The Catalyst 2 is Louisville Slugger’s top fast pitch bat that is authorized for use in ASA; it replaces the 2005 Catalyst minus-8 which was banned from ASA play and offers a completely different look and feel from the 2006 Catalyst minus-10, which is designed for smaller players.
The Catalyst 2 is made from multiple layers of aerospace-grade graphite mixed and S-glass fibers which are embedded in a specially designed, toughened epoxy resin. Each layer of graphite is precisely positioned at an angle determined by an exclusive computer-designed pattern. That layout is what determines Catalyst's performance and durability.
Like the two previous Catalyst models, the Catalyst 2 is internally manufactured: everything from the design of the bat to the selection of the materials to the equipment used for manufacture was created and overseen by Louisville Slugger Composites Research & Development Lab. The ability to control every aspect of design and production ensures that each bat is consistently rendered to TPS's standards.
It has a balanced swing weight.
It has a long barrel with a short taper and thin handle with a synthetic grip. It is blue with light blue, white and black graphics.
It is available in 34”/26 oz, 33”/25 oz and 32”/24 oz.
We hit the 32” version.
The test group, involving a number of students from the Triple Play Sportplex training facility in Georgetown, was full of girls who were already swinging the 2006 Catalyst -10. As a result, all of the testers – except one preferred lighter bats – liked it.
The biggest difference, they all agreed, was that the Catalyst 2 is heavier – it is two ounces heavier for the same length as the Catalyst -10 after all. But most had no trouble swinging the heavier bat because it is so well balanced that those two extra ounces are rarely noticed during the swing.
An example of the reaction the Catalyst 2 got came from Alex Surina – “I like this type of bat more than my own and more than the other brands we tried. I love how it feels and how it swings. I hit more line drives and fewer pop ups. I hit a lot better with this. And I love the color.”
Perhaps the reason for the enthusiasm is the Catalyst 2’s sweet spot. Louisville Slugger does not talk much about the size of the sweet spot and does not compare the Catalyst 2’s hitting area to the Catalyst’s hitting area. But every review filled out by our test group included the words “has a big sweet spot” and even the one who didn’t like it agreed the sweet spot was larger than on her own bat.
The reason for their finding the sweet spot so easily likely had to do with the extra weight: when all other variables are equal, a bat with more mass will work better than a lighter bat. That is, bat speed and bat weight are both important when hitting and many hitting coaches will tell you to swing the heaviest bat you can without losing any swing speed.
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