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Online now: 3 members: Apps, Junkie16, TABLE SETTER 11; 122 anonymousDiscussion: Rocket Launcher
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| April 8, 2016 JC13 10 posts | Rocket Launcher I used the rocket launcher this past weekend in Manassas VA, all I have to say is that this is the hottest bat out the wrapper I have ever used. I hit 2 bombs dead center and line drives where screaming up the middle. I have to say that this bat is the best senior bat on the market. |
| April 9, 2016 batter4u Men's 65 82 posts | just got my Combat rocket launcher and after hitting approximately 100 balls of a tee,would put it even with or hotter than my well broke in Dudley. Impressive. |
| April 9, 2016 Mike3b 17 posts | Can the RL be used in all associations including ASA? |
| April 9, 2016 Perl 212 posts | Mike3B There are three versions of the Rocket Launcher. Two (1 balanced and 1 end load) are senior bats so they're not ASA approved The other is an "all association" bat |
| April 9, 2016 19 43 posts | "line drives where (sic) screaming up the middle" with "the hottest bat out of the wrapper I have ever used" is a really sad commentary on the state of senior softball and the "pride" of some guys playing it. :( |
| April 10, 2016 Sparky.1 Men's 75 284 posts | O' goody! Another high-tech weapon that Pitchers have to defend against! aka: "line-drives where (sic) screaming up the middle". When do Pitchers get a little love from the game & those that finalize the rules. How about some extended arch allowed on the pitch as an example. |
| April 10, 2016 ju25 Men's 60 236 posts | How are all these bats passing the test? The Original UII was at the limits and hitting balls at 105+, and these new bats are supposed to be hotter. Somebody is gonna get killed. |
| April 10, 2016 crusher Men's 75 524 posts | Could be that lots of bats rated at 1.21 are only 1.08 .. These newer bats may be reaching closer to 1.21 which is why they seem so HOT!!!!!!!!!!!! |
| April 10, 2016 Sparky.1 Men's 75 284 posts | And yet the "hits just keep on coming"....... It's all about the all-mighty $$$$$. Until that faithful day that someone meets his/her maker on the field, the "hotter" the "better" and the $$$$ keeps flowing into the pockets of those who control the game and the equipment used therein! |
| April 10, 2016 Lefty Men's 75 721 posts | I BP with Utrip Easton 2015 end load bats and my Senior bats might hit 20 feet further. I have almost all of the new senior bats out there. What I like about the Dudleys and the new Mikens are the sweet spot is much bigger. For me that means I want miss the ball as much as the other bats with small sweet spots. Played in Montgomery a couple of weeks back and did not see very many home runs with pretty good balls. Just my 2 cents. |
| April 10, 2016 sluggo10 2 posts | all players ever talk about is about bats being hot out the wrapper and how far the can hit it with the new bats and now that someone says something about the ball up the middle all the babies come out of the woodwork....use your glove,get a mask,play another position or retire...but quit crying complaining about bat companies - they are giving us bats and bats we all love to hit. |
| April 10, 2016 Sparky.1 Men's 75 284 posts | Going to go out on a limb here "Sluggo10" and ask if you are a Pitcher yourself, |
| April 10, 2016 sluggo10 2 posts | sparky, I am mainly an infielder and have pitched when needed, I play 50/55 major tourney ball and know what I speak of. |
| April 11, 2016 Adiktiv6 Men's 60 90 posts | Hey Sparks, seems like you have a minor problem with these "high-tech weapons" we all have the privilege of using! Might I suggest you not put $$$$$ into the pockets of those who control the game and keep swinging your "lower-tech weapon". That way you'll be sticking it to "the Man" and saving yourself a couple hundred bucks!! By the way, I still have a green Rich Superior (in the wrapper) Power Dome I'll sell for $500 bucks, but for you, $20 bucks!! A dik |
| May 18, 2016 NCS13 Men's 50 13 posts | I've been swinging the 27 oz Miken Big Cat for a couple of years now. Ordered a 26 oz Rocket Launcher to see how it measures up, since I like the end load and figured the extra 1/2 ounce would be a welcome change from the 1 oz load in the Big Cat. Kelly's has always had excellent customer service and fast delivery & they were right in recommending a drop down in normal weight. The end load on the RL is pretty significant and I've been swinging end-loaded bats for a decade in seniors. With that being said, here is my review of the 2016 Combat Rocket Launcher... -excellent distance after 50-75 hits and equal to that of the Big Cat; definitely NOT hot out of the wrapper -weight and feel of the bat were what I would expect from a 1 1/2 oz load; if you have strong hands/forearms this is a bat you'd like -a much stiffer handle than previous Combats I've swung and it didn't really start to flex, even after a 100 hits -sweet spot is on the smaller side and out towards the end of the barrel -durability is below average for a newer model senior bat; it developed a 3" north/south crack after roughly 100 hits w/ 44/375 Stotes in 65-70 temps -if you can get the barrel thru the ball, it will fly; well-hit balls were consistently in the 375-400' range, as advertised As much as I wanted to like this bat, it will not make my gamer bag. It is relegated to a fun bp bat for however many swings it has left. |
| May 24, 2016 oroblec 37 posts | Any Update from this bat i want to read some reviews and experience of this bat before bat. |
| May 24, 2016 Doug60 9 posts | I've got 135 hits on mine and so far I'm happy. No complaints with Kelly's service either. This is my first year using senior bats, so I don't have a lot of experience with other bats to draw upon. Hits a little further than my Dudley 12". There are a couple of spots on the RL that look like the paint will come off soon. I took a couple pokes with a not quite broken-in Melee 2 last weekend, and hit just as far with that one as with my RL. A couple guys who have Mikens tried my RL in BP and said the distance is about the same as theirs. As of right now I'd say the RL is in probably in the top 3 of current bats out there for performance, definitely in the top 5. Hottest bat of all time? Maybe, if it hits a new gear at 150-200 hits, but jury still out on that one. |
| May 24, 2016 jackbrun Men's 70 57 posts | I've had my RL for about 3 weeks now and have ovTh 300 hits on it. after around 200 it started really opening up. the ball jumps through the infield and carries well when I get some backspin on it. I normally use the Dudley 12 inch but like the RL just as much if not better. If you get one, be patient as it takes awhile to get used to the extra weight in the end. And, as previously reported, go down in weight. |
| May 24, 2016 Steinbrenner Men's 60 75 posts | NCS13, I do believe when people say that the Rocket launcher is "Hot Out of the Wrapper" they are referring to the fact that it is the hottest bat out there when it is brand new, in my humble opinion. Which In turns means that is has a much shorter break in period compared to other senior bats. The new 2 piece Mikens seem to take a couple hundred hits to break in, before you can actually use it in a game. As far as the 3" north/south crack. Combat bats have always had that issue, It isn't cracked at all, it is usually a seam separation, of the decal that wraps the barrel. My Rocket Launcher has the same seam separation as do all of the other Launchers that I have seen. I have over 800 swings on my Launcher & it just seems to get hotter & hotter. I bet you will be happy with the longevity of the Rocket Launcher. p.s. The proto type Launcher we hit has the same seam separation. The Dirty bat, which is also made by Combat, does the exact same thing. |
| May 25, 2016 oroblec 37 posts | so people like Doug60, jackbrun and Steinbrenner which one of this bat you will recomend for long distance dudley or rocket launcher or the new miken patriot i need your humble opionion of wich one of those bat in 2016 is the best. |
| May 25, 2016 Steinbrenner Men's 60 75 posts | oroblec, In my opinion The Dudley is a great bat, they seem to be breaking at around 1,500 hits, which is good. What I don't like about the Dudley is that the performance seems to fall of after 7-800 hits. I have access to bat compression tester & can tell when bats get hot by their compression & the Dudley's get so soft that the performance suffers. A couple of us have Rocket Launchers with well over 800 hits on them & they are still getting hotter. We have yet to break a Rocket Launcher. They do swing heavy. I do like the feel of End Loaded Bats. Because the Launcher has the heaviest end loads of all of the Senior Bats, I am swinging a 25oz End Load. I have a digital postal scale at home & weigh all of my bats, not just for overall weight, but also for bat head weight. The weight numbers mean nothing. But, I use the bat head weight numbers as a comparison from bat to bat. The 25oz end loaded Rocket Launcher weighs (bat head weight) very similar to the 27oz Dudley 12" barrel end loaded bat. So? Where is the rest of the weight? In the handle, exactly where you don't want it. If you buy the Rocket Launcher, you won't be disappointed. I do have a Patriot on order & will be happy to fill you in after I hit it. All of the new 2 piece Mikens seem to take a good 2-300 hits to break in. |
| May 25, 2016 oroblec 37 posts | nice opinion bro, honest one, be careful cause miken patriot have two version 12" and 14" i always prefer bats of 2 pieces why ? cause the flex of the bat i can get more distance on my bomb and the line drive are so much fast at least for my swing i will like to hear more about u and what do you think of bat of 12" and another of 14" i will have much more weigth, people prefer heavy bat i prefer a fast swing. |
| May 26, 2016 B94 Men's 50 138 posts | 12" Patriot is the Senior Bat - the 14" Barrel is the U-Trip bat... |
| May 26, 2016 Mason's Grandpa 29 posts | Personally, I feel the Adidas Melee is a better bat. Balls jump off the Melee quicker than the Rocket Launcher. I've used both. I dumped the Rocket for the Melee. The Rocket Launcher seams to swing heavier than the Melee. The ball jumps off the Melee like it does off the Ultra 2. I've heard of players getting 1600-2000 swings on it. That's about 17-1800 more swings than the Ultra 2. It takes about 80 swings to get the Melee game ready. As you all know, it's the preference of the individual batter. If you do want a Rocket Launcher, since they swing heavy, buy one one size down. |
| May 26, 2016 Doug60 9 posts | My 2c: Melee 2 vs. Dudley vs. RL The Rocket Launcher hits the best out of the wrapper, and this is probably the bat that I'd use if had nothing broken-in to start a tournament. At 100 hits the Dudley 12" catches up to the RL. The Melee 2 is already lights out at 20 hits, but IMO it sounds terrible, a dull thud when hitting the ball. I like that though, because the opposing team won't be getting any audio clues as to when the ball is going to be sailing over their heads. IMO, the Melee 2 swings very similar to the Dudley 12", slightly endloaded, with little effort needed to power through the ball, and I like that. The Rocket Launcher 26ba swings with a heavy "barrel load", lots of midload and a little endload. You need to have some power in your swing to get it to work. For reference, the Rocket Launcher swings heaviest between Dudley 12" 27oz, Melee 27el, and RL 26ba. I don't know much about Mikens so can't help anyone there. |
| May 27, 2016 oroblec 37 posts | i had learn every player have their own swing, so every bat will be different for some player the weight is something that people can't handle and other no, for example i have 12 bats all different brand i just like rigth now miken ultra 2 but is one piece i will love to get one of 2 pieces because my swing i prefer something light for have more speed on my swing. i had tried melee 1 and 2 for me 27onz weight is like 29 for me so i think my next choice will be dudley. |
| May 27, 2016 oroblec 37 posts | another look is someone that have access to compression bat test and tell us how close they are of 1.21 to see which one is more honest in his stamp, we all know a lot of bat says 1.21 and they are just 1.01 i need some test on :rocket launcher, addidas malee 2, dudley and miken patriot. |
| May 27, 2016 Doug60 9 posts | Oroblec the Dudley 12" and the Melee EL swing very close to the same. The weighting is true to sticker on my scale and the balance points are the same. The OG Ultra 2 is a very balanced bat. If you like the swing weight of a U2 you might consider the Dudley 13" bal or the Melee bal. I don't think you'll find a Rocket launcher in any weight to swing "light", maybe in 25oz balanced but I don't see that option listed anymore. |
| May 27, 2016 oroblec 37 posts | for my list the bat the only bat that i used to love was one tps z-1000 end load two pieces and one miken super freak maxload that two bat were my perfect one but i need to move for new bat i'm using u2 from miken good bat sweet spot but honest one i don't like for my swing as it used to be from my old tps z-1000 i orefer end load or maxload bats with 2 pieces but anyway i will try Dudley Lightning Legend End Load 27 onz. |
| May 27, 2016 Mason's Grandpa 29 posts | I also have a Dudley. I use the 27oz Balance. I really like the Dudley. Even the Dudley is better than the Rocket Launcher. Dudley and Melee are very similar. But I'd give the edge to Dudley. IMO, The reason you don't see as many Dudley's this year is because of the Melee. Very similar bats but Dudley got greedy and raised the price last year. Before last Oct. I was paying $170 for the Dudley. Now you see them going for $200 to $220. |
| May 27, 2016 k man Men's 65 326 posts | Mason's GP - I also have a 27 oz Dudley and love it. Check out directsports.com The have Dudley $200 but also have a 15% off discount = 170. I've bought several bats from them. Our day league doesn't use senior bats so we have to use single wall and they have the Demarini Raw Steel that just came back out. |
| May 28, 2016 oroblec 37 posts | Why people prefer balanced bat more than end load, end load weith can put more power at the end of the swing or tell me if im wrong im talking about of give bombs at the fields. |
| May 30, 2016 Doug60 9 posts | After owning the Rocket Launcher for awhile, here's my final review: It's a great bat, but it's handicapped by an excessively heavy swing weight. Most of the less than glowing reviews are likely because people aren't getting enough swing speed. If you order one light enough to match your swing power, I don't think there is anything out there that will beat it. The problem is that most people are used to swinging a certain weight. I personally use mostly 27el bats. The RL that I ordered was a 26ba, which worked ok for me, but what I really should have gotten was a 25el Rocket Launcher. I've never used a 25oz bat since I was about 11 years old, and it might be a hard thing for some people to order a bat 2oz below their usual weight. |
| May 30, 2016 oroblec 37 posts | So your point is if your bat weigth 28 onz, you will need to use one 1 onz less but u never told me if you a man with power or normal one another thing diference in distance dudley vs ur combact rocket what had you tested ? 20 or 40 feet more in your home runs distance. |
| May 31, 2016 fennellwg Men's 60 97 posts | oroblec, Without putting words in his mouth, I believe Doug is saying you should drop "2" ounces for the end-loaded RL if trying to maintain a swing weight similar to Dudley or Melee. If you choose a balanced RL, a 1 oz drop will get you similar behavior. In this situation, knowing the moment of inertia (MOI) would greatly assist helping different people compare the swing behavior of different bats. It's relatively easy to estimate if you know total weight and balance point. I would be even easier if the manufacturer would just tell us since they need to provide this info for BPF testing. regards, Bill |
| May 31, 2016 oroblec 37 posts | i want to get a new bat i prefer 2 pieces bats but i can give a try to dudley or melee but they are not 2 pieces i will intent to use heavier bat to increase the distance of my home run. i had use melee but the bat were not ready so the experience out the wrapper were not good. what weigth most you use i'm 5'11 with 22o pounds 42 years old. |
| May 31, 2016 fennellwg Men's 60 97 posts | I'm the last person to tell you which weight you should choose to hit home runs. In general, little guys swing lighter bats. Bigger guys swing heavier bats. If you are a big guy with a fast swing, you can use whatever you like. If you are an old guy with no fast twitch muscles left you will likely gravitate towards a bit heavier bat to compensate for lack of bat speed. If you are and old guy and small ( like me) with no fast twitch muscles and no strength that you will choose a lighter bat that still permits good control of bat at the plate. In theory, the increased bat speed possible with using a bat with lower (lighter) MOI will compensate for slower bat speed resulting from a "heavier" larger MOI bat. But the reality is that everyones swing is altered differently with changes in bat weight, swing weight or MOI. If you really have a preference for total weight and amount of end load. It possible to find bats with similar swing behavior based on their MOI. knowing if they are really hotter or more durable or have a shorter break-in period is a bit harder w/o first hand experience or subjecting yourself to all the hype surrounding each new bat out there. regards, bill |
| May 31, 2016 fennellwg Men's 60 97 posts | PS Most of the grownups on this site recommend at bat that suits your particular swing preference. Most of the folk that market bats on this site acknowledge that all the top brands have similar performance potential. No ones opinion here is truely object but most are honest base on personal experience . Another site for honest yet biased opinions is "senior softball reviews" Have fun. |
| June 1, 2016 oroblec 37 posts | my swing is slow but i still strong with my twitch muscle i will move to 28 onz bat to make the moi bat efect. |
