With the 2016 Maxum getting rave reviews, many people are wondering how Combat’s Portent G3 measures up. We keep getting asked where it fits in, with the all black Portent and orange Wanted one year behind them and the Maxum one year ahead, where does this bat fit in? We put one to use, and here’s what we found.
First Impressions
An absolutely cool looking bat. Shiny jet black with silver and white tribal graphics and logos, Combat uses different color Lizard Skins grips with matching endcaps and accents to differentiate the different models and drop weights.
Material/Design
1-piece composite.
Weight/Size
Size tested was a 30/22 (-8). Actual weight was 21.9 oz. Once again Combat nails their bat weights, and the dead on actual weight combined with the extremely balanced swing weight makes this bat extremely easy to get around. A perfect bat for boys looking to move down in drop weight as well as those who’ve already made the move to -8, Any accomplished travel level hitter should be able to handle this bat.
Barrel/profile
Just like the -8 Portent models before it, this bat has a very long barrel and gives hitters a lot of square footage to barrel one up. I always find it amazing how Combat gives hitters at least as barrel as you’ll find on an XL1, but also has such a balanced swing weight.
Grip
When you give a bat a factory Lizard Skins grip, you’re doing it right. Many of our hitters put a Lizard Skins grip on all of their bats anyway, so putting one on at the factory saves you the $10 and the hassle of putting one on yourself. No flare at the handle, but a knob cuff easily fixes that if desired.
Performance
Outstanding, very similar to the B4 Portent and black Portent before it. Balanced swing weight combined with a very long barrel has been Combat’s keys to their previous success, and this bat does not deviate or disappoint. Well struck balls give you that telltale Combat ‘crack’, and distance on those well struck balls is excellent. Due to the long barrel even inside pitches off the hands can still be sent for base hits, which is especially beneficial to young hitters learning to handle tougher travel level pitching. We spent a couple of days doing some tee work, soft toss, and light BP before gaming ours, and everyone who swung it on gameday said it felt game ready. This bat seems to follow in the footsteps of the B4 and Portent, in that it’s quickly game ready once unwrapped.
Durability
Several hundred contacts on ours, and just the usual scrapes, scuffs, and ball marks. Black gloss paint is holding up well, although it has lost that new out-of-the-wrapper look.
Overall
Basically, everything we’ve always liked about Combat bats can be found here. Balanced swing weight, accurate actual weight, long barrel, and great performance are what you get with this bat. If you’ve been a fan of previous Combat models like the green B3, B4 Portent, black Portent, or Wanted, you’ll definitely like the G3 as well. If you’ve got a young hitter who wants/needs to move down from a big drop weight bat like a -10/-12, I can’t think of a better option than the Combat G3.
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