2″ inch barrel and is ideal for slowpitch softball games. The bat has a DX1 Alloy and Hybrid Performance grip and has aluminum used in the construction of the barrel.
This makes it one of the lightest slowpitch bats with adequate trampoline effect on the aluminum barrel.
The barrel ends in an aluminum handle which has been topped with a Hybrid Performance grip.
This essentially removes any vibrations traveling from the barrel to the handle and makes it possible for the player to swing this stick smoothly. The bat is available in 34″ length with corresponding weights ranging from 26 ounces to 28 ounces.
One Piece and Two Piece Slowpitch Softball Bats
One-piece slowpitch softball bats are constructed in such a way that the same material is used throughout the body of the bat. This makes one-piece bats a single unit in entirety.
The good thing about a one-piece bat is that it has a solid construction and has a stiff design. As a result, the bat is useful for hitting powerful shots during the game. However, the one-piece design has its downsides.
The primary downside is that the bat is ideally suited only for power players who can rely on their strength to hit powerful shots. For players who rely on the performance of the bat itself, one-piece may not be the ideal choice.
Another disadvantage of using a one-piece stick is that it is stiff and that brings a lot of sting to the handle. While this may not bother players used to rougher bats, others may not find this a very valuable feature.
Two-piece bats, in contrast to one-piece bats, are constructed in such a way that the handle and the barrel are manufactured separately, often even made from different materials. They are bounded together either directly or with the help of an intermittent joint.
The good thing about two-piece bats is that they are flexible. This adds a kind of whip effect when players swing them with speed, adding a lot of impact in the hit.
Two-piece bats also offer more trampoline effect as a consequence, letting the players rely on the performance of the bat. The two-piece manufacture of these bats also means that the vibration from hits do not travel down to the handle.
They are rather intercepted at the joint and often channeled back into the barrel, augmenting the trampoline effect. Given their more flexible nature, two-piece bats are considered more long-lasting than one-piece bats.
The Attention when Choose a Slowpitch Softball Bat
Finding the right slowpitch bat is not an easy job. It requires diligent search for the right bat after you have determined exactly the kind of bat you need. Before you embark on this search, you should know some basic details about slowpitch softball bats.
In general, slowpitch bats are 34 inches long and vary in their weight from 26 ounces to 30 ounces. These bats are available either as balanced sticks or as end-loaded sticks. Balanced slowpitch bats are easier to swing, are quite light-weight and it is generally easier for the player to hit the shot right with them.
End-loaded slowpitch bats are harder to swing but if the player can muster up the strength to swing them well, they are able to hit very impactful shots and throw the ball to a greater distance. So end-loaded slowpitch bats are more suited for power players.
When purchasing the bat, you should also be cognizant of the league where the bat will be used. Different leagues have their own certification requirements, so if the bat is going to be used in a specific league, you should be aware of the required certification.
The ASA matches, for example, required the bat to carry a specific ASA certification which makes the bat apt for use against .52 COR 300 Compression softballs.
Any bats which do not comply with this certification are not good for use against these softballs and will consequently not be allowed in ASA matches. Other leagues such as USSSA, NSA, ISA, ISF have their own requirements. So be mindful of the intended use of the bat before starting the quest for the right bat.
Next, different slowpitch bats are manufactured from different materials. Some are made of alloy, others are made from composite material while some come in hybrid manufacture. The alloy bats are single-piece constructions, often with a single wall barrel which makes them light-weight but with less trampoline effect.
Composite bats, in contrast, come with multi-walled barrels and offer a lot of trampoline effect. Bats made from different materials also vary significantly in the price tags they carry.
Each of these materials have their pros and cons, and at the end of the day, determining the right material depends entirely on the material. The player should test out a few bats, take a few swings with each and only then determine what kind of slowpitch softball bat suits her needs.