Miken Freak Plus Softball Bats

Ever since the Miken Ultra II was banned from most softball parks and associations in mid-2003, players have been waiting for a bat to replace it. Miken’s first attempt, the Velocit-E II, felt similar but the drop off in performance was too great; the second attempt, the Edge, had good performance but with only a 10-inch barrel lacked Miken’s traditional large and forgiving sweet spot. The third attempt, the Freak, put Miken back on the right track with improved performance and durability; the new 2005 Freak Plus puts Miken back at the front of the class when it comes to bat making.

The Freak Plus is exactly what its name says it is – the 2004 Freak with about 30 extra feet added to your drives like the new titanium golf drivers. It is a great bat across the board – it has a nice balanced feel which can be used by all types of hitters, it has a 13-and ½-inch barrel which provides the most hitting area in slow pitch, it has an easy-to-find sweet spot which helps raise the number of good hits per swings taken, and it has undeniable pop.

The most negative comment generated over a half-dozen hitting sessions was that the Freak Plus was not as hot as the older Ultra II, but with that bat irrevocably banned and with the new, tighter bat standards in place or 2005, the Freak Plus comes across as the next closest thing possible.

All types liked the bat. Power hitters noticed a bit more distance to their home runs well as an increase in the number of balls leaving the park out of each 40 pitch round. Line drive hitters noticed an ease in getting the ball over the infielders and also found a number of gap line drives carry all the way to or over the fence. The hitters that seemed to benefit most, however, were those with the slowest hand speed; those with quick hands and good power enjoyed a slight increase in distance, but those with slow hands who depend on strength rather than speed for distance saw a lot of fly balls become homers.

The Freak Plus has a 13-1/2-inch barrel and a thin handle. It has a rubberized plastic end cap and an MG-1 Sport Grain grip. The Freak Plus is available in 34 inches and 26-30 ounces.

For more information about other services and products choose from one of the following links:

Miken MSMM Mega Maniac 585 Composite Slow Pitch Softball Bat

2006 Maniac 484 Fastpitch
Freak 98 (new)
Freak Plus (new)
Fastpitch Oklahoma City (new)
Edge
Freak
Freak 98
M Pulse
Oklahoma City
Ultra II
Velocite II
 

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Article written by Ryan MacDougall