DeMarini’s White is destined to be known better by its nickname, the Steel, because the thing that makes it unique is its barrel – a single wall of varied thickness steel. DeMarini is the only company currently offering a bat made of the stronger-than-aluminum material.
One reason DeMarini is able to make a bat of steel, which is also much heavier than aluminum, is its two-piece Half & Half technology. By making a lighter composite handle, they are able to allow for a heavier material for the barrel – something that would not be possible in a bat made of an entire shell of steel.
The White is made in two parts: the barrel is a single wall of steel made in varied thicknesses to help make the weight manageable as well as thin the walls for performance sake. The handle is a new formula composite – it looks similar to previous Half & Half handles for bats such as the F2, Vexxum, Evo and Dark but is much lighter and has a different kickpoint.
The White is allowed in most single-wall bat leagues, and it is designed to work well with hard or soft COR and high or low compression balls.
It has a 13-inch barrel that while not technically end-loaded is noticeably end heavy. It is currently available in 26 and 28 ounces only, but swings much heavier.
We hit the 26 oz. version.
“This bat is great! And it’s legal! Legal!”
So went the first comments of the first review of the first steel barreled bat of the high-performance era. This bat is very different from others on the market, so there were many things to discover about it.
First, it has a completely unique sound. It s not a crack or a ping, but more of a plink; it is more similar to the sound the old titanium bats used to make than to that of any modern bat.
Second, it has a unique feel. Many of our hitters are older and remember swinging extreme end-loaded bats in the days before invasive bat regulation. They warmed up to the White’s unique feel right away, hitting balls hard and far with some of their first swings. Younger players who have had to swing balanced or even composite bats all their lives took longer to adjust. There is no way to properly describe the difference between swinging a balanced composite and this bat; like all Half & Half bats the White speeds up a hitter’s swing without altering it and the extra heavy barrel exaggerates the process.
And as such, guys were pulling the ball and hitting it deep into left field with ease.
While the older guys were feeling 10 years younger, the younger guys were admittedly having some trouble hitting the ball into the opposite field. It seemed to be primarily a problem with confidence and comfort as the older hitters could make the bat do whatever they wanted.
The reactions of the hitters who were told this is a single wall before they hit it were amusing – mostly arched eyebrows and skeptical looks – but there were nothing like those hitters who discovered it was single wall after hitting it. Their reactions ranged from outright laughter to complete disbelief. But after these sessions, whether they thought we were lying to them or not, there weren’t any who weren’t impressed.
Finally, it has a unique look, bright white with gray markings, so it looks good too.
Let us hear your bat review!Click here to review this bat.
