2017 Axe Hyperwhip Fusion Review

By Bat Digest | Last Updated November 17, 2022

Although still early in the 2017 bat season, we think of the 2017 HyperWhip Fusion as Axe’s marquee bat for 2017. We don’t know if it will be, but we think it should be their best seller in the BBCOR space. A few reasons drive this:

The price point makes more sense than many two-piece composites.
The light swing and good-sized barrel compare well to any bat on the market.
Single-piece aluminum bats are in vogue as hitters want a wood-like experience with power. The 2017 Axe HyperWhip Fusion delivers on this.
The Axe Handle makes sense, and one-sided hitting with predictive contact is brilliant.

Lack of sizing could force many to miss out. We wish the bat was offered in a 30-inch as many 14 and 15-year-olds need as light a swing as possible. (Of note, the smallest VELO size is a 31-inch too, but the 617 Slugger comes in a 29-inch). We would hope, as well, that a big barrel 2 5/8 or 2 3/4 is in the works.

The EndoGrid knob and ergonomic feel of the Axe handle do dampen handling, but not like a two-piece composite does. Some hitters might find that a deal-breaker.

Price Check

2017 Hyperwhip Fusion Video

2017 Hyperwhip Fusion Video

2017 Hyperwhip Fusion Models

Aside from the 2016 model with the name Axe Element Hyperwhip, there really are no comparable bats to the 2017 Hyperwhip Fusion. Sure, there are single-piece aluminum bats with an extended end cap, but none of those have the asymmetric knob or endcap.

BBCOR

…/10

General Recomendations

If we were stretching, we’d suggest the 2017 Louisville Slugger 617 Solo. That is also a single-piece aluminum with an extended end cap that only comes in a BBCOR. As well, the 2017 VELO from Rawling has a similar intent as a single-piece aluminum with the extended composite end cap for a light swing. The VELO has the benefit of other size options outside of BBCOR. However, neither of those bats come with the ergonomic knob nor the barrel made for one-sided hitting.

Model Recommendations

BBCOR Review

Hyperwhip Fusion BBCOR Ratings (key)

MOI	Tech	Drb	Flx	Prof	ReSl	PlaRa	ExVe	Relv	Dmnd
2	5	5	4	3	2	4	4	5	3

…
OVERALL/10

Price It

The 2017 Axe HyperWhip Fusion bat is the full-year iteration of the 2016 Axe Element HyperWhip Fusion barrel released late in the 2016 season. Compared to that version, the material has been strengthened for durability's sake. Otherwise, there are no upgrades with the obvious exception of the color. That said, we reiterate the things we learned from the 2016 Axe Element Hyperwhip in this 2017 Axe Hyperwhip Review.

Sizing: 31, 32, 33, 34-inch

Release Date: November 4, 2016

Serial: AXEHYPER2017

Bat Type: Single Piece Alloy

Barrel Size: 2 5/8

See other BBCOR Bats

Construction

We cover the intricacies of the Axe Hyperwhip in our 2016 review on the Axe Element. For that discussion, we point you there. The 2017 and 2016 models are identical aside from color. Here we give some short overviews of the very unique construction of the 2017 Hyperwhip Fusion.

Asymmetric Knob for fast bat speed
Barrel designed with one-sided hitting in mind
EndoGrip knob for lessened vibrations
Asymmetric end cap for decreased swing weight
A 3-inch-ish composite end cap fused into the aluminum barrel for a lighter swing

Overall Ratings

The overall rating uses seven different weighted metrics to determine our overall score. Half of total rating comes from the player and our exit speed tests (Player Rating: 25%, Performance: 25%).The other categories are Relevance (20%), Demand (10%), Durability (10%), Resell Score (5%), and Tech Specs (5%).

*: When a bat is denoted by a star (*) it is a preliminary rating. Expect it to be updated as we learn more about the bat and gather more data.

(PlaRa) Player Rating: We measure player rating from user reviews. Those users include our own hitters that we test at the lab as well as reviews we find online.

(ExVe) Performance: Performance measures the exit speeds and distances we capture in our hitting lab with HitTrax using these bats.

(Relv) Relevance: We measure the number of sizes and the MOI of the bat. Bats with a wider range of options get a better score.

(Dmnd) Demand: Demand is measured by consumer sentiment and the buzz around the bat.

(Drb) Durability: A bat’s durability is measured by user reviews as well as feedback from manufacturers.

(ReSl) Resell Score: Based on the price the bats go for used. Higher prices mean greater user demand which means, generally, a better bat. A resell value closer to its original price means a higher score.

(Tech) Tech Specs: We rate the bat on its technological advancements from previous years and compared to the industry at large. This is our chance to reward companies who are trying to innovate.
MOI
MOI or Mass Moment of Inertia is a measurement of bat swing weight. This quantifies how difficult it is to swing a bat. The industry often refers to this as things like End Load or Balanced but those words have been overused to the point of meaninglessness. We measure the actual swing weights of each bat we test using the industry-standard pendulum period, balance point, and scale weight. You can read more about that here.
Price
The price is the original MSRP price of the bat.
Type
The types of bats are single-piece alloy (SPA), two-piece composite (TPC), single-piece composite (SPC), hybrid (Hyb.), and wood (Wood). Hybrid bats are made of composite handles and alloy barrles.
Date
The estimated date the bat began distribution.