Louisville Slugger's Catalyst Fastpitch Bat

The Catalyst Fastpitch

For the past century or so, Louisville Slugger has set the standard for bat construction and design in the baseball/softball industry. This year, they've raised the bar even higher with the introduction of their revolutionary Catalyst Fastpitch bat. The innovative concept behind the Catalyst represents a quantum leap in bat design. Basically, they took several layers of aerospace grade graphite and fused them together with super light, ultra strong epoxy. Each layer is precisely positioned at specific angles so that maximum reinforcement and energy return distribution is achieved, giving the Catalyst response and liveliness unmatched by any bat in the industry. This design is intended to return energy to the surface of the bat for more power and reduce dings on the outer shell.

In addition to the space age body, the bat features a gigantic sweet spot, truer balance, and a power contour design with an eye-popping yellow and red finish. It also comes with an ultra-thin 7/8-inch handle with a cushioned leathery grip for better feel and durability.

But enough reading from the side of the box, how does this sucker hit? Mighty darn fine. The grip feels wonderful, the balance is perfect, and contact is smooth and solid with a satisfying pop. You can really feel the transfer of power stay where it should: in the bat, not throbbing in your elbows and wrists. We were getting significantly better, more controlled hits with little or no adjustment period. But don't take my word for it, Lisa Fernandez set an all time Olympic record for batting average during the Athens games with a Catalyst Fastpitch.

Also worth mentioning is the fact that the Catalyst line is Louisville Slugger's first internally designed and manufactured composite softball bat. According to the company, everything from the bat design to the equipment used to manufacture the bat was developed by the Louisville Slugger Composites Research & Development Lab. The idea is that by controlling every aspect of design and manufacturing, they'll ensure that every bat is consistently produced to Louisville Slugger's high quality standards.

Bottom line is that the Catalyst Fastpitch from Louisville Slugger is a smart buy for any batter at any level of play. Rookies will love the forgiveness, ringers will love the power and control. Available in two models, FPC205 (-10) : 31/21, 32/22, 33/23, 34/24 and FPC305 (-8) : 32/24, 33/25, 34/26 and certified for ASA, NSA, USSSA, AFA, and NFHS play, the Catalyst Fastpitch runs about Two hundred fifty dollars and can be bought wherever sporting equipment is sold. Pick one up, take it in the backyard and make the neighbors nervous.