Combat, the Canada-based leading manufacturer of baseball and softball bats, has launched COMBAT MAXUM, a new line of bats that expand hitting surface by 40% without compromising the weight or feel of an traditional size barrel.
“Maxum started as a fun, “what if” project,” said Stephen Fitzgerald, the Senior Director of Engineering at Combat. “We wanted to create a product without worrying about technical constraints or high prices; we were just going after the best bat possible, period.”
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Utilizing a proprietary Precision Molded Seamless Construction, MAXUM bats eliminate the practical limitations faced by competitors using traditional manufacturing processes.
The Maxum series uses a seamless construction to expand the sweet spot, reduce dead spots and increase the accuracy of hits. The manufacturing process uses computer numerically controlled (CNC) tooling for precision, and one-piece seamless carbon and fiberglass sleeves, all held together by a proprietary resin, which gives the bats their toughness and soft feel.
“We have a very nimble development process,” Fitzgerald continued, “We can design and build prototypes in a day and have them in testing in the evening.” The team, consisting of designers and high-level players, “tests sound, vibration, durability and performance with a variety of balls used by different leagues.”
Having engineers and top players together for testing is not unusual, but Combat actually has all of that in one person. One of the engineers, Jen Yee, has a Masters degree from the prestigious Baseball Research Center at U. Mass. Lowell, and has a softball pedigree that includes being a star player at Georgia Tech and captaining the Canadian Olympic team, which won the gold medal at the 2015 Pan-Am games.
“Next year, we want to develop larger barrels and lighter bats,” Fitzgerald said. “We’re always looking to innovate and improve our line.”