First Impressions<\/h2>\n

Great-looking bat. Kind of a teal blue color with black logos and accents, the design is very simple and uses a color that has not already been used to death in the high end bat world. The grip uses the same 2-tone teal and black motif, and ties in great with the rest of the bat. All our hitters who checked it out, had the design and colors as a big win.previous model Combats).<\/p>\n

Material\/Design<\/h2>\n

2-piece composite handle\/alloy barrel hybrid.<\/p>\n

Weight<\/h2>\n

Weight tested was a 31\/26 (-5). Actual weight\u2026 26.3 oz.<\/p>\n

Swing Weight<\/h2>\n

Incredibly balanced, and insanely easy to swing for a -5. This would make a great choice for any hitter making the transition to a -5, and no problem for any good travel ball hitter to get around.<\/p>\n

Barrel\/Profile<\/h2>\n

Extended barrel bat, very similar to the profile of a DeMarini VooDoo or CF6. Plenty of barrel available to make quality contacts, and the connection piece is far enough down the bat to not interfere with those contacts.<\/p>\n

Grip<\/h2>\n

Super comfortable factory grip, feels very similar to the Lizard Skins 1.1 mm grip that many of our hitters favor. Always nice when a company selling a premium bat takes the initiative to install a premium grip on it, and our hitter\u2019s hands stayed happy no matter how many swings they took with it. Because of the Axe handle technology on the bat, the handle conforms to the hand so absolutely no need for a knob cuff or to build up the grip at the knob.<\/p>\n

Axe knob technology<\/h3>\n

This is something I thought I must add, as that\u2019s what makes this bat (and all Axe bats) unique. Now I\u2019m not just going to repeat what you can read on Axe\u2019s website about the Axe handle benefits and how it protects the hamate bone, as I thought it far more beneficial to tell you what our hitter\u2019s thought about the Axe handle simply from swinging it rather than just repeat what you can read elsewhere. Most every single hitter who swung this bat said that the Axe handle made this bat quite possibly the most comfortable bat they\u2019ve ever swung, and not a single one said that it felt the least bit awkward. It\u2019s quite amazing how the bat just seems to fit your bottom hand, and it doesn\u2019t feel completely different than grabbing a tennis racquet handle in exactly your size. The Axe handle doesn\u2019t just feel like it fits in your bottom hand perfectly, it also gives you the feel of pinky wrapping\/dropping without having to do so and lets you get through your entire swing (through follow through) without ever having the knob interfere with your swing.<\/p>\n

Length and Swing Side<\/h3>\n

Because of the design of the Axe handle you might want to consider moving up in bat length by 1\u201d, as our 31\u201d swung more like a 30.5\u201d (don\u2019t worry about the extra ounce of bat weight, as this bat is so balanced it\u2019s extremely unlikely that you\u2019ll ever notice it). Also, because you don\u2019t rotate the bat like we\u2019re used to with other composites and alloys, this bat is designed to be hit on one side. It\u2019s another concept that may sound foreign to some, but for the guys who are used to swinging wood (always with the label up, as to make sure that we hit on the edge of the grain), this is certainly nothing new.<\/p>\n