I bit the bullet and bought this for my son's sophomore high school season after he wouldn't stop talking about it. The price tag ($500!) honestly made me nauseous, but after seeing him hit with it for a few weeks, I kind of get the hype.
Compared to his old CatX, the ball just sounds different coming off this barrel. It has that distinctive composite "crack" rather than a "ping," and the exit velo is noticeably higher.
Pros:
Insane Pop: They aren't lying about the "In/Tense" carbon. The ball flies off this thing. Even on hits where he didn't quite barrel it up perfect, it still carried to the outfield gap.
Zero Vibration: My son says this is the smoothest swinging bat he's ever held. The collar connection really kills the sting on hand-ringers, which gives him way more confidence at the plate.
The Look: The "Sand Camo" paint job is clean. It stands out in the rack without looking too flashy or tacky.
Cons:
The Price: There is no getting around it—five hundred bucks is a car payment.
Durability Anxiety: Since it's a 2-piece composite, I am constantly terrified he's going to use it in a batting cage with dimpled balls (don't do that!) or use it when it's too cold out. We treat this thing like fine china.
Grip Tape: For a premium bat, the stock grip started peeling a little bit after just two weeks of heavy BP. We ended up re-taping it with Lizard Skin anyway, but still annoying.
Bottom Line: If you are looking for the absolute best performance advantage legal for high school play, this is it. It is arguably the hottest BBCOR bat available right now. Just make sure your kid knows not to use it in the cold or with cage balls, or you'll be crying over a $500 paperweight.
