While baseball has been a sport that has long embraced tradition among many facets of the game, the equipment used in the field of play hasn’t exactly been following suit. We previously showed how you how ProXR is trying to change the way players grip the bat to give the batter a much better feel and now the Mako bat is here to maximize your power and bat speed with a new baseball bat that packs in a lot of technology to make you as good a hitter as your skills will take you.
Easton developed a new composite technology called Thermo Composite Technology (TCT) for the Mako. The Mako is a two piece composite. First, the TCT is more forgiving technology, reducing vibration in the handle and distributing all power into the ball upon impact, only found in the Mako. According to Dan Shepler, Product Manager at Baseball Express, a distributor of sporting goods and athletic equipment, footwear and apparel, the technology lengthens the barrel, making the sweet spot bigger, and reducing the moment of inertia (MOI). By reducing the MOI, the resistance is lowered when the bat is swung, enabling more speed throughout the swing.
With the Mako, Easton combines two of their best-selling bat series, Speed & XL. The Speed, or S, Series is designed for optimized bat speed, while the XL Series is designed for optimized power. Both series has three bats the first of each being a full composite, the second a half composite-half alloy, and the third a full alloy bat. Composite bats are advancements in technology, using the standard aluminum exterior as standard aluminum bats, but with a graphite wall inside. Alloy bats, even though there are different characteristics, they are simply made up of aluminum metals.
So far it seems the Mako is living up to the hype, as it has produced some very favorable results already. During the College World Series that pitted UCLA against Mississippi State, the bat had it’s coming out party. UCLA’s Eric Filla used the Mako throughout the entire postseason, resulting in a .360 batting average. The bat also accounted for 57% of the total plate appearances throughout the postseason. Coupled with the buzz it had already received prior to this appearance, the performance of Filla may have helped translate into sales.
“The bat hit the market in August and we got our first order in Mid-August”, says Shepler. “And we can’t keep them on the shelf”. When you take into account the price tag of $499.99, one of the more expensive products, this is truly remarkable. You get what you pay for, so it seems it is well worth it.
The bat is only used by amateurs, those who are not in Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball. This is mainly due to wooden bats being preserved for the “big leagues,” as there is only so much quality wood available for the production of these bats.
Easton isn’t the only brand with new technology. In addition to Easton, Baseball Express carries products from Demarini, Louisville Slugger, Rawlings, and Marucci. Rawlings will release their latest hi-tech bat, the Trio Endloaded Bat, in Spring 2014.
This product is a three-piece construction that incorporates two different materials, alloy and composite. The alloy is 5150, Rawlings’ most durable and highest quality alloy. The handle is composite, the barrel is alloy, and the end cap is composite. The end cap composite, much like the TCT technology in the Mako, reduces the MOI. All of these factors are responsible for distributing weight away from the barrel, making it feel lighter, resulting in the increase of speed in a batter’s swing.
Weight drops in bats assist with the swing as well. Weight drops are the difference between the bat’s length and weight. For example, if a bat is 31 inches, it weighs 28 ounces. In this particular case, it would be a drop three bat. The weight is distributed easily, the bat has more flexibility during the swing, and absorbs more vibration at the handle.
Improvements like these will promote more technology going forward. Companies will continue to develop their own technology much like Easton did with TCT and Rawlings did with their three-piece construction. These companies will face obstacles on certain platforms the way composite bats faced opposition from the NCAA in 2009, when 20 of 25 bats failed the Ball Exit Speed Ratio test, and when the Little League World Series placed a moratorium on them citing player safety issues.
These issues, notwithstanding, the future is exciting for the batting aspect of amateur baseball. Outside, of double plays and fantastic catches, home runs and base hits, especially those that drive in runs, are must see. The technology incorporated into these bats will be responsible for more of those moments. Keep that in mind next time you attend a little league game or college game. There are some real athletes on that field, but always remember they got a little help in that swing. The legal way.