****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
Read a ton of reviews from a ton of bats here. Maybe should have gone to my local shop. Didn't think a metal alloy bat could break that easily but this broke in under a month under limited use. Something came loose inside. My son liked it initially and had a few hits that popped so we're getting a replacement and hoping for the best. These things are too expensive to be breaking so easily.Grandson loves it!!Asked them to send a new replacement something is loose inside the bat awaiting a response . Purchased this in January to have as our son grew which he has . We just unboxed it and found this problem .Had the bat less than 2 months and something internal broke and is loose inside the bat would not recommend!Didn't last 4 games for my 6 year old machine pitch. total trashThat it didn’t hold up for more than a month.I have mixed feelings about this bat. The -11 drop is a decent slightly lighter drop weight in the 28" length for younger/smaller kids who are moving into a 28" length, but a lot of kids who are swinging that length (it is a good length for a lot of 8-9 year olds) are ready for a -10 drop and there are many really good -10 bats out there to choose from, so this specific configuration may not be right for average to larger kids in their age group who are capable of correctly swinging a -10 drop bat. That said, if your kid is a candidate for a -11 bat and you want a one-piece aluminum, this bat is a pretty good option. It is similar to the Easton Beast series from a couple of years ago, which came in a variety of drop weights. A bat like this is not my favorite USA bat on the market, but the best USA bats that I have seen are 2-piece composite or hybrid options with an MSRP of around $300-$350 (although if you are a good bargain shopper you can find them for significantly cheaper, particularly if you find one in the prior year's model after the new versions come out and the prior versions get discounted). However, it is understandable that many people aren't going to spend the money on the highest quality bat and need something less expensive or they may have a player who prefers a one-piece aluminum bat. If that is the case, this is a good bat. It is reasonably hot out of the wrapper, but doesn't perform quite as well as some -10 two piece bats that my kids and other players who I have coached have used.My biggest issue with this bat is the price point. For an aluminum 1 piece USA bat, the price seems a bit high. The Easton Beast from a few years ago had a similar MSRP and it was a great bat, and similar options from brands like Louisville Slugger (this bat is probably most similar to the LS Solo) also sell at a similar price point. That said, if I'm going to pay around $160 for a bat, I would personally choose to find a prior model year's bat on discount. If you can get this bat discounted for closer to $120 or less, then it becomes a much more attractive option, in my opinion.For the price of this great bat, the wrap -- could have been done MUCH better. I have some wrap tape at home and will rectify this mistake -- it's distracting, for sure, when I go and grab it and my finger hits the partial end instead of getting a smooth feel. I instinctively try to compensate and that's not a good thing when the pitch, the swing, the rhythm are much more important than this distraction.HOWEVER, this IS a good bat, a great bat and the heft and the power in it are impressive!! It took me a while to get used to the rhythm of the swing as compared to the size and weight of the bat but once I did -- I was popping high flies and smiling. The whole bat is basically a sweet spot, as the big barrel is not only imposing but very effective.So, the price -- could have factored in a better wrap when this bat was being assembled. Other than that the price is not surprising, as I have other bats that cost about as much.
