UPDATED 5/06/08 All the facts here were put together by my own research and from years of playing experience. I do not think that this guide will choose the perfect bat for you, but it most definately will be a starting point that can help you to find the right bat. If you want to skip through, my personal evaluations on several individual models of bats are at the end. Hope it helps someone. If you like the guide, PLEASE remember to rate it at the end of the page - if you dont like it, let me know what I can do to improve it.

RULES

• Research your leagues banned bat list
• Since the start of the new "speed limits" (ASA 98mph - USSSA 120mph) every league has a banned bat list. Some of these lists are exact copies of the national list, some are not (usually more bats may be listed at the league level).
• Nothing hurts worse then buying a 250.00 "dream bat" only to find out that your league has banned it while at the national level it is still accepted.
• NEW ASA RULES REGARDING GRANDFATHERED BATS TAKE EFFECT ON 1/1/08
• These rules are going to make the FREAK and several of the older PST models illegal for the 2008 season and beyond. So if you have purchased on of these models recently - be sure to get all of the use you can out of it!!
• Of course, for now anyway, USSSA and NSA do not have that rule, so those bats becoming illegal soon will still be playable in those leagues.

SIZING

• Unlike baseball, sizing a softball bat is not that big of an issue, as most are 34 inches in length.
• A smaller framed player, may want to look at FASTPITCH bats if a smaller sized bat is needed. Though choking up on a 34 inch bat will achieve the same results for most players.
• One problem with choosing a fastpitch bat for slowpitch game play, is that the bat is not as lively as a regular slowpitch bat.

WEIGHT

• Like sizing, weights are are also easier to figure out - to a point - with the weights of 26 ounce, 28 ounce and 30 ounce being the most readily available in almost all models.
• Here is where the choices become a little more difficult. I know some very large folks that play at a semi-professional level (some of these guys I used to play with) that swear a lighter bat will increase your bat speed (usually alot of strength involved).
• I know some other more average sized individuals that will swear to using a heavier bat helps them achieve a faster bat speed (using the laws of inertia - heavier object propeled at speed will go faster then lighter object)
• My own personal observation is concentrated on where the weight is located WITHIN the bat. I have found that an END-LOADED bat increases my bat speed over the same weight of bat that is considered to be BALANCED.
• The best advice I can offer here is to go to your local sporting goods store and get a FEEL for the weights, it really doesn't matter the brand right now just the weight. Once you have a feel for the proper weight, you can fine tune your purchase with balanced vs. end-load and brand etc.
• After doing some research on the subject, I have found a good site on physics that can really help, unfortunately Ebay won't let me put links to outside sites in this guide. So, just drop me an email and I will send it out to you or you can try googling SOFTBALL PHYSICS.
• It is not as scary as it sounds, though I do have a college education, my majors were in law enforcement and history, never been good at math. This guy does a great job of explaining things and has some great examples.

END-LOAD VS. BALANCED

• A couple of simple rules here, OK opinons, if you are swinging for the fences an end-loaded bat is for you, ESPECIALLY if you can pull the ball (right handed batter hits to left field or down third base line). If you are swinging to get on base, a balanced bat makes more sense since you can "push" or "place" the ball a little easier.
• Don't get me wrong, placing a ball CAN be done with end-loaded bats, just as hitting one over the fence CAN be done with a balanced bat. But this is done with practice.

DOUBLE WALL vs. SINGLE WALL

• The double wall softball bat has, I believe, become the standard for most softball players and for good reasons. The most important being the trampoline effect is greatly increased over the single wall bats.
• Double wall bats have come a long way in durability since the days of the original Demarini and most bats available today rival that of thick single walled bats of old.
• Personally, I don't believe that you can be a competitive distance hitter with out double wall technology, unless of course you are in a single wall league.
• AGAIN, I have hit 320ft home runs with single walled bats, however it was with the PERFECT pitch, perfect swing, etc. the double wall will hit farther with more consistancy.

COMPOSITES vs ALUMINUM vs HYBRIDS

• The materials used in the manufacture of bats has certainly changed alot over the years, from something that reseambled steel (actually just heavy aluminum) to todays materials that include carbon fiber and even titanium. Since I am not a scientist, I cant go into great detail about the materials other then to offer the following opinons.
• COMPOSITES - there can be durability issues here, most are as strong as aluminum untill the temp drops and they become a bit more fragile (the ball can becomes harder and heavier if it gets damp and colder). Not to mention day to day use, like when the opposing teams catcher throws your 250.00 bat into the fence, or your team mate throws it back towards the dugout. The scratches and scrapes can become gouges.
• Though they have improved, thay are still suspect when used below the rated ambient temps (and when was the last time you checked the temp before going to a league game at 9:00pm?)
• ALUMINUM - Less issues with durability (consider that the PST has a 2 year warranty), even during cooler weather. But the ones that can compete with the composites are so thin, that the possibility of denting when hitting a wet/cold ball are greatly increased.
• HYBRIDS - I consider a hybrid to be something that combines the above two materials. While the durability is there, there can still be a few problems - like the composite part breaking under force etc.
• THE MOST IMPORTANT PART IN MATERIALS IS THE LENGTH AND DETAILS OF THE MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY. NO MATTER WHAT MATERIAL YOU CHOOSE, THE POSSIBILITY OF BREAKAGE IS ALWAYS PRESENT - BE SURE YOU CAN COMPLY WITH THE MANUFACTURERS RETURN POLICY BEFORE YOU PURCHASE THEIR BAT!!

MY PERSONNAL BAT REVIEWS

• A couple of things to consider here, 1st - I am 6ft 5in tall and weigh in at 280lbs 2nd - I have played softball for over 20 years both at competetive and league levels, lastly - these are my own personal opinons of bats that I have owned or borrowed from other players and used in games.
• DEMARINI
• F-2 30 ounce - A decent bat for USSSA play, did not get the same results with ASA balls. I have used three versions of this bat (model years) and while I found the first production run to be the hottest, it also seemed to have the smallest sweetspot. The composite handle combined with the aluminum barrel provides some extra flex, but requires some practice to master timing wise.
• Overall I would rate this bat an 8 for most play - there are issues with durability (I have snapped two of them by mis-hitting the ball) and the POP, seems to fade with time.

• VENNOM/VEXXUM 30 ounce- I played a couple of seasons in a single wall league and had great success with this bat - though again, the composite handle took some time to get used to. I didn't break any of these though!!
• Overall, I would rate this bat an 8 also, unless you are playing in a single wall league - then give it a 10. I rate it lower for normal leagues, due to it being a single wall bat in a double wall world.

• 375MX 30 ounce- Hyped as the Demarini answer to the ASA mushballs, and admitedly it did perform well - so well in fact that about half of my team (actually everyone on BOTH teams eventually used it at least once) started using the bat. Over TIME, it did seem to lose some POP, but you cant return a bat unless it is BROKEN, not just worn out.
• Overall, I would rate this bat a 9. When you consider I played for two different teams in Spring, Summer and Fall leagues, plus pick up games, this bat picked up ALOT of use over a year and a half. So, I have to consider it pretty durable and the lack of POP is reasonable.

• DARK 30 ounce- I really enjoyed this particular bat, it still required the practice to master the timing - but it was worth it. I used this bat during two seasons of USSSA play, loved the bat disliked that particular league (mainly due to travel time) so I sold it at the end of my second and last season. Had I continued playing in this particular league it would have definately been a keeper. With a great, large, sweet spot and neat graphics - it was a great bat.
• Overall I would rate this bat a 9. It does not get a 10 due to it feels like a balanced bat and others I have spoken with have had some of the same problems with the bat snapping at the handle - like my problems with the F-2.

• ULTIMATE WEAPON 31ounce- One of my first bats when I started playing in Colorado, cost 79.00 at the local sporting goods store. It was a heavy monster that was inexpensive and had great pop. Oddly enough, it is also a bat that developed a flat spot within a year - of course I also used it at the local batting cage ALOT (remember balls get heavier in damp/cold conditions, add that to ambient temps being in the 40's - well you get the picture)
• Overall, I would give this bat an 8. Mainly due to the single wall, but also due to the durability issues (I did use it alot at the batting cages - not advised!!), might be higher rated if using it for a single wall league.

• ANDERSON
• ROCKET TECH 29, 30 AND 32 ounce- Great bats, though they feel alot more BALANCED then END-LOADED untill you get to the 30ounce (and above) models. The sweetspot is fairly large and it is easy to swing. Durability has not been an issue for me with this model, I have used it in below 40 degree temps at night and noticed no failures. The 32 ounce is my favorite and it sees alot of use.
• Overall, I would rate this bat a 9. It is one of only a handfull of bats that, in my opinon, competes favorably with the more popular composites (scratches are usually in the paint and not in the bats materials).

• ROCKET TECH CK 30, 32 ounce- I honestly noticed NO difference in this model and the older model above when using the ASA mushballs - except the 30 ounce did have an issue with the inner shell coming loose after only six games - Anderson did replace it, but it took close to four months.
• Overall, I would rate this bat as a 5. The main reason is that I truely believe that the older models perform better then the newer ones - never take a step back.

• TECHZILLA 31 ounce- Great sweet spot, I even got a 290+ foot shot off the handle (just where the handle meets the barrel). Bat has been used by several people on the team and seems indestructable. Another aluminum bat that can compete with composites and is ALOT less expensive (this particular bat was purchased on Ebay for 78.00 shipping included).
• Overall I would rate this bat a 9. Solid durability and large sweetspot!!

• WORTH
• PST (black and gold) Long shell 30 ounce - I may have been expecting alot more from this bat then it could have ever given. When the time came that I could afford one, I bought one and was severly dissapointed. Swings like a balanced bat and has a very small spot (for my particular bat - somewhere between the P and the S) Though it has the best warranty in the business, it is durable enough you may never need it.
• Overall, I would rate it at around a 7. Though durability is the best out there, I could never get the sweetspot to get any larger, It is definately a LOVE it or HATE it bat and opinons vary - the guy I sold mine to LOVES it, so much in fact he sold the rest of his bats.

• PST (newer model - MAX silver/red/white) long shell 30 ounce- Thought that the newer model might be different - I was wrong, same problems as the above model and same rating.

• PST (Newer model - BLUE AND SILVER) 30 ounce- I had a friend that allowed me to use this particular bat for a few weeks, in hopes that I would buy it from him, I was a little surprised. I found it to have a much larger sweet spot then its previous versions, but it did not seem to have the same pop the earlier models had (when you found their sweetspot) and may be due to the ASA 98mph regulations.
• Overall, I would rate this bat an 8. Due to the larger sweet spot.

• 3DX 30 0unce - Another borrowed bat (for about two weeks and 6 games) I was surprised with its performance, and liked it enough to consider purchasing one. I think it had more pop then the PST models and a much larger sweetspot. Funding has kept from buying anything new right now, but will probably find one before the Summer season is over this year (2006)
• Overall, I would rate this bat a 9. Due to the sweet spot and affordability, durability is not much of an issue, the one I borrowed was two years old and worked well - the owner still uses it.
• 3DX 28 ounce 2005 model - I purchased this bat NIW off of Ebay at the beginning of Fall. It took a alot of work to get broken in, but it finally seems to have "made" it. I have had several other players also use this bat and while it shows promise at times, it does not perform as consistantly as the older model I used above (2003 I believe).
• I would give this one a rating of 8 - Just doesn't work as well as the older models. 

• 2006 PST Search and Destroy 98 28 ounce - OK, so I broke down and bought one, finally. Got an excellent deal here on Ebay (210.00 w/shipping) still probably would not spend over 300.00 on one, but I am glad that I purchased this one. The pop was fantastic!!! The sweet spot was also much larger then any of the previous versions I had tried. The one draw-back is the finish - after only two games it started to chip. While this is somewhat of a bummer, because the graphics are pretty cool, it did not have any effect on the bats performance.
• Overall I am rating this bat a 9.5 due to the larger sweet spot, and legendary durability.

• MIKEN
• Old school FREAK 30 ounce- A true monster composite bat. The end-loaded feel is absolutely the GREATEST out there. Unfortunately it does have some durbility issues that are present in almost all composites. I paid 260.00 for mine brand new in the wrapper (and to think folks are paying 350.00+ for the same bat). It lasted through one Spring, Summer and Fall season, then at the beginning of the next Spring season I broke it. While it was in one peice, it was pretty awesome. I could easily hit over the fence to the opposite field ON COMMAND! When it was returned (the fastest turnaround I have ever experienced) it was replaced with a 30 ounce FREAK 98 (next rating).
• I have to rate this bat a 10, though I did break it, it is the risk you take with any composite bat.
• Another fact to take into consideration if you are playing ASA ball, THIS BAT WILL NO LONGER BE LEGAL AFTER THIS YEAR (2007) IT, ALONG WITH SEVERAL OF THE OLDER PSTs WILL BE TAKEN FROM THE GRANDFATHERED LIST AND ADDED TO THE BANNED LIST (see the ASA web-site for a complete listing of bats being "un-grandfathered")

• FREAK 98 30 ounce- A great replacement for the old school Freak, it seems to have a heavier end-load then the original and that could be why I didn't notice that big a difference in the two models.
• Another 10 - especially when you consider the price differences involved (sorry, NO WAY I would pay 300.00+ for a bat that will get me a different model if returned)

• CAMO 484 28 oz (added 5/04/08) Purchased on Ebay for 140.00 (shipping included) used for a Fall season in 2007. I ended up buying another one for Fall league this year, but due to injury, I sold it.
• rated this bat a 9 but I expected alot LESS!! Taking less then 75 solid hits to break in was great and it and the graphics were SOLID (who wants to use the same bat as everyone else??) I would have rated the 484 equal to the freak98, but several people seem to think I am biased towards Miken (I am not!!!!LOL!!! - matter of fact, ask any of the 500+ people that have contacted me asking for help) so I did find a couple of things I didn't like.
• The graphics chipped after a couple of months of careless catchers throwing it out of the way (only at the end of the barrel though)
• Hitting a ball off the handle did not give as good results as the Freak98

• MIKEN RECOIL 180 +250 28oz (added 5/04/08) I did not buy these bats but did get the chance to test them with some extended batting practice and the local Miken rep (THANKS Bro!!). I participated in the test along with 6 other people from one of the teams I play with. We used the bats 3 times in a week, according to the rep each bat had about 50 hits when we got them. Each day was about noon in Feb and between 55-65 degrees.
• 180 - For me,  rated this bat a 7.5 - I had the same problems with this bat as I have with other high-flex handle bats hitting some solid grounders, but not much for distance (1 over the fence out of about 100 pitches) but it seemed I was hitting the sweet spot fairly well. Other guys with slower swing speeds were getting some great distance, so it is an equalizer for sure.
• 250 - has a MUCH stiffer handle, and as expected, I hit alot more over the fence which made things ALOT more enjoyable for me!! I give this bat a 9. I was a little disappointed in the size of the sweetspot, it seems the longer barrel should give a larger sweet spot, but it seemed to range pretty close to all mikens I have tried (about 2 inches from the top of the barrel and runs about six inches)
• In the bats defense, it may get larger as the bat gets looser.
• Would I spend over 300.00 on one, uh???? NO!!!!!!!!!!!! But then, that is why I shop for most everything on Ebay - LOL, I am CHEAP (not to mention, my loving wife might chop my head off with a dull ax while I slept)

• RAWLINGS
• PLASMA 98 30 ounce - I actually purchased this bat in September of 2005, but I wanted to really use it before I added it to this list. I have used it enough now to rate it. I purchased the bat mainly because Worth (makers of the PST) purchased Rawlings (not to long afterwards, Worth was purchased or joined up with another company) and the Rawlings products have improved because of this. This particular bat is more balanced then I normally prefer BUT it does have a great "sweet" spot. Durability is not an issue due to the 18 month warranty and yes I have used it sub 40 degree weather.
• I am rating this bat a 9 - due to the warranty and the fact that it out-hits all of the PSTs I have tried. I would like it to have a bit more of an end-loaded feel, but it is nice for a balanced bat with a great sweet spot.

• COMBAT (added 3/9/07)
• COMBAT B198 30EL ounce - I purchased this bat slightly used here off of Ebay in May of 2006 for about 110.00 with shipping. I used it through the summer and into Fall, the end load feels similar to the Freak 98 and it feels pretty good in my hands.
• I am rating this bat an 8.5 - mainly it gets a lower rating due to it being a true composite bat that needs 200 to 250 solid hits to break it in. Right out of the wrapper, it must feel like a 2x4, because my used one was not much better. After several trips to the cages and alot of pitched batting practice, I could really feel the difference. It has become alot looser and the ball travels well. So if your interested, and have the time to break it in, it is well worth it.
• COMBAT ANTI-VIRUS 28OZ FEL (added 5/2/08) - I purchased this bat in December 2006 (Dec., Jan. and Feb are great times to get bats on Ebay by the way!!) for 160.00 shipping included brand new and no blem (though after using this one, I did purchase a BLEM bat of the same model to be used as a team bat)
• I am rating this bat a 9.5 - a full point higher then then the B198 because I went yard (measured close to 340 feet) THE FIRST TIME I USED IT!! The bat was not rolled, hammered or any way altered - matter of fact, I took the wrapper of in the dug-out. This was a great performer through the entire year, I was having such a good time with it that everyone wanted to use it - since it is a composite, I was wary of the amount of use and purchased a blem model that 7 members of the team still use TODAY (should speak VOLUMES for the durability of this bat!!)
• A word on the BLEM - it was a painting/printing error on the graphics the A in anti-virus was smugged a bit. These can usually be found for a decent price and are a good deal.

WHATEVER BAT, or in my case, BATS THAT YOU END UP WITH, BE SURE TO PRACTICE WITH IT.

If you have any questions, you can try the normal way, BUT, because of wierd Ebay rules (whoever heard of allowing someone to write a guide and not answer questions????) I will need a direct email to respond to or leave the box at the bottom (hide my email address) UNCHEKED. This is if your going to want a detailed answer (i.e., why I am choosing a certain bat brand or type, etc)