Long time no Blog!
Just looked in the history and I haven't written since snopitch season!! It has been a busy start to this season with all the new bat rules , issues and the great growth that's happening across Canada, but specifically in the great province of Quebec.
With the new bat rules surprising not only us, but the hybrid process that SPN applied to their bat list with only the new stamp allowed and no grandfathering, it has made for some interesting process in how players are purchasing and justifiably has created concerns with manufacturers.
In fact some of the major manufacturers have left partnerships due to the surprising non grandfathering rules that were set out .
There were also other factors in bringing these new rules to play, in that some manufacturers were "caught with their pants down" so to speak as they didn't see this coming or believed that there was going to be grandfathering with their old stamped USSSA bats.
So there was some companies that didn't even have new stamped product in their line for this season and some that tried to "recycle" with new paint jobs and got caught.
Companies like Combat were ahead of the curve in regards to having all new stamped product in their line for this year, but they have had a bit of durability issues as they tweak the balance between "pop" and durability....They are not the only company that have had issues with durability factors and in discussions with them , they believed they have reached the correct balance that will continue their great growth in regards to innovative bat technology.
Debuting soon as well is the new Combat Assault 2.0 with new stamp and a great cause component, this bat will be the hit of the summer , excuse the pun!!
The VX2 from Demarini has been a popular choice with players as it is the first bat from Demarini to have the "pop" that big hitters want and they are extremely durable.
Add to this great bat the summer additions of the new Stadiumn S1, which is getting great reviews from the hitters out of the US and the new J3 Juggernaut and Demarini looks to be climbing back into the bat race.
Louisville Slugger is in catch up mode as they were one of the manufacturers without any new product properly stamped for this season, but building on their cult favourite Z1000 line comes the new Z2000 which has been earning rave reviews from the US and Ontario TPS hitting teams.
Judging by the volume of the preorders, this bat is going to be a valuable must-have moving forward.
Add to these mainstream lines, the emergence of new stamped product from Baden Canada with the Axe Avenge USSSA and the RIP IT Prototype, both that we have swung and graded as excellent additions to the new stamped lines which the players are looking for.
There is now enough lines to fit any players swing and preference and the summer season looks good for product and performance
Wednesday 6 June 2012
Friday 10 February 2012
Sno-pitch- a True Canadian Tradition!
Just hours before setting off to play in the Annual St Valentines Day Tourney here in Calgary, I have to say, this is one of the most Canadian of traditions I have been involved in... Sure, hockey on an outdoor rink/pond or sitting in the stands at an outdoor Grey Cup tapping the ice on the cup to be able to drink the beer are right up there, but nothing compares to the absolute ridiculousness of trying to hit an orange sponge ball with a bat after starting with a 2 and 2 count while the insults are hurled back and forth by friend and foe alike!!
This winter has been almost like playing fall ball, with barely any snow and double digit temps... that being said with the tourney coming up this weekend , the snow has started ,the temperature has plunged to minus 10....here we go!
This is still one of the best times for ball and the social aspect that is so key to it... the friends, fun, beer, euchre, chase the ace and the first sneak peek and conversations of who is playing with who and what is the newest "got to have it" equipment for the season.
I look forward to this weekend as it signifies to me that we are close to the season starting and all the good times and hopefully, good weather that goes along with it.
The names from Sno Angels, Butane, Who's That?, various versions of Mitts, Beavers, Sticks, frozen and unfrozen, also make me laugh and the sights of the hoodie and snopant crowds running around, trying to field, bat or stand up never fails to make me love this event and this time of year.
Keep your toque on!
This winter has been almost like playing fall ball, with barely any snow and double digit temps... that being said with the tourney coming up this weekend , the snow has started ,the temperature has plunged to minus 10....here we go!
This is still one of the best times for ball and the social aspect that is so key to it... the friends, fun, beer, euchre, chase the ace and the first sneak peek and conversations of who is playing with who and what is the newest "got to have it" equipment for the season.
I look forward to this weekend as it signifies to me that we are close to the season starting and all the good times and hopefully, good weather that goes along with it.
The names from Sno Angels, Butane, Who's That?, various versions of Mitts, Beavers, Sticks, frozen and unfrozen, also make me laugh and the sights of the hoodie and snopant crowds running around, trying to field, bat or stand up never fails to make me love this event and this time of year.
Keep your toque on!
Friday 3 February 2012
NSA posts new bat policy rules...
So after NSA posted their new bat policy rules for moving forward with the new 1.20bpf testing policies, there was a couple of questions posted and I thought I would answer them on here as well...
First off here is the policy discussion link NSA Canada posted.....
http://nsacanada.ca/bats/NSAbatpolicydiscussioninfo.pdf
This is how they came to their decision in regards to what the stance would be going forward
Here is the policy
"I bought a NSA Canada Approved(old logo) 2 years ago and I can only use it for this season...?"
My thought in regards to this is that if you get 3 years out of bat these days, that is an excellent investment if the bat is 300.00 retail than it cost you 100.00 per year to hit it .... that's great!
most players i know go through a bat a year or even 2 a season and these new rules won't affect 90% of the players as they will purchase the new stamped bats which they will be able to use in both associations, making it an even more inexpensive purchase.
"Does this mean that NSA Bat Policy is more restrictive now?"
No, it actually allows for all players to swing all their old sticks while they work in their new sticks for 2013... there is a grandfather period to ease the change over which we believe helps assist our players.
Your thoughts?
First off here is the policy discussion link NSA Canada posted.....
http://nsacanada.ca/bats/NSAbatpolicydiscussioninfo.pdf
This is how they came to their decision in regards to what the stance would be going forward
Here is the policy
Official Bat Policy
As of Jan 1, 2012, NSA Canada will be adopting the new 1.20 bpf testing
as part of our acceptable standards for 2012 season & beyond.
NSA Canada will also be
“grandfathering” all previously approved bats on the NSA Canada approved bat
list till Dec 31, 2012. See link below for complete list of approved bats
As of Jan, 1, 2013, bats must have
either one or both of these new stamps.
Note:All bats that have prior
approval for 98mph testing are of course still legal for play.
Any bats not
having these new stamps or prior 98 mph approval will be considered illegal for
NSA Canada play.
All bat manufacturers will have to
apply to add their “new” stamp bats to the NSA Canada Approved Bat List.
For any questions, please feel free
to contact us- info@nsacanada.ca
Simple enough... -Pre 2012 1.20bpf and NSA canada approved good till end of 2012
-New logo(as above) 1.20bpf approved for play forward from Jan1,2012
-As 98 mph testing has always been approved for both the old and the new
1.20bpftesting because of it's lower results comparable, nothing has changed
there.
so here are the questions..."I bought a NSA Canada Approved(old logo) 2 years ago and I can only use it for this season...?"
My thought in regards to this is that if you get 3 years out of bat these days, that is an excellent investment if the bat is 300.00 retail than it cost you 100.00 per year to hit it .... that's great!
most players i know go through a bat a year or even 2 a season and these new rules won't affect 90% of the players as they will purchase the new stamped bats which they will be able to use in both associations, making it an even more inexpensive purchase.
"Does this mean that NSA Bat Policy is more restrictive now?"
No, it actually allows for all players to swing all their old sticks while they work in their new sticks for 2013... there is a grandfather period to ease the change over which we believe helps assist our players.
Your thoughts?
Thursday 26 January 2012
The New Catalyst for 2012
Its good to be back! After the craziness of the holiday season and subsequent depression of having to return to work in early January, it has been a while since CSB(CanadianSlopitch Blog) has had a chance to get around to posting.
I apologize in regards to this as I hope that the info we provide is well received and to a certain extent ...needed..
Today I wanted to post my take on the new 2012 Catalyst bats from Louisville Slugger.
These are a "rebirth" from a couple of years ago with the the yellow funky design denoting the
Balanced version and the red design being the End Load Version.
I have to admit I am a bit biased towards these models as I have an older version that I really have had good luck with in the past.
My older balanced version, in my opinion, is one of the best cool temperature bats available as it is durable but still has some great "pop".
Anyways enough about the past, I had a chance to hit with the "Batmen" before Xmas and swung both the older version against the new release of the Balance Catalyst.
Here is what we found:
The new version has good "pop" as well as a cleaner more bat-like "smack" then their popular cousins, the Z1000.
The feel is stiff, but it gives very good shots over the first 50 hits.By the time we had about 150 hits the bat was opening up nicely
Now this was done in the cages , but the 5 of us were able to judge fairly well against the old version and last years Salvo in termsof ball flight and speed off the bat.
It performed better than the older version(it should) as it seemed to be a bit lighter in the 27 oz than the older version, kept up to the Salvo but fell short in velocity as the Salvo was well worked in.
Neverless, this is a good bat with a good upside of dependability.
This bat isn't for everyone as it is a solid , dependable weapon that keeps it's pop in the cooler temperature, but it isn't flashy as the new releases.
It is going to fill the gap for this year as it is old U-trip approved only but the early buzz on the new demos(see link below) are going to keep the Louisville Slugger brand growing with the Z1000, the Catalyst and a rumored new NSA Canada Bat in the fall of 2012....Look out Slo Pitch World, Louisville Slugger is back!
http://forums.softballfans.com/showthread.php?t=1124388
I apologize in regards to this as I hope that the info we provide is well received and to a certain extent ...needed..
Today I wanted to post my take on the new 2012 Catalyst bats from Louisville Slugger.
These are a "rebirth" from a couple of years ago with the the yellow funky design denoting the
Balanced version and the red design being the End Load Version.
I have to admit I am a bit biased towards these models as I have an older version that I really have had good luck with in the past.
My older balanced version, in my opinion, is one of the best cool temperature bats available as it is durable but still has some great "pop".
Anyways enough about the past, I had a chance to hit with the "Batmen" before Xmas and swung both the older version against the new release of the Balance Catalyst.
Here is what we found:
The new version has good "pop" as well as a cleaner more bat-like "smack" then their popular cousins, the Z1000.
The feel is stiff, but it gives very good shots over the first 50 hits.By the time we had about 150 hits the bat was opening up nicely
Now this was done in the cages , but the 5 of us were able to judge fairly well against the old version and last years Salvo in termsof ball flight and speed off the bat.
It performed better than the older version(it should) as it seemed to be a bit lighter in the 27 oz than the older version, kept up to the Salvo but fell short in velocity as the Salvo was well worked in.
Neverless, this is a good bat with a good upside of dependability.
This bat isn't for everyone as it is a solid , dependable weapon that keeps it's pop in the cooler temperature, but it isn't flashy as the new releases.
It is going to fill the gap for this year as it is old U-trip approved only but the early buzz on the new demos(see link below) are going to keep the Louisville Slugger brand growing with the Z1000, the Catalyst and a rumored new NSA Canada Bat in the fall of 2012....Look out Slo Pitch World, Louisville Slugger is back!
http://forums.softballfans.com/showthread.php?t=1124388
Monday 12 December 2011
Tour of Combat facilities
I had the distinct pleasure of touring the Combat factory last weekend as I was in Ottawa for business and what a great experience it turned out to be!
The factory was originally 7500 ft in 2005 and has grown to around 20000 sq ft in today as well as adding a huge expansion to the US in Seattle with another 20000 sq ft.
Two of the greatest things I learned from Fred St Laurent who is in charge of R&D and who personally took me around through the manufacturing side was 1- there is a real passion for their products , both diamond sports and hockey and 2- they can go from a design idea to creation to mold to testing in less than 24 hours!
This has given them a huge advantage over the larger competitiors as most of them do all their sourcing overseas which can take months to get to where Combat is in a day...
also dealing with a canadian company gives us all a bit of pride, buying a quality product from a good Canadian company makes us all proud!
With the changes to the rules upcoming and no one entity knowing exactly where the business is going to fall, Combat has positioned themselves for a great year in 2012 moving forward as they are ahead of the curve in terms of innovation and product knowledge.
The testing facility they have is fantatsic and as well the actual tech they use which is composite in a sleeve or sock shape allows for them to have no seams which is quite common with other manfacturers and usually creates a point of weakness that is where the cracking begins.
More reviews of bats to come....
Stay warm and happy holidays
The factory was originally 7500 ft in 2005 and has grown to around 20000 sq ft in today as well as adding a huge expansion to the US in Seattle with another 20000 sq ft.
Two of the greatest things I learned from Fred St Laurent who is in charge of R&D and who personally took me around through the manufacturing side was 1- there is a real passion for their products , both diamond sports and hockey and 2- they can go from a design idea to creation to mold to testing in less than 24 hours!
This has given them a huge advantage over the larger competitiors as most of them do all their sourcing overseas which can take months to get to where Combat is in a day...
also dealing with a canadian company gives us all a bit of pride, buying a quality product from a good Canadian company makes us all proud!
With the changes to the rules upcoming and no one entity knowing exactly where the business is going to fall, Combat has positioned themselves for a great year in 2012 moving forward as they are ahead of the curve in terms of innovation and product knowledge.
The testing facility they have is fantatsic and as well the actual tech they use which is composite in a sleeve or sock shape allows for them to have no seams which is quite common with other manfacturers and usually creates a point of weakness that is where the cracking begins.
More reviews of bats to come....
Stay warm and happy holidays
Friday 2 December 2011
Combat Pure Review and other tidbits
Sorry for the delay in posting but it's a busy season right now for all.
Finally had a chance to get out to the cages with some of the batmen last night and we hit some of the new offerings form Combat and Louisville.
Will review the new Combat Pure USSSA 1.20-2012
This bat looks great, slick and has a carbon fibre look to it that the JK Reloaded had.
With the abiilty to see the Helix technology of the carbon fibre through the clear coat, it has a cool, mean look.
With the gear technology that is consistent with past models such as the Jason Kendrick Reloaded,Afflicted, the vibration dampening technology helps with mishits and adds to the crisp feel.
The 5 of us put about 150 hits on the test model (27 oz) and were impressed how crisp and clean the ball came off the PURE, we hit it against the Avarace and the Avarace 98 and while we were in a cage which doesn't show the true flight, we all agreed that the PURE has some skills.
This is going to be a good addition to the Combat line as is legal for play in all 3 big ones.
Put it on the Xmas list, you'll like it!
Finally had a chance to get out to the cages with some of the batmen last night and we hit some of the new offerings form Combat and Louisville.
Will review the new Combat Pure USSSA 1.20-2012
With the abiilty to see the Helix technology of the carbon fibre through the clear coat, it has a cool, mean look.
With the gear technology that is consistent with past models such as the Jason Kendrick Reloaded,Afflicted, the vibration dampening technology helps with mishits and adds to the crisp feel.
The 5 of us put about 150 hits on the test model (27 oz) and were impressed how crisp and clean the ball came off the PURE, we hit it against the Avarace and the Avarace 98 and while we were in a cage which doesn't show the true flight, we all agreed that the PURE has some skills.
This is going to be a good addition to the Combat line as is legal for play in all 3 big ones.
Put it on the Xmas list, you'll like it!
Friday 18 November 2011
Review of the 2012 Combat Avarice USSSA
As mentioned before , Canadian Slopitch Blog has added a couple of the bigger bat men in Canada to hit the new product thats coming out and give us their take on it so we can pass it on you...
Here is the first one on the new Avarice from Combat...
Here is the first one on the new Avarice from Combat...
"Always been a fan of the Combat Equipment, especially the NSA stuff, and the Avarice looks like that trend will continue. Fresh out of the wrapper it felt a little different than the normal Combat feel to me but quickly heated up and was providing results that were well ahead of any bat I currently own, outdistancing a well broken in U-Trip product by a good 20-30 feet on average. If chicks truly dig the long ball then you may want to get yourself one of these in the very near future."
I had a chance to go out with another one of the batmen and hit the same Avarice and was really surprised at the performance because to be honest when I first was test swinging it it felt like a anchor...
When I actually starting hitting balls with it, I was impressed with the performance distance.
Now I should mention that I wasn't "hitting them on the screws that day"(I rarely do..lol) but I was still seeing excellent distance and power through the infield.
When I asked the guys about this feel, they agreed , saying that it almost didn't feel that you ever hit it clean but the flight of the balls was a direct opposite of this.
To quote" when you hit an Assault cleanly you don't even have to look up.. you know it's gone, just flip the bat and trot..... with the Avarice , soon as you hit you look for it and are surprised where it is in flight and how quick it's moving" end quote
This bat so impressed all of us that we each ordered one
Going to the indoor next week to swing them as well as the new FH52, PURE and Avarice 98 as well as the new Catalysts from Louisville Slugger
If you have any feedback or questions on this , please feel free to send them to
till next time .... stay warm!
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