Axe Bat 2014 L10535C Maple Composite Fungo

Durable and a heavy feel to it. Ball comes off crisp and clean, gotta love the sound of wood.

Interesting bat design, virtually impossible to roll over the top when swinging.

More like a wood baseball bat instead of a fungo. Pretty disappointed will not order again.

Pro - Great, cheap way to try out the Axe Handle, which lives up to the hype.Pro - Beautiful fungo, it pained me to cover up the gorgeous maple with athletic tape when I taped the barrel to prolong life.Con - Slightly more handle-loaded weight distribution makes it feel slightly more like a regular bat instead of a fungo.So I'm conflicted on this particular model of fungo. First off, it's absolutely gorgeous and I'm glad that Baden didn't jack up the price just because it has the Axe handle. It sits right in the medium price range for fungo bats and feels like a premium fungo. I used the Louisville Slugger S345 made of Ash wood previously, so my experience is in relation to that bat. Other than the Axe handle, which I'll get to later, this fungo is two inches shorter than the S345 and made of Maple instead of Ash. Ash has a bit more give, which can "feel" like more control off the bat, but Maple is more firm resulting in a "feel" of slightly more pop. I say "feel" because multiple scientific studies have shown minimal difference in distance between maple and ash, so it's a perceived difference.There is another review that states this bat feels like a normal wood bat. I asked the reviewer for clarification and didn't get a response, but I have to say I somewhat agree. I've tried to narrow down what it is that makes it feel like a regular wood bat instead of a fungo and can't quite put my finger on it. It may be that I'm used to the feel of a 37" fungo and the 35" Axe Fungo is more similar in dimensions to a regular bat. However, I think it has more to do with the weight distribution of the bat. The Axe bat has a center of gravity approximately 12" down from the end-cap of the bat, leaving 23" of handle. The S345 also has a center of gravity approximately 12" down from the end-cap of the bat, however that leaves 25" of handle to offset the weight. So if you look at the percentages, the Axe bat is slightly more handle-loaded instead of end-loaded in comparison with the S345. The main appeal/utility of a fungo is the the bat can be super end-loaded because it doesn't have to be durable enough to hit live pitching. Power hitters love end-loaded bats because it also adds distance. However, a handle-loaded bat can be easier to control.As far as the axe-handle goes it totally lives up to the hype. I would recommend looking up the research paper on the ergonomic and performance benefits of the Axe handle. As someone with a history of wrist injuries, the axe handle was my initial reason for getting this bat. I've had wrist injuries in the past and multiple surgeries, the Axe handle absolutely reduces fatigue and I can feel an immediate difference. I now hand the S345 to my assistant coaches and keep the Axe bat to myself when running dueling fungos during practice.Hope this helps. Overall I'm happy with my purchase. In order to be 5 stars, the fungo would need to have slightly more of the weight distributed to the end.

Nice light fungo. As a coach who is super NOT strong, this bat really helped in keeping my hands through the ball rather than rolling over and giving my players poor fungoed balls.Light weight and for the price I paid, 59.99, well worth the price. I haven’t broken it like some wood bats from other companies.