The Maniac 484 FP minus-10 is the first fast pitch bat to feature Miken’s “Titan Elemental Technology,” a new layer of composite designed to extend the sweet spot while improving the barrel’s consistency and durability. It is approved under the ASA’s 98-mph maximum exit speed standard.
The 484 is a 100% composite bat featuring Miken’s “E-Flex” and Titan Elemental technologies. The E-Flex, which has been part of Miken bat design since 2001, involves a special way of laying the composite fibers at optimal angles for the most allowable trampoline effect (hoop flex). This design also expands the sweet spot by improving the flex of the barrel in areas where flex might not otherwise occur.
Titan Elemental Technology refers to the new inner-most layer of composite which has been redesigned to allow the bat to return energy to the ball even quicker than with previous bats. It also allows the bat to maintain it shape better.
Titan Elemental Technology allows the whole barrel to flex; in previous models, Miken had to “tweak” the barrel to extend flex toward the areas where it normally would not be found. While that meant that most of the barrel was live, it also meant inconsistent performance and weakened areas more susceptible to breakage along the length of the barrel. The new inner layer changes all that.
The Maniac 484 FP is designed similarly to the slow pitch Maniac 484, but with a stiffer handle for fighting off inside fastballs. It is balanced
It is a minus-10 ounces-to-inches ratio and is available in 34”/24, 33”/23, 32”/22, and 31”/21. It has a urethane end plug and MG-1 Sport Grain grip.
We hit the 32”/22 oz model.
The look of the Maniac 484 captured the girls’ hearts right away. They all expected it to hit as well as it looked.
It did.
All of the girls who hit the Maniac had hit Miken bats in the past, including the M-Pulse and OKC. Whether or not this was an advantage, it is unclear. But the fact is those players had an easy time adjusting to the new Maniac.
The performance was good right away. Line drives were as good as expected based on the hitter’s previous experiences with Miken bats. Everybody seemed happy with the performance and no one seemed surprised by it.
What did please the girls was the distance they were getting off the bat. Remembering that a fast pitch home run only has to travel between 180 and 220 feet, plenty of balls were hit that distance. Some of the girls had previously hit balls that far with slow pitch bats, but it was a new experience for them with a fast pitch-specific model.
Some of the hitters thought the bat felt a bit end-heavy, but it was a minor complaint.
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