The DeMarini Evo AX is a rarity – a Doublewall, two-piece bat that has been designed to push the limit of the ASA 98 mph batted ball exit speed standard.
It uses DeMarini’s patented “Half & Half” technology: the 100% composite Evo AX consists of two distinct pieces, a barrel and separate handle fused together at the top of the taper. By creating the bat in two pieces, DeMarini is able to use different materials, formulas and processes that allow for the best characteristics for each piece. While it is made of a composite barrel and composite handle, they are not the same: the barrel is designed to flex and rebound at impact, propelling the ball; the handle is stiffer, tuned to get the barrel through the hitting zone quickly and get the most performance out of the barrel.
The barrel features new “Doublewall Evolution Composite” technology, a 100% composite barrel made up of two distinct walls; most other composite bats are made up of multiple layers or material all pressed into one wall. The walls are tuned to work together and then the barrel and handle are tuned to work at maximum efficiency. The result is a monstrous sweet spot.
The “Flex Tuned” Evolution Composite handle helps lengthen the sweet spot by eliminating sting and speeding the barrel through the hitting zone. The handle also flexes before and after impact, effectively increasing swing speed with no additional effort.
The Evo AX uses an “N2M” end cap which is scientifically tuned to return ball-launching energy to the barrel while absorbing the unwanted frequencies that cause sting.
It features DeMarini’s bat rotation index on the barrel and Wilson’s “Positack” moisture-absorbing composite textured grip. Positack reduces vibration and hand fatigue for better feel and control.
It is available in 26, 28 and 30 ounces. It is red and black with red, silver and black graphics.
We hit the 27 oz. version.
The Evo doesn’t hit like the other DeMarini offerings. It sounds different, it feels different and it works as both a home run bat and a singles bat (what would Ray say?).
The other Half & Half bats in DeMarini’s line have composite handles and aluminum barrels. With the bulk of the weight in the barrel, they swing like end loaded bats, speeding up the batter’s swing for more distance. The Evo is all composite, so the weight is distributed more evenly which means the bat won’t automatically speed up every swing. We didn’t find that to be a disadvantage.
This bat can be used for power and it can be used to spray the ball to the opposite field. It swings a little lighter than other DeMarini models; you may want to try an ounce heavier than you normally use.
We must admit we didn’t fall in love with the bat right away. The sound is muffled; it doesn’t sound like you are hitting the ball as hard as you are. The sweet spot was not where we initially thought it was and the first round of swings didn’t lead anyone to believe this bat had any pop. We decided it must be a “line drive” bat and started trying just to hit smooth line shots with it. That worked so well that without trying we were beginning to find the pop we were told this bat has.
It was actually easier for our singles hitters to get top performance out of this bat than it was for our power hitters. They complained that the sweet spot was small and the hitting ball near the end stung their hands. The singles hitters didn’t have either problem, probably because they are used to hitting the ball nearer the center of the barrel with the bats they normally use.
After about 80 swings each, the testers were divided along power hitter/singles hitter lines. While the power hitters did not dislike the bat, none of them preferred it to the F2 that we used for comparison. On the other side, all of the singles hitters preferred the Evo and said they would use it in tournament.
Hitters included Daryl Harrison, Jeff Eades, David Grey, Landre Malone, Sal Moreno, Denny McAdams, Bobby Ponto
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