Batreviews.com uses active players to hit these bats: slow pitch players include men and women, recreational league players and tournament players, and rated players of designations from B to E that are not contracted to swing any specific company’s product; fast pitch players include select or elite youth travel players, high school players, junior college players and coaches that are not contracted to swing any specific company’s product.
Bats are tested under three different conditions: in Batreviews.com-supervised hitting sessions using live pitching on open fields with marked dimensions; in normal team-supervised practices using either coach pitching or pitching machines; and in actual game situations, either league nights or tournament weekends, against opposing teams. Each player using the bats are asked to fill out survey sheets giving each bat a grade and explaining why they felt that grade was deserved. We use an average of 12 players hitting each bat a minimum of 36 times (some players don’t need many swings to know a bat; most need up to 72 swings). Their responses are then gathered and turned into these scores and reviews.
It isn’t possible to test all bats in the exact same conditions, but all Batreviews.com hitting is done in Central Texas or Southern California, never at altitude, and usually in 75-85 degree, dry weather. Results are not scientific, but are intended to give the reader real impressions of each bat by real softball players.
We use the DeMarini Razzo with an F1 Leather cover – a synthetic that uses a proprietary polymer blend for the exceptional tack and feel of top-grade leather, and the durability of a scuff-resistant polyurethane coating. This combination helps provide a greater launch angle and trajectory of the ball off the bat. Inside is a compression-controlled core that is calibrated for maximum distance. Wilson’s bat-friendly softball centers are designed to perform like a hard softball without denting high-performance bats. The Razzo has flat seams and comes in brilliant white or optic yellow. We hit the .44 COR and 375-lb. maximum compression version.
High compression balls exceed 525 lb. of compression at 72 degrees and carry a bat damage risk of medium-to-high; mid-compression balls are below 525 lb. of compression at 72 degrees and carry a bat damage risk of low; low-compression balls are below 375 lb. of compression and carry a bat damage risk of none. (Bat damage risk is figured under playing conditions of 72 degrees and a swing speed of 75 mph).
We use the Wilson SST Fastpitch Ball, designed for ASA and Junior Olympic girls ages 12-18. SST, or Super Seam Technology, is based on a patented design and manufacturing process that allows Wilson to make a seam 20% higher than those of traditional raised seam balls. The result is a ball that feels great and is easier to control. The Wilson SST has a compression-controlled center, formulated for optimal balance as well as durability. Wilson's Frequency-Matched Optic Yellow Leather is tuned to 550nm (wavelength) for maximum visibility to the human eye: the frequency range of light that the human eye is most sensitive to under low light and artificial lighting conditions is centered around 550nm. The 12-inch Wilson SST has a .47 COR and a compression of 375-lb. maximum.
