Message board »Message Board home »Sign-in or register to get started
Online now: 5 members: Five-0, TABLE SETTER 11, TonyA, dillydilly, typhoons3; 84 anonymousDiscussion: DUDLEY 2019 LIGHTNING HOTW
| Posted | Discussion |
| Feb. 28, 2019 Elite Sports Men's 40 2 posts | DUDLEY 2019 LIGHTNING HOTW Guys please dont take offense if it doesnt apply to you then it shouldn't bother excuse the bit of bad language but this is something you guys need to know and share. Watch the 3 videos please. https://youtu.be/bI3zfFk71IU https://youtu.be/JypYw81kNEA https://youtu.be/X-znh2IQs2M |
| Feb. 28, 2019 Dbax Men's 65 2101 posts | Very impressive demonstration. |
| Feb. 28, 2019 Elite Sports Men's 40 2 posts | Thank you. I'm just trying to protect the integrity Dudley has earned. |
| Feb. 28, 2019 Omar Khayyam 1357 posts | Looking at recent postings about the new Dudley breaking prematurely, it looks like Dudley's integrity will be built more on its response to these unacceptable performances than on videos. Recall? Replacement? |
| Feb. 28, 2019 Crash1 Men's 60 9 posts | I've known Carlos for years, done business with him, and he is a man of integrity. If you don't protect your client base, you won't be in this business very long. I will admit that his hitting was surprising impressive. I may buy this bat just to support Elite Sports. Carlos, hope to see you in Mesquite. David McCarthy Top Gun Elite #1 |
| Feb. 28, 2019 DocJoel48 9 posts | Thank you Carlos! It’s a great bat. Dudley thanks you too. Loyalty and integrity is an important set of virtues. Dudley has had those traits for over 100 years! |
| March 1, 2019 G MAN Men's 55 35 posts | OMG..Its All About Money !!! Whats that bullshit smell ? Oh its the dump behind the fields your hitting on. LOL After reviewing all 3 of your Youtube videos at your test facility and after 100 hits on only 1 Dudley Hot 14 bat you tested, you now hear a RATTLE. Hmm You also know for sure its the glue from the cap without removing the cap ? OMG !!! For the guys who know softball bats we all know what that rattle indicates I think :>)) Carlos, I am only a softball player just like most of the men and women on this site. Most of us find $230.00 net after taxes a lot of money especially when we would have to buy another bat because of the NO WARRANTY Policy ! We all have been burned before at the hands of big companies who play jugde and jury. Finally, Bullshit back to you...The bat I cracked was still in the wrapper and never altered. As I knew there would be doubters like yourself I took pictures. Give me your e mail address and I will send you or anyone else all the pictures so you can post them for everyone to see . You have also insulted RIGHTRJ1 and OLDSCHOOL13 about possibly altering there bats because they reported bat cracks . SHAMFUL! I ask you who is DOCJOEL48 ? Because this guy must be drinking the cool aid your serving at your testing facility ....lol Have a great day . |
| March 1, 2019 ju25 Men's 60 236 posts | If I buy a Dudley from you(Elite Sports) and it prematurely breaks are you or Dudley going to replace bat or give me my money back. You really think these guys who are breaking bats are out to get Dudley. $200+ for a no warranty bat is robbery. |
| March 1, 2019 Paco12 19 posts | Don't blame the companies, blame yourselves. Most of you buy bats just because they are the new toy in the market. I bet most of you have 5-10 senior bats that are still in great condition, but have to buy the new hottest one. A senior bat is a senior bat; how much hotter can a bat gets? A 305 ft. on 300 ft. fence still a HR, the extra 90 or 100 ft. are a waste (LOL). Oh, by the way few years back; I won the HR derby at the SPA Nationals tournament with the 2012 EL 27 OZ Reebok, that just cracked. That thing was hot, hot, hot. I will buy another one if available at a good price. I have two senior bats a 2017 Miken (My Sunday bat) and a 2016 Dudley both 27EL (Friday and Saturday bat) and they are smoking my Miken is on the last leg maybe 50-75 swings. so I need to look for another one bats soon. You, old people make me laugh. JESUS TE AMA!!! |
| March 1, 2019 ju25 Men's 60 236 posts | Call me a cheap ass, but I will not pay over $170(Worth Wicked) for a no return bat. My gamer is still an OG Combat DaBomb purchased in '05 and ready for it's 14th season(no BP after 50 swings, Tournaments only). I own 18 Senior bats and have paid under $100 for the majority of them. I have only broken 6 bats in 13 years 3 Barrages(80 bucks a piece), Worth 454( Worth replaced under 200 swings), 2 Combat Centenarians($100 each ). IMO it is not worth the $100+ for an extra 10-20'. My purchases this offseason were a Wicked($100), TPS HyperZ 1pc ($79), and a Combat Maxum 1pc. ($50). In my 55+ Can-Am league the majority are swinging Adidas & Dudley with good results. I had a Dudley & Reebok ($145 ea) but sold both because I didn't care for the feel. |
| March 1, 2019 Casey#44 19 posts | I read this forum occasionally, but I just joined to be able to respond to this. I watched the videos and just because he didn't break the bat doesn't make him right. He may be a great guy, but he is wrong...... wrong...... wrong! I know this for a fact. Here's why: I swung the dudley's at senior camp. They were hot and had a lot of swings on them before one of them finally broke. I liked them so much I ordered 3 of them for myself and my buddy ordered 2 at my suggestion. We used 2 different reps. We waited for them to ship like everyone else. When we finally got them to the park to swing, it was over 80 degrees in south florida.. We hit evil bps and tanner senior balls. The bats were hot, but all 5 bats broke and not one bat made it over 30 swings. Some didn't make 20 swings and one bat bat did in fact break in 5 swings. That's 5 broken bats in 2 hours, under 100 swings total. None of the bats were altered in any way. I have nothing against dudley. I don't want to harm their reputation nor do I want to gouge them for anything. I just want a bat to swing that doesn't break immediately. In their defense, the dudley rep that I dealt with was all over it and couldn't have treated me any better. We will see how dudley responds. I just wanted to respond to those videos and the guy calling BS. He couldn't be more wrong. Not cool. Casey |
| March 1, 2019 Saratoga2 19 posts | I had ordered my hot W 14 3 weeks ago and it just came today but I missed a chance to hit it in practice. All the talk has me worried that is a generic problem. I ordered mine through Direct Sports after listening to Dave Velazquez glowing report. I also play in semi-southern Florida and would not like to have burned $200 on a fragile bat. Will report next week on my results. I am 6'1" 230# but withing a week on my 78th so don't hit the ball more than 280 feet. Hope that insulates me from the breakage. |
| March 1, 2019 DBurke23 Men's 50 22 posts | Buy an ADIDAS !!!!!!! Looking for 10-15 feet of distance? Buy a gym membership !!!! |
| March 1, 2019 DCPete 409 posts | You might to check back with Dave Velasquez at this point about these Dudley Bats. He had them listed as his 1st & 3rd best bats currently on the market but he has now removed them both from his list entirely. If you watch his videos he seems to be among the most reliable, unbiased and diligent bat reviewers out there so at this point it sure looks like a case of Buyer Beware with these new Dudleys. |
| March 1, 2019 mck71 Men's 60 344 posts | Dave V put out an update on YT today saying that he removed them and now has 3 new HotW that he will test next week, two 14" and one 12" which is why he removed them from his website. Also did a review on the "reissued" Dudley Lightning 2.0 12". Look up Senior Softball Reviews on YouTube to find them. Good luck! |
| March 1, 2019 mck71 Men's 60 344 posts | Dave V website: http://www.seniorsoftballbatreviews.com/ |
| March 1, 2019 Dugout 18 posts | Instead of using a senior's bat. Why don't you as a player use a normal bat meaning 1.20 they are good enough with the ball being as hard as they are ..us as players are falling right into the hands of the bat manufacturers. |
| March 1, 2019 DaveDowell Men's 70 4317 posts | How about another option? ... Getting in a little better shape, a little stronger by working out, watching Bogie's instructional videos, hitting a lot of BP, etc. ... That way, you won't become a technology-slave having to repeatedly buy the latest-and-greatest "hot" bat to get you over the hump from warning-track power to the envy of the dugout! ... Nawww, that would never work! ... [grins] |
| March 1, 2019 Dugout 18 posts | I was going to mention that to Dave...like go to gym and lift etc. Why is everyone relying on technology and cheating to win and not hard work and talent.... |
| March 1, 2019 DaveDowell Men's 70 4317 posts | Dugout ... We're second only to golf in falling victim to the pricey technology ... I still hit a driver as far today as I did 25 years ago ... But back then I didn't own a highly-forgiving titanium "volkswagen-on-a-stick" with a club face the size of a ping-pong paddle! ... Ha! |
| March 1, 2019 Elite Sports1 7 posts | Ok guys I apologize for the delay. I couldn't log on and SSUSA help me get back on. GMAN, I was accusing you or any one so if your bat cracked, your bat can be replaced 1 time. Dudley will replace it. JU25, If you purchased a HOTW from me, If Dudley doesn't replace it for you, I will. Casey#44, Sorry if I offended you if your bats cracked get Dudley to replace them. I am not targeting you or any one. I am trying to do damage control. I didn't say 100% right, I explain there might be a bad batch and if you qualify under that, return your bats to Dudley they will replace. |
| March 1, 2019 Elite Sports1 7 posts | Now that I have address the response. Please don't turn this into a hate or angry insult type of thread. Use this time to give Data. If your bat cracked voice your opinion in a polite manner. I understand you guys are upset. Its your money. Here is the bottom line DUDLEY Will fix this and stand behind their product. They will not ignore you. I don't want this turned into advertising for other companies or insulting each other. Just give as much data as possible so we can educate Dudley on the issue at hand. My video was a random bat out of the 1st shipment I got. I am waiting on 2nd shipment to post another video. |
| March 2, 2019 miken44 90 posts | if Dudley will replace the bat how long will that take they pushed back there release date do they have product to replace in a timely manner and how soon before that bat breaks they are not going to keep replacing bats I am waiting for one to come in but now don't no if I want it they should recall and fix the problem then release a good product breaking 10 to 30 swings is unforgiven |
| March 2, 2019 Casey#44 19 posts | Elite Sports 1. All good. I Didn't realize you were here or I wouldn't have spoke in 3rd person. I am not mad at anyone. I completely understand your position, but just wanted to share my experience. All bats have been returned and I am hopeful Dudley will make it right. Like I mentioned, the Dudley rep I worked with was great. Helpful, Free return etc.. I suspect a bad batch as well. I will post on how the rest of this goes. |
| March 2, 2019 OMD 38 posts | I bought 2 of these new bats (12" $ 14") but haven't had a chance to swing them yet because of the rain. I for one would be totally stoked if they broke and Dudley dealt with the problem even thou they are "no warrantee". But I would want a replacement from their next batch after they've dealt with the problem no matter how long it took to get that run out. Not as worried about getting replacement bat back quickly (have bunch of other bats to carry me until then) - more worried about the durability. At $400 I would like to get a couple seasons out of these bats before getting "the next hot ticket or must have item) Seems like a good bat once durability problem is dealt with. Maybe Dudley is trying to get some money back from the money they lost out on because their older bats are so durable and guys were only buying 1-2 bat every decade! 8-) |
| March 2, 2019 Elite Sports1 7 posts | miken44 I have surrendered 150 bats from my order to help Dudley honor warranty. In my opinion if this continues to be an issue there will be a recall. For now let's work together to help Dudley make the right decision. Casey44 Thanks for understanding and yes please continue to post any update good or bad so we help the resolve any issue at hand. |
| March 2, 2019 leftyodoul Men's 65 106 posts | In early February I pre-ordered the Dudley hot W 14 inch from elite sports. After discussing my purchase with Carlos he offered to send a demo Dudley HotW 14 inch to me so that I would have it for the TOC in Orlando. I took the bat with me to Orlando and let my team and others swing it to see what they thought. We probably put about 250 swings on it while we were there. After I returned home I probably put another 250 swings on the bat. I live in the north west and obviously the temperatures have been cool. During my BP sessions the temperatures never reached 50 degrees. All I can say is that this bat has held up and exceeded my expectations as far as performance is concerned. It still looks and performs the same as it did when I received it. I received my new bat from Carlos last week and will take BP with it next week. I am anxious to see the durability and performance of this new bat versus the demo. I will post the results next week. Obviously, there is a concern regarding the demo vs. the current shipment I will let everyone know after I have taken BP. |
| March 3, 2019 Hail Ragna! Men's 55 40 posts | I deal with a player in the Kansas area that can get me some certain bats that I am looking for. Somebody is hijacking the bats some how because of the price I pay for the bats. I do not ask any questions as long as this person continues to deliver. We were both talking to a person that thinks they are a bat tech guy you can say... My question is how can one person on one side of the country go out and actually do a video of himself testing the bat and then some other players on the other side of the country say they are blowing up the bats. Is someone sabotaging the bats for Dudley. When you make a run of bats don't that batch pretty much play the same through out. That is my point.I have been following the Senior Reviews lately only because what he say seems like it is the gospel and he knows someone in the industry. I am waiting to see how the latest HOTW bats he was supposed to get. How did they play? The bats Carlos showed all played pretty good. Do not know what to believe. Have a tourney coming up soon in Washington and I have one of the 2.0 Dudleys from before with very little swings on it. I guess I will not be buying any bats for awhile yet. Don't want to buy a bat and then have it break. That is a hassle dealing with the Team Dealers.... Thanks for the good info everyone. Hail Ragna! |
| March 3, 2019 Elite Sports1 7 posts | I will take a blue one out of the wrapper this week and post another video. Unfortunately I'm not being reimbursed for these demos. If I was I would take 12 random bats and see. I wish I could blow up a bat in a video to put my mind and your at ease. The reality is there could be a bad batch. Here is what I'm telling you, if there is a bad bat coming from me I will have Dudley replace it or I will replace it myself. Right now the incidents are isolated. We are trying to gather as much data so please report your incidents here with your serial number and it would be very helpful. Thank you Carlos |
| March 3, 2019 TheGrinch Men's 50 3 posts | Isolated? Seniorsoftball bat reviews just posted there video on these. 5 different bats 14” and 12” different weights blew up. 2 of them didn’t make it to 5 swings 2 others not to 30. Plain and simple Dudley has major problem here. What I’d like to know is, why is Dudley still allowing dealers or reps to sell them. Answer that. |
| March 3, 2019 ffdonnie Men's 60 137 posts | Think this beating a dead horse now, but I just shattered a 14" HotW this morning. First 20 swings it felt stiff, 21-27 was launching the ball and swing 28, shattered. I loved the balance of the bat, if that means anything to anyone. |
| March 3, 2019 miken44 90 posts | there is a solution stop buying the Dudley there is no guarantee that it will be replaced if we break one odds with it being new they will replace it once I have been swinging a legit u trip bat this bat has roughly 2500 swings no cracks some webbing on it why does senior softball not allow you to swing u trip not much difference accept price and bpf 1.20 to 1.21 don't here much about asa or u trip having this problem Dudley needs to stand up pull there product fix it then release it again |
| March 3, 2019 OMD 38 posts | Has anybody had good results so far - if so, how many hits so far? Like I said in earlier post I had the same problem when the DeMarini "The One" first came out - bought 4 & broke 3 with less then 60 hits & I'm not a power hitter! No recourse at all from dealer I bought from. Basically - "Oh well"! I for one am appreciative of Elite Sports commitment to collecting as much info. (serial # - where bought - how many hits -etc.) and trying to figure out what went wrong and then trying to deal with Dudley to make it right! It's not like Elite Sports is the company that produced the bat! Will be checking with Elite Sports before my next purchase! |
| March 3, 2019 Elite Sports1 7 posts | Guys I dont own Dudley. Though I'm loyal to the brand I am more loyal to the client. I am trying to do damage control. It's difficult to keep getting kicked in the face and turn the other cheek. Dudley in on the horn with OEM trying to get a solution. I am not saying there is not a problem. My video was made on a hope that I cracked a bat. I'm a grown man who pays his own way like most of you. I dont expect you guys to ignore the issue at hand. If you purchased a bat from me, I have your back. Regardless what happens I would rather refund you then lose you as a client. |
| March 4, 2019 Bobby Buggs 90 posts | As bad of a reputation hit this may cause Dudley they know how to do the right thing and Im sure they will. I expect they figure out the problem quickly and rerelease the quality of bats you have come to expect. |
| March 4, 2019 bkb555 301 posts | Bobby, it may be too late….I get upset when a warranteed bat breaks after a few hundred swings WITH a return....but who is to say these replacements will last that long????...I have the 2-piece worth wicked with well over 700 swings and it is still pristine....if it breaks now, I will say I got my money's worth...I broke a 2-piece red adidas after about 120 swings and I was upset but I knew when I replaced it, to only use it for games.....with the new Dudleys, I would be afraid to swing it and feel I would have to check it after EVERY swing...that is pretty scary for a $220 bat with zero warranty....Dudley better get it together....word spreads like wildfire and right now, it is blazing |
| March 4, 2019 ju25 Men's 60 236 posts | This sounds so much like the Reebok Barrage that came out in 2013, hot out of wrapper and breaking in less than 100 swings. Reebok refunded money or offered a second batch. Problem of early breakage was never solved and Reebok stopped producing bats with the Reebok name,changed bats to parent co. Adidas. Retailers dropped price on Barrage to $75/$80 to reduce stock and I took a chance and purchased one. After swinging Barrage went out and purchased 2 more(bat was smoking hot) but none of them made it passed 100 swings and no refund. Dudley had a good thing going but there latest offerings (Lift) and (HOTW) have brought there rating way down. |
| March 4, 2019 Bobby Buggs 90 posts | Unfortunately its the same old game for bat companies, have to introduce the NEW hotter bat every year and keep tinkering with what is already a great mix of materials. It will be interesting to see if there is ever a statement as to technically what happened to this batch. The simple uneducated guess was they didnt roll enough layers when the made the shells. Its a delicate balance between too many layers and not enough. Now Im far from a bat engineer and there a many other parts of this equation so thats just my simplified statement. |
| March 4, 2019 jerrytodd01 16 posts | This year Im playing on a Dudley sponsored team and we cracked 4 brand new Ws this Sat. is some scrimmage games in less than 10 swings. They continue to hit awesome after the outer shell broke. The inner tube did not break. Dudley is replacing them and working om fixing the issue. One guy had one before Vegas last year and still has it, no issues or cracks, so I believe they can and will correct the problem. |
| March 4, 2019 bkb555 301 posts | Seems like they made a bat for the 40 yard dash and not the mile.....at $220 a pop, that is a very expensive experiment at the expense of the hitters....everyone wants performance but at the sacrifice of durability is not worth it....remember when old Dudleys lasted 1500 hits AND still performed...I guess they flew too close to the sun on this one |
| March 4, 2019 AZTOMC Men's 55 139 posts | I seem to have gotten a Dudley HotW with the opposite problem. I have around 150 hits on it and the bat is still stiff as a log. I can't see this one breaking in anytime soon or cracking. I'm not a small guy and I've had 4 or 5 other guys hit it and they all agree. It's a 14 inch barrel, 27oz. Feels like a 30oz. Picked up a 27.5 Adidas 2 piece still in the wrapper and the ball was flying off that bat. I see a major quality control problem with the new Dudleys. |
| March 4, 2019 Hendog 3 posts | I purchased a 14 inch from direct sports . I’ve put 325 swings on it . Hitting 44/ 375 balls in 55 degree weather! The bat wasn’t hot out of the wrapper , didn’t Open up until about 250 swings ! I’m 6 1’ 225 play 55 major Plus. Checked the bat top to bottom, it doesn’t have a mark or scratch on it.I believe there’s a bad batch out there. |
| March 4, 2019 Hendog 3 posts | Give it time , it will open up and you will not be Disappointed ! I have a 27oz 14 and it felt a bit heavy The first 200 swings the bat was crap. After 300 I love it! |
| March 4, 2019 garyheifner 649 posts | I got my 14W from direct sports about 5 days ago. Being in the Chicago area, I won,t be able to hit this until sometime in May. Is Dudley going to send out serial #s for a recall or do I hit hit in May and talk to who if it breaks??? |
| March 5, 2019 Lefty Men's 75 721 posts | Hendog I have a 27oz and my SN on HOT W bat is 2112180733. Just wondering if I'm close to your batch number. |
| March 5, 2019 Michigan Mike Men's 50 16 posts | I just took delivery of my 14W on 3-1-19 after seeing the great review at seniorsoftballbatreviews.com . I've never even swung a Dudley (always Miken Big Cats) but I thought I'd try this one (my big cat cracked after a season) based on the great review and my interest in trying something with less of a end load. I bought it from Direct Sports. It's still in the wrapper and I don't even know whether to swing it or just return it and get something else. I'm afraid I'll crack it, send it for warranty replacement, and then the next one will crack prematurely). I called Dudley so I could get their position on the issue. 1st she said they would honor a return if the bat had "under 100 swings". Well, that's about 4 bp outings so I guess their idea of a bat that performs okay is anything you get over 100 swings on (not comforting). I asked her if Dudley was going to issue anything in writing about warranty replacement for premature cracking...nope, nothing, just her word that they will remember this issue in June when I actually start swinging it. I don't want to seem paranoid, but I like things in writing. As a new customer to Dudley, that conversation did nothing to to dissuade my concerns. So, as fast as they earned a customer, they lost one. I love the feel of the bat and the swing characteristics, for those of you that have swung both does that Adidas 2-piece end loaded bat swing similar to the Dudley? |
| March 5, 2019 Hendog 3 posts | Gary the serial # on my 14w is 1512180894. |
| March 5, 2019 Whitey58 28 posts | Went to the indoor cages today with a new 14"HotW and new Trump Rocks. After my first 20 swings the cracks on the barrel appeared. I was definitely looking for them after reading all the reviews. I called Dudley and they gave me a R.A number to return the bat.I hope they fix the problem. The balls just fly off the bat. My bat number on my 14"Hotw was 2212181143. Dudley is owned by Spaulding |
| March 5, 2019 action50 Men's 55 14 posts | IWhat is the number to call for Dudley if the bat cracks.Does the serial # on the bat mean anything ? Is it just certain serial #. I have one with serial # 2212181183 the other is1912180285 both are 14 inch 27oz and 25oz |
| March 5, 2019 OMD 38 posts | Has anybody tried warming up the bat - NOT heat treating! Taking 50 or more swings @ maybe only 3/4 full strength to get the fibers flexing before the full on assault on the fences? I mean you wouldn't buy a new car with a big motor and 4 speed and drive it right off the lot and start banging through the gears right away! A little break in period might help loosen everything up a bit before putting considerable pressure on the new tight fibers. Kind of like a rubber band - stretch it first a couple times and it wont snap as easily. Any bat guru's know if this might help? |
| March 5, 2019 leftyodoul Men's 65 106 posts | I hit my new HotW 14” today. It cracked on the 15th swing. Serial number 1812180209. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have a demo that has more than 500 swings on it with no signs of wear. The bat performs great! Obviously, there is a difference in construction and/or materials in the demo vs. the current shipment of these bats. |
| March 5, 2019 Elite Sports1 7 posts | Guys, Dudley has been on the horn with the Manufacturer trying to get a plan of attack. They have issued all dealers instructions how to handle returns. I understand you guys work hard for your money and are eager to get answers. Please be patient. Dudley should have a plan in action soon, it just takes time. The OEMs just got back from Chinese new year and I am sure this is the last thing any one expected. |
| March 6, 2019 bogie Men's 65 448 posts | Dudley has made some great bats, and I am sure will fix this and continue to be a leader, but on a similar conversation..we as seniors have different views on what the balance of performance and durability is. I personally feel if I get a senior bat that is fully broken in and hot in 75 swings...and then lasts 150 to 200 high performance game swings in that "hot " state, then it is a bat that I am happy with. I would prefer a bat that breaks in fast and is game ready..Buy a couple for games only, break in and they should last long enough in this role...I use a returnable utrip bat that is similar to my senior bat in feel and makeup to get in the long bp sessions, in cold weather, wet balls, etc... A candle that burns twice as bright, lasts half as long...Senior bats are not really designed with no warranty to be our bp bats.. and other options are better that have returns. It does make all the manufacturers sometimes push the limits of how much wow factor they need to have out of the wrapper, in order to pick up market share...so I sympathize. |
| March 6, 2019 lb16 Men's 60 196 posts | bogie - Have you ever swung any of the OG or 2.0 Dudleys? Yes they both take a couple hundred swings to get broke in but after that you get anywhere from 800-1000 "high performance game swings" as you put it. I would rather have that option than the one you seem to like. The technology is there to consistently produce these bats the real issue is most bat mfg's don't want to produce those bats because they won't sell as many bats. Dudley getting away from the OG and 2.0 is a perfect example of this practice! And this is JMO!! |
| March 6, 2019 ffdonnie Men's 60 137 posts | I completely agree with lb16, and completely disagree with bogie. I left Miken when I was breaking the Ultra II in 100 swings. Left Reebok when those only lasted 250 swings. I love Dudley because I get 700+ swings. But will move on if they can't or won't provide the same quality product. |
| March 6, 2019 mnball 29 posts | I own 5 dudleys now and have broken 5 in the past - all bats getting close to 800 cuts for me. I played the last 5 years 50 Major plus and this year will be my first playing 55 major plus. I own a ton of bats and yes they do break - we have a 2019 sponsor with Adidas and we couldn't be any happier with their products . Dudley will fix this problem as they are a very good company. I think all top sr bats are very close but it simply comes down to each players personal preference. For me - nothing touches a 1 piece Adidas reload , I still have very fast bat speed so the 2 piece bats really don't work well for me. I see the Dudley re issue 2.0 12" I piece bat basically saving face with the Dudley loyalist - its a great bat right there with my reload - again just my opinion. |
| March 11, 2019 TOMMYHAWK77 7 posts | Just cracked my 14". I think this is the hottest bat out of the wrapper that I have ever swung. If Dudley can figure out how to make it last longer, they will have a great bat. Mine now sounds like a rain stick. Will be sending it back. |
| March 11, 2019 swing for the fences Men's 50 1224 posts | 4 of my friends have told me how hot they are and they all have broken them... one of my friends has a little bit of pop and broke his in 5 swings... he hits about 2 homers in a season fyi.. |
| March 11, 2019 ffdonnie Men's 60 137 posts | Just read Alan Tanners email/ad and his statement that Dudley says they are standing behind their product is a little confusing. Are they standing behind their less then 100 swings guarantee? Or behind the current POS bat they are trying to sell us? Either way that's just frick'n pathetic. Really Dudley, that's the best you can do? |
| March 12, 2019 Casey#44 19 posts | Elite Sports1 All As I mentioned before, I will post each step in this process. Good or bad. Also, this is my first experience with Dudley. We used 2 different sellers to buy our bats. One was a Dudley rep. I didn't want to name names before, but i feel it is the right thing to do. The Dudley rep was Robbie Clark. He could not have treated me better. He sent me a free return from Fed ex and the replacement bat just arrived. He was all over it from start to finish. Maybe a 10 day turn around. So, as for Dudley and their rep's customer service, I have to say outstanding. I am highly impressed so far. They even gave a different weight bat at my request. So.....Thanks Robbie. Thanks Dudley. Most impressive so far. I still have another return pending that wasn't through Robbie, so we will see how that goes. It did cost me $40 to return those. I am also concerned that they will be the exact same bat and break again just as easily but I will see in a few days and update. Casey |
| March 12, 2019 lb16 Men's 60 196 posts | Just curious has Dudley stated what they think the issue is? Are purchasers of these defective bats just going to get another one that could crack prematurely? Any Dudley reps out there can you answer! |
| March 12, 2019 Dirtball Men's 70 24 posts | Received my DudleyW 14" 25oz bat today. Being in the upper Midwest we hit indoors. Temp around 70 degrees. I'm 67, 6'1" 195lbs. Play in 65AAA. I have warning track power, many 1-2 hoppers off the 300' fence. Took about 50 hard swings, no problem, NO cracks. If anybody is looking at serial #'s my bat #1612180051. Ball really jumps off the bat after a few swings. Going to hit next week also. |
| March 13, 2019 TOMMYHAWK77 7 posts | As requested by Dudley, I sent them my receipt and a pic of the cracked bat. Called their customer service, the gentleman was very nice but did not seem to know that there was an issue with this particular bat. I inquired about a replacement (and after they review my case and approve a replacement), he said if I sent it back that it would be a 1-2 business day turnaround on getting the replacement bat back. My concern also was that I would get another faulty /defective bat. I pointed to a bigger concern that this was a bigger issue than just my bat and shared with him that quite a few people are complaining that these HOT W bats are breaking too early. He said that they have not received any damaged bats back yet as he was individualizing the issue; did not confirm a corporate problem. |
| March 13, 2019 TOMMYHAWK77 7 posts | I also asked what if I wait a month or two before sending the cracked bat in, he mentioned that this was not a bad idea. Season starts next month so I wanted to use the bat but can't since it is broke and don't trust that a fresh replacement will be any better. Maybe I will wait before sending in. Another thing I pointed out is that I have to pay for shipping it back to them. Not trying to nickel and dime but it is not my fault that their bat cracks the first day I swing it. |
| March 13, 2019 Bobby Buggs 90 posts | Guys, when turning in your cracked bat make sure you document the process every step of the way. Start from the day and place you purchased it from, who you spoke with when processing your return, pictures of your receipts if you have one and pictures of the serial #s. |
| March 16, 2019 miken44 90 posts | in reading all of these posts I see a lot of the problem seems to in the 14 inch Dudley hot is the 12 inch having the same thing happen is the 12 inch breaking as much as the 14 inch still debating I would by the 12 inch because that is what I like |
| March 16, 2019 NYGNYY 215 posts | I have no skin in this message. Not a Dudley fan but I’m wondering why SSUSA hasn’t jumped into this discussion by leveraging their power to oversee what’s happening here. Seems there is a problem with the bat. Are you guys working behind the scenes in order to help these guys? I |
| March 16, 2019 OMD 38 posts | Has anybody received their replacement bat yet? If you have, do you know if it's from the same defective batch or different batch? How's the new one holding up? |
| March 16, 2019 Casey#44 19 posts | Hi, yes I have. See above posts. I have received 1 replacement and am still waiting on 4 more. I put 15 swings on the new one. It didn't break but I did notice a very small ripple on one of the letters. I am hoping its just paint. I will follow up next week with any further developments. |
| March 16, 2019 PapaDan 1 posts | I see where a couple of the prominent online sellers are no longer showing the 2019 Dudley HOTW bats as only being available for "pre-order", and you can now order both the 12" and 14" models in the various weight sizes. So does this mean that Dudley/Spalding has resolved the bat cracking issue or the ones the online sellers now have are from a newer batch of bats? |
| March 16, 2019 miken44 90 posts | just came back from hitting at d-bats in solon ohio my buddy bought a 26 oz 12 in barrel put a 100 swings on it no cracks no breaks hitting 44 375 balls the was flying off of the bat he is 74 6 foot 3 230 lbs and hits the ball hard was waiting for it to break but nothing happened that is why I asked is it just 14 in breaking more 12 in does anyone have info on that |
| March 16, 2019 Lefty Men's 75 721 posts | Cracked the 28oz 14 INCH HOT W on the 2nd swing. So much if your 70 the HOT W want crack. Told Dudley for a replacement I wanted the 28 oz. endload 12 inch Lift. Well they sent me a Hot W 12 inch 28oz. Took it an the 27oz 2.0 Dudley to hit off the tee. Dudley 2.0 hit great and the HOT W 12 inch had a small crack on it. Wish they would have sent me the Lift. I never had this happen to me before. Lesson learned. |
| March 17, 2019 Mikelmart 152 posts | Finally got to hit my 14" after ordering it in January and receiving it March 1. First off this bat is HOT. Second, it broke in 12 swings. I'm a AAA player with very seldom power. I will be contacting Direct Sports on Monday morning and update my experience with them, stay tuned |
| March 18, 2019 db9111 Men's 55 8 posts | I just got my 14". I don't want to swing it until it warms up a bit. From the posts here it appears some are good, most are bad. Has Dudley,(or anyone) figured out from the serial #'s which bats are good/bad?? |
| March 19, 2019 Mikelmart 152 posts | Contacted Direct Sports about returning my 14" HOTW They referred me to contact Dudley directly,I did so, Dudley gave me an RA number and told me I had to pay to ship the bat back to them. I'm not happy with Direct Sports not taking care of their sale and Dudley not picking up the shipping charges. |
| March 19, 2019 Lefty Men's 75 721 posts | Sent my cracked 14" back to Dudley. They didn't have any 27oz. asked if I would take a Dudley Lift instead of waiting for my return. I said yes to a 12" endload lift. To my surprise they sent me the 12" Hot W. What's going to happen when this one cracks in 10 swings. Don't know but I learned a $200 lesson. Wait 6 months next time. |
| March 19, 2019 Brenco13 8 posts | I have both bats. I think the dudley is a better bat for that is worth. |
| March 21, 2019 Casey#44 19 posts | I swung my replacement bat today. It was 80+ in South Florida. I was hitting evil bp's and tanner balls. The bat cracked after 15 swings or so.(So I got around 30 total) It was still hot even with the cracking. Not sure what to do now since it was a replacement. I still have 2 more replacement bats. Not sure what to do with them either. I will try Dudley and see what they say. Casey |
| March 21, 2019 southpaw Men's 70 1077 posts | All my teammates kid me that I do not swing hard enough to break a bat so that may be the reason my new dudley is still intact. I have 210 swings off a batting tee and mine is just starting to open up. Still looks like it just came out of the wrapper. I purchased mine from Robbie Clark in south Alabama. My understanding is that there are 2 different batches out now; one with serial #'s beginning with 1 and another with 2. Mine is a 2. |
| March 21, 2019 action50 Men's 55 14 posts | My 14 inch serial # starts with a 2 my 27 oz cracked with about 20 half force swings. What happens if replacement bat cracks early,do they replace that one? |
| March 22, 2019 mnball 29 posts | The easy thing to do if you want to stay with Dudley - is buy the new Dudley 2.0 reissue - hot as the original and holds up very, very well. OR - go buy any of the 2019,18,17 Adidas bats. |
| March 25, 2019 sbsoftball30 Men's 65 15 posts | Hot W 26 ounce cracked this weekend in Mesquite with well under 75 swings. 70 plus degree weather. Serial number is 2212180830. Also have a 25 ounce still in wrapper serial number 1512180013. Does anyone have one from the 151 batch which has also cracked? Thanks. Direct Sports has indicated when I purchased that they would honor a replacement. |
| March 25, 2019 the car 83 posts | the money point was missed years ago when you could buy 1 bat 1 glove and cleats every couple years, NO MONEY IN SOFTBALL now it is big MONEY in softball |
| March 25, 2019 SSUSA Staff 3490 posts | **THREAD CLOSED** ... We're going to close this one simply due to an "excessive pitch count" (no inappropriate content) ... Feel free to start another one if you wish ... Thanks! |
