The Jennie Finch Signature Series is the first bat in Mizuno’s growing Jennie Finch fast pitch equipment line. It is also the first aluminum fast pitch bat made by Mizuno in 10 years.
It is made of Japanese Banzai Aluminum – an exclusive alloy from Japan that was first used by Mizuno in the barrel of the Techfire Fury slow pitch bat. It has a single-wall barrel and it is long, though not exactly a bottle bat design – which means a bit more attention has been paid to the design of the taper of this bat compared to traditional bottle bats.
The original Finch had a rolled aluminum end instead of a plastic or rubber end cap; the 2007 model uses an end cap to enhance barrel flex. The handle features Mizuno’s new cushioned grip with soft, raised ridges.
It available in 33”/21.5 oz, 32”/20.5 oz; 31”/19.5 oz and 30”/18.5 oz.
We hit the 33” model.
The -11.5 ounce bat is designed for smaller girls with less bat speed and who don’t usually hit for power. Still, the girls were impressed with how consistently well they were able to hit with the 33”/21.5 oz. model.
“The bat had really good pop to it,” said one tester. “I also liked the way I was able to place the ball from chalk line to chalk line,” said another. Further proof was voiced by a third tester: “The bat had a really good sweet spot. It helped me hit a lot of line drives at the ASA National Tournament … mostly I liked the pop of the bat and the number of line drives I hit.”
Mizuno’s unique grip – which was developed for fast pitch but has since found its way over to the slow pitch line – was appreciated by the girls as well. The raised, cushioned grip was commented on by nearly everybody, with comments like “I really enjoyed the grip of the bat and it did not hurt my hands at all,” and “The grip on the handle gave me some strength for holding the bat firmly.”
The Jennie Finch is made of a single wall of Japanese Banzai Aluminum in a bottle shape, making for a large sweet spot. It is designed for hitters who cannot or choose not to swing heavier $250 composite or multi-wall bats.
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