DeMarini CF5 Youth Baseball Bat: DXCFL
Features
-11 Length to Weight Ratio
2 1/4 Inch Barrel Diameter
Free Shipping!
Full Twelve (12) Month Manufacturer's Warranty
TR3 Strut Composite
Geo Endcap
Half and Half Technology Makes YOU Stronger
Doublewall Barrel
Geo Knob
Approved for Play in Little League, Babe Ruth, Dixie, Pony, AABC, and USSSA
Description
Reviews
Average Ratings Based on 147 Customer Reviews
Pros: This bat is amazing. i just got it and it was launching the ball right away when in got it.I love the look and the feel. no sting at all and great pop. wish every bat could be just like it.
Cons: none
Pros: Hands down an amazing bat. my team took batting practice with an omen, cf4 (original), cf4 st, and the cf5 and the cf5 just blew away all of the other bats
Cons: none
Pros: Bat is growing on my son. Was a little unsure at first but was throwing synthetic balls. Switched to real leather balls and they started flying off his new CF5. Our first composite bat, so can't compare it to any others, but it seems to have a lot of pop. You have to swing it right, though, if you want the ball to go. Feels great when he hits it on the screws. Swing it normal and let the bat work.
Cons: Sting ranges from very mild to nearly painful on mishits.
Pros: OUTSTANDING bat! Large barrel (sweet spot), good balance, and GREAT pop. Very forgiving on off-center hits and amazing "wow" factor when hitting it on the screws. This bat is for better hitters and NOT for the "average" Little Leaguer. A strong aggressive hitter with a powerful swing (base hits or extra bases) will really like this bat. Sounds like wood rather than composite. Great job DeMarini!
Cons: None!
Pros: Really great balance and pop! Like the grip, and it has a really cool sound! Think it's going to be REALLY durable.
Cons: Takes a LONG time to break in. Don't give up on this baby right away because it doesn't have incredible pop out of the wrapper. This is high quality composite used on this bat, so give it plenty of time to open up. You won't regret it!!!
Pros: HAS A LOT of pop, if you hit it on the barrel it will go 400ft!, so buy it
Cons: when u hit it on the handle it feels like you broke your wrist! it not better than the cf4
Pros: If you hit the sweetspot, you won't feel a thing and it will go far, only very little swing.
Cons: cf4 is much better, hurts a lot if you miss the sweetspot, less pop than the cf4 or cf3
Pros: Good bat with nice pop out of the wrapper. Some of the bigger kids on the team have had great at bats with it.
Cons: This bat is heavier or feels heavier than it is. We ordered a 28/18 and it swings like a 28/19 or 28/20. It is to heavy for my son so we had to get a diffrent bat.
Pros: Consistent power, good weight to lenth ratio, easy to handle
Cons: None
Pros: To start were talking about old 8 and 9 year old kids swinging this bat. It is unbelievable straight out of the wrapper. 2 kids have the CF4's and didn't pick their bats up during hitting practice. The sure amount of force/speed that balls come of this bat is a little scary. Once this bat is broken in I expect going back to back county champions want be hard.
Cons: I just recently purchased a CF5 31/20 for my child. Being a QA Manager I have access to numerous analytical balances. Once I weighted this Demerini it was a full 2 ounces over. I placed a call to customer service and had a new replacement bat lying on my front porch less than 24hrs after placing the call, that's less than 2 grams off the 20oz's. It can't get any better than that. Thanks, Thomasville, NC
Pros: has great pop and a huge sweet spot you dont even have to hit it on the sweet spot to hit one deep only used it in 3 games and got 8 hits in 9 at bats
Cons: marks easy and takes time to break in
Pros: After breaking in this bat, I'll agree with another review. The speed the ball comes off this bat is scary good! I'll also agree with other reviews that it takes a long time to break in. May not impress at first but this bat hits crushing bombs if you stay with it.
Cons: Better hit it on the screws if you don't want negative, stinging feedback.
Pros: This bat is very good, high quality composite! Is it better than the CF4? No, but very close. The pop of the bat is incredible, if you hit an upper cut it WILL go far in the out field, a line drive swing for a big kid will most of the time go over on a say 200 ft. field. Get this bat it is deffinetly worth the money. If you are a 8/9 yr old this bat is not for you, this bat takes muscle.
Cons: If you are used to swinging a 17/18 ounce bat it takes time to get used to. Takes a long time to break in but it is better the most bats from the start.
Pros: Outstanding bat! This bat is not for everyone, but if you're a quality hitter who's got the muscle to swing it, you will love it!! Balance is more toward the middle, barrel is huge, sweet spot is generouse. Absolutely AMAZING pop when hit on the screws. Ball flys off this bat. Recommend demoing this bat before buying to see if it is for you. The kind of bat a 3-5 hitter in the line-up would love
Cons:
Pros: This bat has a great balanced feel and the ball just jumps off of the barrel. It has a solid feel and sound. This is probably the best bat my son has used so far in terms of small barrell models. He loved his old CF4, but says he likes this one better.
Cons: None Yet
Pros: Great bat.Large sweetspot good pop off any part of the bat
Cons: Everyone wants to use it
Pros: light weight, durable, and great pop.
Cons: none
Pros: Bought it for my son last fall & not quite broken in, but you can tell it's getting there. Bat has great balance & feel; my son's a good hitter & doesn't like the big barrel's; balls jump off of this bat. Love the Demarini line (moved up from the Black Voodoo to the CF5.)
Cons: Like any composite bat, the CF5 has to be broken in. Anybody that says this bat lacks pop doesn't know how to break-in composites.
Pros:
Cons: Demarini has very poor customer service. They won't stand behind their product and do whatever it takes to keep from taking care of their customer. Wouldn't use them again for nothing.
Pros: Looks better than it is.
Cons: I got this bat for my son and we got it with high expectaions. After he used it in a few tournaments we realized it had NO pop and a average barrel size. If your a contact hitter you will NOT like this bat.
Pros: Its just awesome
Cons:
Pros: The design is beautiful, the grip is comfortable and it has great pop. The ball just flies when you make contact.
Cons: Why would there be any?
Pros: great power, hits liners and has great grip
Cons:
Pros: nothing
Cons: worst bat ever was expecting little and got even worse
Pros: I really liked this bat, it has great pop, feel and sound. The ball really flies off the bat.
Cons: Kind of stings your first few hits. But otherwise nothing.
Pros: I have to believe that all the negative reviews are from folks that unwrapped the bat, hit a few balls, didn't like it, returned it, and then bashed it on the internet. We don't have any experience with a CF4, but if it's any better than the CF5 I would have to see it to believe it. The pop this bat has after broken in is unbelievable. I don't think anybody would hit check-swing homers with the CF5, but a proper swing on a good pitch equals a crushed ball.
Cons: Takes a very long time to break it, but my son doesn't complain about hitting baseballs. Now he sees it was worth it.
Pros: WOW factor styling and loaded with unlimited power. The advanced larger sized youths (12 and higher) will be able to slam homers all day long.
Cons: The unlimited power not only comes from the technology but the weight. My 11 yr old uses a 31/19 hybrid and has many homers under his belt. He just purchased the CF5 in the 31/20 size. Now he has many strikeouts under his belt. The bat is listed as 20 ounces but really weighs 22.6 ounces. HUGE jump up for someone using a 19 ounce bat. I called DeMarini and they said the bat is weighed before stickers, paint and knob. They act like a listed 20 ounce bat weighing an extra 2.6 ounces wasn't a big deal. Heard about this issue before...should have paid more attention to that detail and not its awesome power.
Pros: Grea POP
Cons: A bit heavy
Pros: Tons of pop!!!!!!!!!!
Cons: Nothin
Pros: great
Cons: great
Pros: This bat has great pop. You can see the ball jump off of this bat. I recommend this bat for your child. It is end loaded so be ready for that.
Cons: Price. But like they say you get what you pay for.
Pros: My son got to keep it, even though teamed payed for it. GREAT pop,beautiful weight, nice grip, all around great bat
Cons: noffing!
Pros: it stinks
Cons: this bat stinks please do not waste your money on it. I got it thinking it would be a new and improved cf4 which is pretty good but it is not it is the exact opposite. It has no pop at all.
Pros: my friend has this bat and it is amazing, and i ordered one off of justbats.com cant wait
Cons:
Pros: Just bought this bat for my son and he loves it! It's a little stiff at first but once you break it in it has great pop. the other day at practice he hit a line drive homerun the ball just kept going and he just turned 11.
Cons: none as of yet
Pros: This bat is awesome! My eleven year-old was hitting balls just shy of the fence both last year and at the start of this year. First game with this bet, he hit two awesome home runs! The ball really leaps off the bat.
Cons: None
Pros: Its a great bat I hit a line drive about 150 feet right out of the wrapper
Cons: None
Pros: this bat is sweet.the looks,pop,and feel.this bat is a little heavy for little guys .i went from hitting ground balls to hard lindrives and homeruns its the best bat ever
Cons: the only cause is that its a little heavy but i got used to it
Pros: gr8
Cons:
Pros: None!
Cons: No pop took 2 months of breaking in before the ball would go anywhere. Newer CF4 is much better because it has ridicules pop and i hit a home run off the handle
Pros: The end weighting of the bat does provide good power.
Cons: Purchased 31/18. The weight is definitely an issue. My son complained that it was heavy and by looking at his swing it looked off. I also had the bat weighed with a calibrated scale and it came in at 22.1 ounces. Trying to get in touch with DeMarini. Son was swinging an 18 ounce and going to a 22 ounce is a 22% increase which is substantial and the fact that it is not monitored in unacceptable. I'll update this post after contacting DeMarini.
Pros: Pretty
Cons: No pop, heard it takes a while to break in but i've had the bat for months now, played in numerous games and tournaments and there is no change, solid contacts results only into a routine fly ball or ground out, was hoping it'd be more like the cf4 but i beg to differ.
Pros: Great pop, good bat for hitters that swing the bat correctly, hit on the sweet spot and bam it goes flying
Cons: None
Pros: this bat is one of the best bat out there.the ball flies off the bat.You should break in the bat before using in a game.
Cons:
Pros: Like I said before, the bat does perform well.
Cons: Left a message with DeMarini Customer Service and they called me back the same day. They said their bat weights are based on the swing weight and not the measured weight. I had to push for them to understand that this was an issue many consumers are not aware of and that they should make that point clear. They said a 22.1 oz. bat should feel like a 20 oz. bat when swinging. In theory that sounds good but wasn't true. They offered to replace the bat but that would qualify as our 1 time replacement under the warranty. I asked for a 30/19 in place of the originally purchased 31/20 since it was a Christmas gift and my son hasn't put on the height I expected so the 30 in. length is fine. I've always bought and used Easton bats and this being my first experience with DeMarini I doubt we'll buy another. I've had trouble with an Easton bat once and Easton bent over backwards to fix the issue.
Pros: Looks nice little sting
Cons: Not a lot of pop first demarini I baught and not buying another one. I Traded it to my friend for an xl1 which is a fantastic bat much better then this bat
Pros: Got the bat one hour before the first game unwrapped and for a 88lb 11 year old hit doubles off the fence
Cons: Finding it anywhere but here
Pros: great bat
Cons: Its cheap. If you check swing it goes a mile. CHEAp
Pros: Awesome bat.I. Realy like the color. I think the CF5 is better than the CF4.
Cons: I really hate it when i get shocked sometimes with a mishit
Pros: i could not hit a home run with my easton omen. and i got the cf5 i hit them all over the call me the home run king now thanks demarini great bat
Cons: it can sting
Pros: Has a lot of POP. The gripp is nice.
Cons: The coller is brown.
Pros: bat hit like a champion no bad things about this bat great
Cons:
Pros: good bat never lets you down get this bat makes your life better
Cons: nothin
Pros: I think its OK after coaching my 18 year old back in Little League when he was 10-12 wegot use to the thrill of the long smashing hits off some crazy bats that are now banned. they got me to spend thousands and then ban them, just crazy. These new bats do not compare to the old school ones! the old hard Warrior would have whipped everybody!!! Going to the new combat for my 11 year -10
Cons: same as above
Pros: this bat is amazing im 12 and i sware this is the best bat demarini has ever made i swung alot of bat at a demo house and this bat blew them away best pop ever more than the cf4 and is very even balanced and its really cool looking i would recomend this bat to anyone best bat ever
Cons: the only bad thing is to not have one!
Pros: awesome
Cons: cant find many of them
Pros: Awful
Cons: It has pop somedays and somedays it doesn't. Only works in certain weather.
Pros: Bought the bat for my son this spring and he loves it. He has tried them all and always goes back to Demarini. Has hit 3 triples in the last two games and the season is just starting.
Cons: Might be touch heavy,but he doesn't think so.
Pros: BEST bat ever
Cons: HI
Pros: Great bat. I just used it today and hit a home to straight away center field. It hit a car but not the windshield ( thank God). It is the best bat I've had so far.
Cons: It stings a bit at first. My friend says that once you use it for a while it stops though.
Pros: this is a great bat all my friends have it and on a scale from 1 to 10 they give it a ten great bat
Cons:
Pros: just yesterday I had onfield BP and I hit 2 over 250 ft.
Cons: can sting a bit in cold weather
Pros: too good
Cons: AMAZING
Pros: A lot of pop. Great bat. nuff said.
Cons: no
Pros: This bat has insane pop and i barely feel when i have hit the ball. It also is very durable for being 100percent composite. The grip is really good and very comfortable. Also the sweet spot on this bat is massive.
Cons: Even though it is really light it feels just a little top heavy. luckily, the lack of overall weight means it doesn't mess up your swing.
Pros: this bat is amazing!!! i used it for all-stars and hit doubles all day long! this bat has a big sweet spot and has lots of momentum. even though its a little heavy, this bat brings hitting to a whole new level!
Cons: a tad bit heavier than it actully says
Pros:
Cons: My son has been using the bat for about three weeks. I thought it would have more "pop" for the $ and hype. Still hoping its a long break in period.
Pros: good pop
Cons: i was good ever since i got this bat
Pros: none
Cons: Really small sweetspot....barely any pop too
Pros: Just got this bat love it it has a lot of pop.
Cons: It is heavier than 20 ounces
Pros: COOL DESIGHN ! great pop .
Cons: heavier than what demerini says it is. takes a long time to break in, and has a thin barrel.
Pros: Love how it hits and my son hit 13 home runs in a in his first season! plus, he is only 11!
Cons:
Pros: this bat is awesome! the ball just jumps of the bat it's the best ever I would recommend this bat to every one!
Cons: makes a kind of annoying ping sound
Pros: hit a grand slam with this bat
Cons: can't use it in cold wether
Pros: great pop love this bat got my first home run with this
Cons:
Pros: Amazing Pop defently recomended
Cons:
Pros: great pop and lightweight. day i got it went 5for five with 3 homeruns love the graphics and grip
Cons:
Pros: Tremendous pop. Ball really flies off. Better than I thought.
Cons: A little heavier than advertised, so have to get used to.
Pros: good graphics, nice weight ratio, well balanced.
Cons: HOWEVER, it does not have nearly as mch pop as the CF4, it takes a very, very, long time to break in properly, and the sweet spot is very small. My 11-ys old, who has many out of the parks under his belt, never hit one with this bat in almost a year of use. Sometimes he would hit it so hard you'd swear it was gone- and then it'd barely get out of the infield. With both the Vendetta and the Combat B4, he's able to consistantly hit them out. Overall, the CF5 is a very disappointing bat.
Pros: I got this bat and i had bp outside and i was bomming homers
Cons: can sting a little takes a while to break in can not use in cold weather
Pros: great bat alot of pop, FAST shipping,it only takes a little breaking in but over all a good bat
Cons: a little top heavy
Pros: great bat good grip once when u break it in check swing over the pitchers mond good graphics
Cons:
Pros: great bat, amazing pop
Cons: This bat cracks very easily, I have went through two so far and just decided to get a stronger, more durable bat.
Pros: This bat is amazing!!! There is absolutely no sting and amazing pop. This bat makes an amazing sound and launches the ball. BUY THIS BAT ITS THE BEST I HAVE EVER HAD!!
Cons: People want to use it, other than that none.
Pros: i am very disappointed with my sons cf5.this cf5 has no pop ,wish i could return it.Barrel is small and no pop. sounds like a dead wooden bat.
Cons:
Pros: My favorite color is gold and i like black and silver to
Cons: but i also like red
Pros: great! hit 17 home runs.
Cons: none
Pros: Has a good pop. looks good.
Cons: Very different from other bats. The grip tape is only a couple inches, and you can't really choke up. feels akward when the ball is hit compared to other bats
Pros: THIS IS THE GREATEST BAT IN THE WORLD
Cons:
Pros: Balance, low noise, ball flight. Not finding any issue with the occassional complaint of it being 'heavy'
Cons: none.
Pros: Cool design lov the c4
Cons: Kid on my team has this bat he strikes out everytime when he makes contact, its a weak grounder to the right side I use an aluminum bat and am a good hitter
Pros: line drive bat
Cons: none.
Pros:
Cons: Way to much sting, no pop, not durable,cracks and it sounds like hitting a softball, like the ones in tball.
Pros: best bat in the world
Cons: none
Pros: this bat is terrific for power but it is heavy yet you can esialy ge used to it
Cons: takes some time to break in so dont use t as soon as u get it
Pros: balanced
Cons: not much pop at all mostly pure power
Pros: awsome
Cons:
Pros: this is the most awsome bat i have ever had already hit 12 homeruns with it and im only 13 so i would rec this bat to any one
Cons:
Pros: Lots of pop great bat! Son hit a record number of homers this year!
Cons: top side of end cap is slippery when new. Needs a rubberized non-slip type surface. One bat seemed dirrent than the other when hit by the same person over and over. maybe needs a little more break in.
Pros: hit 3 over in my championship little leauge game they were in the same game. the bat has so much pop its amazing
Cons: stings alittle
Pros: the ball really flies of of it
Cons:
Pros: Great bat just bought it and its putting the ball pretty far
Cons: My whole team wants to use it
Pros: Wait, Dave, how do YOU break in bats? This was my first, and i had no trouble from the start...........
Cons: What could be wrong?
Pros: The pop is okay when the bat is brand new.
Cons: This bat ran out of pop the first season:( Now it is dead.
Pros: Good pop. Looks really good.
Cons: adding the stickers make it a little heavy. Takes time to break in
Pros: We purchased this bat for my son he is 9 about 2 months ago. Now that the bat is broken in he is hitting great! He is a power hitter and they are boucing off the fence!
Cons: This bat feels heavier than other bats that are the same weight. Took my son some time to adjust to the weight difference and also to break the bat in.Overall Great bat.
Pros: Good grip and cool looks.
Cons: There is too much weight in the barrel and has much less pop than expected. The Xl1 is so much better in my opinion. When I thought I hit it good it wouldn't go anywhere.
Pros: Good looking bat good feel good for singles and doubles
Cons: Good bat but I think the CF4 has better pop
Pros: Amazing bat! Better than the S1, XL1, and the CF5 2013. Awesome pop. I was usually batting 6th in my travel team and with this bat I'm now batting 3rd with three HR's and the season just started!
Cons: I wish everybody would leave my bat alone :D
Pros: If your complaining of the weight CHILL OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you use a batting weight or two heavy bats on deck it will be fine. I use a 29 oz. wood bat on deck with two batting weights and this bat feels fine. Focus on the amazing pop, awesome balance, and there is no sting. NOW STOP COMPLAINING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cons:
Pros: the ball was jumping off of my sons bat in the cages
Cons: none
Pros: I just got this bat about 2 months ago and so far it is great. Large sweet spot and if you hit the right spot homerun.
Cons: It stings if u hit it wrong
Pros: awesome bat
Cons:
Pros: It's so light and I hit it in the outfield so much more often! You need this bat.
Cons: Only one con. Its too light for me. Im 12, 110 pounds, and about 5 ft 4.
Pros: this bat is amazing it has great pop and it has a huge sweet spot.
Cons:
Pros: good feel on grip
Cons: paint started chipping off on first day. takes along time to break in.
Pros: I love this bat love the pop looks are great good size barrel
Cons: It gets merked up easy but nothing to do with how it proforms
Pros: great pop
Cons: Long time pieriod to break. And also it is heavey.
Pros: This bat is great it has the most pop in any bat in any bat i have ever used
Cons: nothing
Pros: This is a great bat has a lot of pop its good for a power hitter and its not to heavy
Cons: takes a while to break in
Pros: This bat is fantastic. I just came back from an injury and I was gimpy so I couldn't run to first but I went 3 for 3 with 2 RBIs while injured. This is a great bat.
Cons: None at all.
Pros: A lot of people are saying that you won't like it if youre a contact hitter, but I am 12, I am one of the smallest kids on my team, I bat lead off, and I have hit it over a 245 ft fence. BEST BAT IN THE WORLD.
Cons: Absolutly nothing. Buy this bat!
Pros: great bat, good pop, and the ball goes flying off the bat when you hit it good.
Cons: not the best composite bat
Pros: great pop right out of the box i even hit one out
Cons:
Pros: Great bat. nothing else to say. someone on my team has it.
Cons: Wish I thought about it before buying my vexxum! :(
Pros: Worried that the 31/20 would be to heavy (4'9 75lb) especially since its more end loaded. We're still breaking it in with light toss ups and she hit the baseball over the roof. She loves the weight, feel, and looks of this bat. If your child is serious about ball, I'm now convinced more end loaded is the way to go. Last year we could get a bounce to the fence- this year, lets just go over!
Cons: Too cold for full speed hitting
Pros: everything
Cons: nothing
Pros: Great Pop.Cool Design.Awesome Grip.
Cons: Heavier than it says but you will get used to it. Have to break it in.
Pros:
Cons:
Pros: great power, sometimes i hit line drives with out even swinging the bat that hard. But when i do i can hit it over 200 feet.
Cons: NONE
Pros: Very pretty.
Cons: It chipped on the first day!
Pros: Everything. This bat is light and has a lot of pop.
Cons: NONE!
Pros: It hits great! There is a lot of pop. My son hit a line drive to the fence! 100% awesome!
Cons: There would never be any.
Pros: This bat has amazing pop. It is very balanced and I've been hitting really well with it. I would recommend this bat to anyone!
Cons:
Pros: This bat has great pop. It is also very balanced. I would recommend this bat to anyone!
Cons: NONE!
Pros: it has a lot of power and contact. It has a big power spot and a great grip.
Cons: It has no cons
Pros: Ready to hit. You still have to break it in, but great pop.
Cons: None.
Pros: This bat is great, it has a lot of pop and not a lot of sting.
Cons: None.
Pros: Too awesome
Cons: A BIG FAT NONE
Pros: Very good, great pop, takes a while to break in but its all worth it, an overall exciting bat. To have my son has go 10 for 10 since getting the CF5. I love the bat.
Cons:
Pros: it's pretty dank, i mean my boy Bobby was taking Bp for his little league team and he was parking them on the house 450ft away!
Cons: It doesn't catch on fire after you hit 3hr's in a row!
Pros: A little early since I just picked the bat up for my boy and he yet has to play a game this season but from what i've seen at the cage it looks like a vast improvement from his VOODOO which I wasn't impressed with at all!
Cons: Nothing
Pros: It has good pop and awesome look!
Cons: This is why I am writing this review to warn u about things my grip was too small which makes the barrel look small. It gets marked easy but it's a good bat if you get a good one.
Pros: Everything great nice click composite sound. recommend to every youth kid playing little league, pony, babe Ruth and more to get the power you guys deserve. great bat/
Cons: just bats needs to have a 32/21 size ,after all still good site!!!
Pros: Bought this bat for my son and he loves it so far. He is 11 years old and uses it on his travel team also.
Cons:
Pros: Awesome bat! good pop, good feel, little to no vibration. You can find the massive sweet spot on any pitch. I hit my first 3 HR's with this bat and looking for some more!
Cons: The paint chips very easily, but it doesn't effect the performance.
Pros: Great pop. Hit my first HR with it.
Cons: Sound could be a little less than BBCOR sound. It stings a lot when you hit it off the end of the bat or on the handle.
Questions and Answers
Have a question about the DeMarini CF5 Youth Baseball Bat: DXCFL? Ask our team of experts and they will respond within 24 hours.
About the Brand
In 1992, DeMarini Sports had something to celebrate. The three-year-old company had climbed a rung on the proverbial ladder of success, moving its world headquarters from a dirt-floored barn to a slightly larger metal shack. "It was a big move for us," recalled Ray DeMarini from the batting cage of DeMarini Sport’s present-day Bat Industrial Complex. "The new shop was larger, more storm resistant, and -best of all- it had a heater."
In the early days, DeMarini Sports hardly made a blip on the radar screen of softball. With no retailers and virtually no advertising budget, DeMarini grew steadily by selling high-performance bats directly to customers. While established companies made "juiced" bats for the pros and ordinary bats for the public, DeMarini focused on making one line of high-performance bats for pros and amateurs alike. This approach, combined with a passion for the sport, led to the greatest innovation in softball history - the world’s first multi-wall bat: the DeMarini Doublewall.
Released in 1993, the DeMarini Doublewall was the world’s first multi-wall bat. Like a modern golf driver or oversized tennis racket, the Doublewall had a giant "sweetspot," which allowed average players to hit like pros. DeMarini’s sales exploded, and before long opposing bat manufacturers to notice. DeMarini - a homegrown company led by a softball fanatic - had shaken the establishment silly.
To understand the rise of the DeMarini Dynasty, you need to know Ray DeMarini. A cult hero among avid players, Ray DeMarini emerged on the professional softball scene at the age of 40, a veritable geriatric among younger players. With a scientific approach to training, a batting speed of 96 miles-per-hour and a bombastic attitude, DeMarini fast earned a reputation as a savage competitor.
In June of 1987, ESPN launched a nationwide search for a hardcore player to advise on a series of instructional softball videos. When approached by producer Erich Lytle, the biggest boys in softball repeatedly spoke of a five-foot-seven softball giant—Ray DeMarini. DeMarini had mastered reflex hitting, a technique that drops the ball squarely between the infield and outfield. Impressed with DeMarini's knowledge and scientific approach to training, Lytle not only hired Ray as an advisor—he hired him as the host. Together, they produced Ray DeMarini's Reflex Hitting System, ESPN's most successful home video to date.
Having garnered national recognition through ESPN, Ray turned his efforts toward designing a high-performance bat for the masses. To accomplish this, he needed an engineer. "Not just an engineer," he said, "but a boot-strapping rocket scientist who could build an empire with pocket change." Ray's call was answered by Mike Eggiman. Having grown up on a farm, Eggiman was adept at making the most of a situation. Case in point: the company's first piece of automated bat-making equipment had the heart of an abandoned washing machine.
With Eggiman as Chief Engineer, DeMarini Sports delivered a series of industry firsts: the first multi-wall bat (Doublewall Distance), the first high-performance bat for massive players (Fatboy) and the first high-performance youth bat (Black Coyote).
In 2000, DeMarini joined forces with Wilson Sporting Goods to develop the next generation of hitting technology. Ray believed it was a perfect fit, as both companies shared a vision of developing game-enhancing equipment for avid players. What’s more, the companies had complimentary products: Wilson was the leader in gloves, balls and protective gear, while DeMarini made the world’s finest bats. According to Chris Considine, Vice President/General Manager of Wilson Sporting Goods: "The thing that struck me most about DeMarini was their passion for sports and their true competitiveness.
Within a year, DeMarini unveiled the industry’s first concept bat, the $35,000 F1. Secured under lock and key at the DeMarini Bat Industrial Complex in Hillsboro, Oregon, the F1 served as a technological storehouse for future products, including DeMarini’s landmark Half & Half system.
In December 2001, 12 years after the genesis of DeMarini Sports, Ray DeMarini died of cancer in his Northwest Portland home. He was 55. The next summer, the Portland Metro Softball Association paid homage to the “King of Softball” with the dedication of Ray DeMarini Field. Formerly known as Delta #1, the field was DeMarini’s favorite place to test bats during the early days of business. Ray DeMarini—bat maker and player extraordinaire—was remembered for his high-performance softball bats and unwavering encouragement of everyday players. Today, a 40-foot sign announcing RAY DEMARINI FIELD graces the outfield, and an interpretive display chronicling Ray’s life greets players as they register for games.
More "Insane Dedication to Performance" is in store for tomorrow.
Bat Properties
Barrel Diameter | 2 1/4 |
---|---|
Baseball Bats | Youth |
Bat Type | Baseball |
Deals | Closeout Bats Bundle and Save |
Length to Weight Ratio | -11 |
Material | Composite |
Vendor | DeMarini |
Related Products
Need Help Finding a Bat?
We know that buying a bat might not be easy, but we are here to help!