Why Easton is Dying...

[Madbeers]

First off, I'm an Easton fan. I hit/love BP. I recommend anyone who hits BP, plays league or still hits rocks in their area to have an Easton in the bag. That said, I have an OG 100H with 6,500 swings, a 13L1 with 9,000 and a TORQ with 4,500 cuts. Been through several others that have either broke or gone onto other owners. Since owning the OG 2 piece DC41, none of those bats have seen tourney swings unless a hardass ball was being used or the temp was below 55 degrees.

I recently saw on a FB thread where a poll was being taken of "2015's hottest bat." Needless to say, out of the 200 votes, Easton got 6. Miken/Worth took over 140 of said votes. People these days want pathway of least resistance. But most Miken/Worth users get pissed that their bats don't pass comp testing after "low" hit counts.

I believe Easton has its place. As a BP, team or bat against hard balls in cold weather. I've heard rumblings that Easton is gonna make some changes to get more competitive. I don't blame them, but I will be the first to miss their durability.

Thought I'd add a couple pics of my TORQs. First one I just got from a buddy. I would guess less than a 100 swings. The other is mine that I've had from the start. 4,500 cuts against Thunder ZN Classic M's. As good as this bat might look on the tester, I'd hit my DC over it all day.

 

[white_gt]

I understand what you are saying but my from my experience the OG dc i had i hated the weighting. Maybe if i had a 27 or 26oz I could of swung it more. I had hit some good shots with it but most of the time my timing was off. I had the red/black 4tf and i felt like the bat had no ass behind it. I have a sy100 with id say near or over 1k cuts and its my tourney gamer. I have a baker that has around 500 cuts and yeah the ball doesnt come off as well as other mikens/worths it still gets it. I recently got a connell legit and this will be 1 of my gamers this year but my take is eastons are a real hitters bat. If you have a good swing you can still be competitive with an easton.

 

[Ballisttic]

Its sad but true.

I never see them in the hands of players in local leagues around here but when you do see them its nothing but whisper of shavers.

Miken, demarini, worth thats all you see

 

[J2009]

I haven't ever been a Easton fan but my torq with 200 swings and sis major bat with the same, they hit just as good as anything iv hit with last year, last year I used a cl22 and freak 12

 

[ck1]

I still swing my ST100 over the Mikens I have. Maybe it just fits my swing better.

I will say that the Eastons seem to have gone downhill since then.

 

[Youcallthemlogs]

This is outside a few real winners like the first lv1 and the torque. Why would Easton revamp the lineup and so poorly after the amazing 2012 line? 2 real changes since than and very underwhelming. If it wasn't for the new stamp, I'd be swinging a 34/29 Synergy Plus.

 

[WillW3]

I'll share my experiences here. Since I started playing a few years ago, I've owned a lot of bats, and I've swung mostly Easton. Over the past year and a half, all I've swung is Easton. I absolutely love the durability, and to me, the performance was great. That is until Madbeers introduced me to the DC-41. He was kind enough to lend me one to try out, and I will admit, I wasn't impressed at first. Hit some .52's and a few rockets to break it in, and then it changed. Needless to say, this past weekend, I picked up an Easton one time. I will always swing Easton, but there is a gap in performance that hopefully will be filled. Had my SBE and the DC tested this weekend. SBE- 1300 hits with 575's and rockets tested @260. DC- 200-300 swings, mostly .52's, few rockets tested @240. I'm not degrading Easton by no means, but what Madbeers is saying has some truth.

 

[KinGClowN]

I just swung one of those black/gold new helmers this weekend it was unbelievable. Completely different than any easton I ever felt and I've had them all, unfortunately it also broke in roughly 100 swings lol

 

[jcmichaels42]

I just swung one of those black/gold new helmers this weekend it was unbelievable. Completely different than any easton I ever felt and I've had them all, unfortunately it also broke in roughly 100 swings lol

100 swings?? I would say that's certainly a decrease in durability even if you had mashers swinging it with rocks.

 

[THESHOE]

I always want to like and keep an Easton.

But it's beyond not being hot out of wrapper.

They feel like crap to me in comparison to most other things I can swing.

Again last night at the 2016 Demo night, Kirby and Helmer, I wanted to like 1 of them and think about it. Nope. Stiff and like all Helmers before them, VIBRATES like heck in the hands.

Now I know some will say, you're a sissy and yadda yadda. But fact is, all the other bat makers managed to give you a 2pc with a great feel and no sting. So why downgrade? Especially if it doesn't hit anywhere near as good until a year or more later?

Hates the feels compared to Freak 12 and 2015 CL22. Same old story with Eastons for me.

I am also not a pro player or daily swinger. By the time one of these bats I own breaks, I likely will have changed my mind every season or added others anyways.

Durability has never really been an issue for me. Not quite in Madbeers mashing territory yet.

I so want to like an Easton, but never like any of their feel.

I will still look to add a well beaten cheap one 2-3 years after its production year for cold days or team shared use etc.

I agree they need improvement in hot out of wrapper, but need improvement in feel too for me to give any kind of a hoot.

 

[Youcallthemlogs]

Theshoe, you bring up a good point on the vibration. Everyone is always saying an Easton for the cold weather. I am not. When it is 38 on a late fall night, I want anything else in my hand. My freak black held up just fine in that weather.

 

[THESHOE]

Blackouts for me in super cold, or older Demarinis that I don't worry about breaking or comp testing.

New Helmer even on good sweet spot hits last night, same old stingy vibration in the hands. Some might like it, but for me, it's enough to really prefer other brands.

Theshoe, you bring up a good point on the vibration. Everyone is always saying an Easton for the cold weather. I am not. When it is 38 on a late fall night, I want anything else in my hand. My freak black held up just fine in that weather.

 

[etnstudios]

i'm thinking that maybe the short barrel is the problem for you^

 

[Darracq]

I haven't ever been a Easton fan but my torq with 200 swings and sis major bat with the same, they hit just as good as anything iv hit with last year, last year I used a cl22 and freak 12

I have hit all jakes bats, I was not much of an Easton fan either, I hit these when almost new, They hit very good, sweet spot feels so much bigger than other eastons, Maybe my swing is just really good right now, I only miss hit one ball and it was just a terrible swing. I havnt even hit my mikens excepts a ri that I was tring to break in, The sis major is reall close in distance as far as I can tell, the dc and freak 12 might be just a little ahead but not much.

 

[dttruax]

I do agree that Easton seems to be behind the curve with other companies when it comes to slowpitch bats and the new technologies other companies have introduced (Combat, Demarini, and LS with their performance limiting tech and "hot out of the wrapper"), particularly post-abi and then with the 52 ball.

I do not agree that they're "dying" though. They still have a huge market share in FP and youth (little league) and BBCOR baseball. Will their TCT composite help them gain share in SP, only time will tell.

Remember, Easton's top selling bat of all time is the Hammer .

 

[stork]

I have been swinging them so long, I think I am just used to their feel and weighting as well. And the long ball is not my game so I don't need to hit it has far as I can. Although I wouldn't mind a little more giddy-up on the ball as I get older.

 

[THESHOE]

Then explain my love of Freak 12 and CL22?

It's not like I can't hit with the Helmers.

I just find them unpleasant.

i'm thinking that maybe the short barrel is the problem for you^

 

[Hiltz]

i'm thinking that maybe the short barrel is the problem for you^

Then explain my love of Freak 12 and CL22?

It's not like I can't hit with the Helmers.

I just find them unpleasant.

I find Easton 12" barrels have the sweetspot a little closer to the end than other manufacturers' 12" barrels. Couple that with a comparatively smaller sweetspot and it could explain why your hands are buzzing.

I am also not a... daily swinger. By the time one of these bats I own breaks, I likely will have changed my mind every season or added others anyways.

^^^ That may also be the issue. People underestimate how much break-in these suckers need.

My Blackout was great at 500 swings, and silly by 800. In comparison, my 14L1 was borderline unusable at 500, "ok" at 1000, and is just starting to get nasty at 1500. If you're not getting in a metric crap-tonne of swings, I'd honestly give up on Easton, at least their older bats.

Hopefully the new line can find a combination of quicker break-in and durability, but my guess is durability will suffer.

 

[single wally]

I haven't hit the 2016 Easton's, but nothing from their Utrip line has compared to their 2012 line, IMO. The 2012 line was both durable and hot, so you don't necessarily need to trade one for the other. Worth and Miken new stamp bats back in 2012 kind of sucked, but the subsequent lines got better and better. Easton has gone the opposite direction, not a good trend. The Torq seemed to be a step in the right direction, and a you'll hear a few saying they hang with anything, but most are not putting down their Mikens and Worths for them, and most who love the 2012 line aren't about to put those down either. No doubt Easton needs to step up its game, and sounds like they might have done that with this year's line, time will tell.

 

[PaulyP1]

Be patient boys, good things come to those who wait.

 

[D RODZ]

I like this comment. ^^^

 

[bunt2]

Be patient boys, good things come to those who wait.

We've been waiting since 2012. :biggthumpup:

 

[PaulyP1]

We've been waiting since 2012. :biggthumpup:

It's gonna be worth it

 

[Dan411]

I think some good points have been made on both sides of this argument. I will be the first to admit that you have to have a good swing to be consistent with the 12" barrels. I like swinging the shorter barrels, and think the MOI is great if you can take advantage. I have owned several short barrel bats. I put 850 hits on my torq, and I don't have it anymore. Cold weather hitting will involve my blackout and fu dawg.

 

[godsfavorite32]

Be patient boys, good things come to those who wait.

They changing in 2017 to be like everyone else..

 

[4xtra]

you are a REAL easton fan I see

I'll agree with all of that post. This is my Easton collection. I like all of them and will swing them all in games anytime the urge strikes me. I've had the majority of these bats tested, and none of them tests below 280. I also don't BP them. We hit mostly .52s here, but occasionally will use ZN classic Ms.

I live in CO. The ball flies and it's almost never humid enough to really affect ball flight much. I can get away with using stiff Eastons and do well with them. Obviously if I lived in FL it would be a different story. At USSSA worlds I found my bats still effective, but still outgunned by hotter Mikens. I've swung the DC41, 4TF, Freak Black and Freak 12 and all of them are hotter than any Easton in my picture... out of the wrapper.

I swing Easton because I prefer the stiffer feel and durability. I do realize I'm giving up a little distance by doing so, but I don't care. Fields are still only 300'ish and all my Eastons are more than enough bat to get the job done.

That is a VERY nice collection.
What is your favorite easton for :
52/300?
40/325? Mine is the SV100, VERY underrated and EXTREMELY durable
44/375?
44/575? Kirby
47/450? 13L1 14L1

 

[J2009]

I like my torq OK, but it's not even in the same zip code as a Freak 12. Granted, the Freak 12 I swung was probably not above 250 and my torq is over 300.

Even fresh out of the wrapper Mikens will blow an old, broken in Easton out of the water nowadays. Especially on .52 balls.

Don't get me wrong the freak 12 was fire but with 800 swings I don't think it would pass any test. My L1 the red one with 1000 swings was testing at 230ish.

 

[Beauner]

This year's Eastons are the first Easton softball bats I've ever swung.
I picked up the Wegman first, then the Kirby, Baker, Torq, the SBE, and Team Edition (all USSSA).
I've enjoyed putting the work in on them. I ended up selling the Baker to a buddy in one of my leagues and his team uses it as a team bat and they love it.
I started using my Wegman and Torq for games when I was playing in the fall on colder days and was pretty happy with their performance. I've BP'd my Torq a few times this winter and it has definitely stepped up a notch (around the 500 swing mark now). My Kirby has been a relative disappointment compared to the Wegman but I have more swings on the Wegman too. My SBE has also been quite impressive for the limited number of swings I have on it.

The Team Edition is already at the same level as the Torq despite 1/4th the swings, but it may make my bag rotation if it keeps progressing. Last year I had a Freak 12, Connell Legit, a DC-41, and Freak Black in my bag most of the time.

No way I would have replaced any of those with an Easton last year without putting a ton of swings on them, but I like where my Torq and Team Edition are heading.

 

[Madbeers]

I don't understand the "Easton is a hitter's bat" comments. I could be totally off base, but I feel like I can swing it a bit. I make the comment that I would pick my Miken's over my Easton in a tourney setting because of 2 real reasons... Forgiveness and exit speed. Again, I love Easton. If Miken/Worth didn't exist, I would have no problem gaming an Easton. I just want to smash balls thru the infield as fast as possible.

 

[Madbeers]

It moved. That's a lot of ***iness.