Hitting with the $99 Miken Maniac | Slowpitch Softball Bat Reviews

Let's see if a $99 full aluminum slowpitch bat from Dick's Sporting Goods can hang with the other $300 composite bats we've been reviewing!
Here's a link to the new yellow version of the Miken Maniac:
www.dickssport...
Visit slowpitchbatbr... to see our current top 5 USSSA-240 bat rankings, or to check out our Bat Bros merch!

[@joerasmusson8503]

Thank you for doing this review. I bought this bat at the beginning of the season, just because I needed a bat that's mine. I didn't want to worry about messing up someone's $300 bat while I'm trying to hit. I also bought a balanced bat to just hit for average and be on base. I needed this year to work on my swing. Next season, I think I am ready to play with the big boys! Possibly a Krecher after your review! Thanks again!

[@cwolf208]

I like that they make it look like a 2 piece composite bat.

[@Blazen77123]

Until I discovered Monsta Bats, the Purple Miken Manic was my GO TO BAT. I love this bat and sometimes will go back to it in cold weather when all my composites are below temp.

[@Wells306]

Would love to see a sub-$200 challenge

[@daniel-ym9un]

DeMarini Ultimate Distance was one of the best bats I ever hit, way back in the early 90's. They were quickly outlawed everywhere.

[@traviskirk3834]

I have a classic double wall and the 2x ultimate distance .

[@lorenzoramirez3063]

Demarini Fatboy double wall I used to hit Bombs with I used that thing until it cracked, I bought another 1 on eBay

[@rpdoug]

I play in a couple of leagues that only allow for single-wall alloy bats. The DeMarini Steel seems to be the best. The Maniac is runner-up. Would love to see a review of a few alloy bats. Maybe the Rival, Ronin, Maniac, and Steel?

[@oxy134]

Thats what I am currently having to figure out now. Maniac is banned in my specific league, and my buddy who had the DeMarini Steel I was burrowing is playing soccer instead for the rest of the summer lol.

[@MetrohMan]

Started my slowpitch career with a 30oz demarini ultimate weapon. By the end of my first season I was hitting dingers pretty regularly with that pile of poop. Made the switch to a Dc41 at the beginning of playoffs . It was difficult not hitting homers after that. Awesome bats to learn on. You get good with that and there isn't a bat you won't hit with pop.

[@philipramsden4975]

We used to have a Maniac as our team bat in our beer league. We hit quite a few out using Blue Dots on 275' fences

[@twmccoy100]

The Maniac is an acceptable BP bat. It'll dent on cold days with hard balls, but does fine with .52s. Good weighting and a decent sweetspot.

[@nathanbritton6877]

Good to know. First time player just picked one up. My league mandates .52 300 so not expecting to look like Barry Bonds out there. Just hoping I can hit one or two out this season for ego sake

[@connorsmith5508]

Holy shit it’s like you guys knew I was SEARCHING for a video just like this before my softball season started. Love the content!

[@inertia53]

You should test some of the higher end alloy bats. Demarini Steel, etc. Lots of rec leagues only allowing for alloy barrels these days!

[@andrewdoran2921]

Is there any others you recommend? My league doesn’t allow composite barrels

[@francischaviano7402]

Anderson Rocket Tech is a great metal bat.

[@daw162]

dad's league back in the early aluminum bat days was about 260 or something down the lines and 305 at center. The good wood bats and the aluminum bats were in the same ballpark, but people were buying aluminum just because they lasted forever (and they'd have been more like drop 3 at best). There was only one guy in his entire league who hit home runs on a regular basis (like more than one a game), and the league had at least 2 dozen college baseball players in it. This would've been early 80s. It was more like a ball game with guys hitting and running and defensive guys hustling.

[@davidjoeseph2646]

Holding out hope for a softball exit velo and or best non testing league video!! You guys are always a fun watch!

[@brandondemarco]

This is what we thought all the 240 bats would be like 😂

[@bryantitus6634]

On your 300' all around field, it actually would have put several out. I picked one of these up as a BP bat to save my composite bat some. I don't hate it either.

[@BatFlipBP]

I love swinging alloy bats! I've got an old Anderson Rockettech and DeMarini F3 that consistently hit in the mid 90's for exit velo! Just picked up a gem of all gems, Easton Hammer for $3 the other day, can't wait to see how "good" that thing is gonna be.

[@SluggerStark]

Demarini double walls and Anderson s are good bats, but if you pop 90+mph exit velo with one of those, that will be impressive!

[@BatFlipBP]

@@SluggerStark got a video of both over on the channel :)

[@Truckerdaddy]

The Hammer was only like $35 at Walmart in the mid 2000s. It wasn't as good as earlier models of it though.

[@BatFlipBP]

@@Truckerdaddy took my $3 one out today, it’s the old black and yellow model. Was able to register a 91mph with it! I think it might deserve it’s own video 😂

[@Truckerdaddy]

@@BatFlipBP I had the black with with white letters that had the red outline from like 2010. It wasn't great. But the old hammer my dad had from the 90s was pretty good.

[@davidmason6286]

I swung aluminum for most of my softball career. That’s back when you had to be good to hit home runs. No composite hero’s in those days. Lol

[@SluggerStark]

Big factor is what aluminum bat and ball combo you are using. A good double wall isn't too far off a composite performance wise, and I remember for a fact that back when we were using EST's, PST's, CXN's, etc we were hitting a MUCH better ball than what is used now.

[@davidmason6286]

@@SluggerStark True, but you had to hit with a much smaller sweet spot.

[@SluggerStark]

@@davidmason6286 You did, I agree with that. But when I really think of "composite hero" homeruns, I think of the era in the early 00's when the Miken Ultra and Easton OG Synergy were legal: guys in many cases hitting blue dots with senior bats! Heck, even once those were banned you had good composite bats with very good balls and for sure, you would see alot of swings that had no business hitting homeruns, putting balls well over 300 feet. That was the case I remember until they really started implementing widespread use of dumbed down balls. That said, if a guy has a legit swing, he is hitting homeruns whether using an aluminum+lively ball or composite+.40/325 ball. Doesn't matter the era.

[@Truckerdaddy]

@@SluggerStark I totally agree. I grew up watching my dad play in the 90s and early 2000s and composite really changed the game. You still had guys who could destroy a ball no matter what bat they used but composite just exaggerated it.

[@anthonyc178]

You have to remember some of the older aluminum bats were the hottest things to ever hit the market. So it depends on which ones you had lol.

[@AustronesianMullet]

You should try and find either the Demarini Double Wall circa 1997/1998 or Worth ESTs from same period and see how they perform.

[@billysyms5761]

Word on the street for alloys is to get an older DeMarini Steel. Got an Anderson Flex about a year ago. Cages, 52's off a tee, at least 2,000 swings, I could probably demo tile in a bathroom, and it still would test 400PSI............oh and saw this in Dick's yesterday for $99!

[@stunners77]

Played back in the day with guys when composite wasn’t a thing that would hit bombs with a demarini double wall distance didn’t need composite bats

[@cwolf208]

If you think guys today are any worse at swinging than they were back then, I've got a bridge to sell you.

[@adamdunn1675]

I still have my OG Demarini Raw Steel. It’s a tank that can put the ball over the fence.

[@DoubleRichrd]

Hit with the demarini steel. Probably the hottest single wall out there

[@mikehoyme]

I'd love to see you guys hit with a 14" or 16" Debeer Clincher Softball. That's what the leagues around where I live use, they are crazy soft so you almost never see someone hit one out. It would be fun to see you try to find a bat to take one yard.

[@jamestorres5582]

Any Demarini Double Wall . The B 52 is a good one . Try em

[@Truckerdaddy]

The demarini double wall, demarini black, demarini ultimate weapon, and demarini 375 were all good alloy bats. The demarini black was a 2pc but had an alloy barrel.

[@jamestorres5582]

@@Truckerdaddy remember the Easton Connection . First edition. Not the grey one . Those were good too . Broke 2 of them

[@Truckerdaddy]

I've seen guys take $30 Walmart bats and crank homers with them. So alloy bats can do it but it takes more bat speed, power and backspin to do it. Ray Demarini made an instructional video on it back in the late 90s.

[@andujar-calcanoentertainme7430]

Its a great bat ... but its NOT to hit homeruns, its to measure exit speed to protect the Pitchers and to play in an official softball field at 300ft and not longer ...so despite the bad review ..its a safe bat for alloy leagues like mine.

[@micahbowyer3375]

It'd be awesome if you guys had a swing breakdown with slowmo ! Show your reg swings for baseball then softball then how you cut the ball. Just an idea lol

[@kyleprice9202]

Dude I swing an old Louisville Dynasty double wall bc I just haven’t bought a new bat and it’s hot as balls for me

[@stevebergman34]

We use this in my aluminum league. Great bat. We use 52/300s

[@hammertime333]

My bat before composite was, Black and yellow Louisville TPS 35 ounce and Easton c-core 28 ounce the one with the bb’s in the end cap for weight!!!!

[@traviskirk3834]

The miken maniac used to be a 1 piece composite bat my dad had the mega Titan maniac and he wasn't a fan of it. If my dad would have broken it in he might have liked it.

[@chris22186]

These bats should be the new standard for softball. See who really can hang with the big boys without shaving bats.

[@SluggerStark]

....is shaving bats really still a thing?!

[@chris22186]

@@SluggerStark Bat altering/shaving is very big. Here in Miami, Florida we have the two biggest in the business.

[@SluggerStark]

That is crazy that with how good bats are from swing one, guys are still cutting their bats and using them. What is really rediculous, is that in any competitive or sanctioned tournies/leagues I have played in, everything is tested and routinely; harder to get away with a shaved bat. That tells me alot of these idiots are swinging this crap in rec leagues or mixed leagues....

[@SluggerStark]

As an aside, if you want to REALLY see where good hitters separate from the rest, play in a wood bat tourney or league. They are actually alot of fun!

[@chris22186]

@@SluggerStark They have then shaved just enough to pass compression, once they get a few swings their ready and failing compression. It's dumb.....

[@aaronraulston6248]

Single thin walled aluminum bats do best with 47/575 balls. The slight trampoline of the bat and the bounciness of the higher core and compression ball is what makes distance. Having a higher cor lower compression ball ie 52/275 will work better with these lower end modern single walled bats than say a 44/525 ultra hard and dense ball would. One of my longest hrs (390ish) came on a 28oz Grover Gold Classic c405 single wall and hitting one of the awesome Worth super blue dots. I also hit a 375+ shot with a c405 TPS Ritchs Superior and a Worth super blue dot. Its all about which aluminum is used, how thin the wall is, and the ball. Hit that Maniac with a 47/525or575 ball or if you can find some old 50cors that are in the 500-600comps. Youll get your distance

[@I_Eat_Meat12345]

The price of late 90s aluminum slow pitch bats on eBay are insane. TPS especially. They were good in their day, but cant hold a candle to a modern bat.

[@kelill7251]

I bought one of these for bp and ragball tournaments I kinda like swinging it

[@victorgonzaleztoby7511]

I need a single wall , one piece , aluminum ,with all the stamps for recreational this seen to be good enough but I will love to see a a review with rival , ronin , maniac etc to see which one dents and has more pop , I can’t find anything online that will be this specific like Bats pro , love your videos btw !

[@Cali_Livin_916]

Feeling kinda good cause I use to hit em out with my Easton Reflex and Worth bats on the regular.

[@raider3164]

U should do a wood softball bat . Corndog,maynem. I think theres a dew others to.

[@richardstine3455]

Will when I played Church Softball my one teammate had a Maniac and it wasn't too bad I enjoyed swinging it was pretty comfortable if you ask me

[@isaacgilara]

You gotta swing the demarini Oregon steel. Hottest alloy bat I’ve ever swung

[@TheFretzone]

You guys should try the miken exclusive 2021 chaos , its probably similar to the maniac haha

[@stevemendez3535]

I need to purchase a bat before October. Would you mind suggesting one for me. I am 5‘4“ I weigh 170 pounds. Please give me at least two options and linked and wait please much appreciate you guys keep up the great work.

[@stevemendez3535]

It is supposed to say please give me and wait and also how long would a good bat be for my particular height and weight? Thank you. Please excuse any misspellings. I am doing this through. Dictation as I am a totally blind person. Thank you once again any little bit of help is greatly appreciate it.

[@brianbanks3044]

"aluminum is pretty heavy, it's heavier than composite"....my physics teacher just rolled over in his grave.......what weighs more.....26 ounces of feathers or 26 ounces of lead????....still love you Will.....now you know what it felt like playing softball in the 80s and 90s...cork balls, aluminum 38 ounce bats, 240 foot fences for BomBs!!!!....i don't miss them one bit

[@slowpitchbros]

Weight distribution! Lol more endload on the alloy

[@AustronesianMullet]

The weak guys (like me) swung 28 oz back in the 90s.

[@justprime]

Need to find a late 90's Worth PST or a Black Worth Supercell EST!

[@billysyms5761]

That Black Worth Supercell was the shizzle back in the 90's.

[@valeriemartinez242]

I used to swing the Double wall Demarini when I 1st played about 15years ago

[@DoubleRichrd]

Need more aluminum slowpitch content. Unfortunately a lot of the rec leagues make you use these kinda bats. Some even single wall only

[@danielbyrne7807]

scheming something with all those 220 bats sitting out? Need an end of year HR Derby

[@dylanwalker4379]

I just bought one and it as actually kinda hot for a small kid playing slow pitch so I actually like it for the price

[@briandaniels8945]

Our leagues left composite and have been w aluminum for a cpl years, check out the 2000 demarini classic, demarini b-52, or demarini raw steel

[@duanerucker8367]

I wonder how the Anderson Rocketech Double Alloy slowpitch bat would do.

[@pepepepert]

I still use my techzilla in league when the other team complains that we have hit too many out. It hits them out just the same.

[@Carter_Edits96-g1u]

You guys hit a round of BP with baseballs with softball bats

[@stephenpaduano5070]

I remember!My first bat was a worth Jim Fuller 9-1/2 barrel 28oz.I was hitting balls 350ish and under.Then the Demarini distance double Wall came out and still hitting bombs w a 44/375.Once the 52/300 came out these bats were irrelevant.Mizuno came out w composite or Banzai aluminum and shaving started etc etc.Softball would change for the worse.Go back to 47/525 and doublewall bats.

[@szimmer421]

You need to try the old Easton Titanium bats. I have one and it is 🔥for a metal bat!!

[@stevenmochetta3926]

Had one,hit 380 ft fence Loyola U New Orleans 1995.

[@moosehussaini]

some of my teammates use this bat and it drives me nuts

[@moosehussaini]

we have a freak 23 and krecher

[@cherubic2312]

Honestly I'd buy this, usually where I play there's no fence lol so they play back so if I could hit a piss missle right over short it would serve its purpose for me lol

[@peterhynes1840]

Just goes to show how this generation relies on jacked up bats. I play modified with single walls and a clincher ball. Also played wood bat for years. That’s when you know who can hit & who can’t.

[@MackTh8Knight]

I know an old school Cat used an aluminum bat and you couldn’t get him out. He was Gap to Gap. This was back in 2017.

[@kirbymullins3114]

Hit many home runs back in the day with a black worth supercell est 28 0z.

[@cristovalmontoya5222]

I got 2 old school lousville slugger bats that a switch hitter used to take yard consistantly on 310 lol i can send both ones a players series don dedonatis i think. A 26 and a 29.

[@ryanross9911]

I'd be interested in seeing a non-composite comparison of a few different bats you think are best. My USA league does not allow us to use any composite bats and have been struggling looking for a replacement at the moment.

[@mikereyes4283]

Demarini steel

[@ryanross9911]

@@mikereyes4283 we have one currently for the team bat. Any specific model I should look into?

[@mikereyes4283]

I’ve personally never used them but everyone in single wall leagues say any of the steels are the best bats by far

[@joshwick77]

I enjoy someone pounding on one of these!! Super entertaining to see if you guys could put one out. That was a pretty large field so I bet you could have crushed a few if it was 320- 330 to center and 280-310 at the corners! Y'all were putting a hurtin on a few of those pitches! lol

[@christopherjames8283]

you guys ever thought about a shot tracer like the have in the golf videos?

[@Tevatron044]

Funny enough, aluminum as a material has a decent COR, but the issue is with compression. You need harder balls to get that bat to flex. I mean, players were still hitting dingers way back in the 90s. Titanium was banned because it was too good. Slowpitch imo has the most unique innovations and experimentations with bats of any baseball related sport. You need to use stadiums or the hardest balls you can find to really get that thing moving. Good aluminum be durable enough to handle those balls

[@aerialmortgage8370]

Gotta pitch some old school, Worth Super Blue Dots! With the white covers LOL

[@richardstine3455]

Plus I believe you can only hit the 52/300 ASA Balls with it thats the kind of ball we used when I played

[@traviskirk3834]

Worth has a power cell all aluminum bat for asa , usssa

[@NDR-hn3ue]

Still have the Original Andersen Rocket Tech that can put them out .

[@jonmelsha7201]

That bat is amazing in cold weather games here in mn lol

[@cancer6060]

We have to use single wall bats for the co-ed league Im on. Woman can use whatever they want as long as they pass compression. You should do one on the 2021 Easton Rival single wall.

[@justinblevins2444]

What weighs more will 26oz of composite or 26oz of aluminum

[@slowpitchbros]

weight distribution lol. naturally more endload on a 26 2-pc

[@justinblevins2444]

@@slowpitchbros lmao you know I’m kitten

[@jonathanmcvey9230]

On a 300' field with 52 hot dots I can get em out good about 4 out of 10 swings, good bp bat save them composites for gamer.

[@IRam-je3nq]

I have a Redline Z-Core, 34/30 in great condition if you ever want to use it...

[@brianhart5612]

Kids today just don’t understand how lucky they are with today’s bat technology

[@superwaylon5548]

try the old worth pst aluminum softball bat it will hang with a lot of composite bats

[@AvengerAF]

I'm a little new to the composite world, is there a big difference between how aluminum makes your hands feel compared to composite? It looks like you get more pop with composite

[@billandalona]

Try the DeMarini Raw steel

[@waylonswaycraps]

Miken original Ultra was a dangerous bat! I hit bombs with that bat! Banned now

[@johndecapua3496]

I'm confused at the aluminum comments. In the 90s all bats were made with aluminum for baseball and they were some of the hottest bats of all time. Easton reflex, redline, z core tps air attack. These bats caused rule changes. What is the difference between this bat and them?

[@slowpitchbros]

this is a cheapo version for one, but with a softball, composite does a lot better. In baseball alloy/aluminum still does pretty well since the ball is lighter and harder, but in softball the alloy bats don't come close to the composite bats in terms of exit velo performance.

[@johndecapua3496]

For those of us in single wall alloy only leagues, could you do some videos on the Z2K era softball bats? Redline z core redline c core tps air attack 2? Basically the hottest bats of the late 90s early 2000s? One of my leagues only allows for single wall one piece alloys and I feel these older bats r better than today's so a video would be greatly appreciated.

[@CodyVinson]

What's a good bat for an incrediball

[@ChaosTeamElement]

Is the 2021 miken Freakadelic good?

[@jerrygomez7669]

My teammates made me swing these when we were out of Hr’s but i still snuck some out with them lol

[@thecowboycowboy]

Since Miken... what's the deal with the new RevEx?? New primo takeover? Or budget bat?

[@AMORSCARR]

So I got a Miken dc 41 limited edition I love it but I also ordered the Miken maniac one . Should I keep the maniac or return it to dicks. Hopefully you guys reply love the content

[@jtartaglia002]

the og demarini white steel was the hottest aluminum bat made

[@stevelagram5332]

You should try the Demerini White steel, Raw Steel, and Steel C6

[@ohyeaheh]

Need to go old school and cut the ball, need the back spin. Anderson Rockettech is a good metal bat, don't go old though as the are made for hard balls.

[@yiut123]

Louisville dynasty was a good double wall bat.

[@daddyg5659]

I love the maniacs I have 4 of them bombs also corndogs I have 3

[@jakekline8730]

Where could one find a jersey like that?

[@jonmelsha7201]

Use it sub 50 degree weather and you'll see where this shines.. and it won't break your 300$ bat

[@lancesmith5178]

Do a best aluminum bat video

[@donald5miller280]

Demarini raw steel great bat

[@robertwojcik4458]

Where can I get thoes new balance shoes you have on?

[@unknownuser3373]

At the field I play on most of these are gone the max is 300 all around

[@adame3349]

The Roses jersey tho ?!?!👀

[@smwvikings44]

Have gone 300+ with this bat before I bought a kp23

[@matthewwilson48]

The demarini F Series or the old gold worth were the best aluminum

[@calejudy2296]

hey could you guys do the easton cxn potentially?

[@aboy6974]

We gotta get you a miken ultra 2 to test, gotta be like 200psi. lol

[@GusLifts]

You need to get a Demarini Steele!!