2019 DeMarini CF Black Review

The CF Black is the same bat as the CF Zen for 2019. As such, the USSSA recommendations stay that same. That is, a hitter looking for what many believe (including us) to be the best USSSA bat on the market. The Black version adds some flair and unique style but, in the end, is a ball killer just like the CF Zen. The fact the bat prices out the same, at least off the shelf, as the CF Zen makes it highly recommendable.

USSSA CF Black Recommendations

We love the smooth smash, big barrel and balance swing weight of the 2019 DeMarini CF Black. It is nearly impossible to ring your hands and every smash feels like a bomb. Exit speeds are top shelf and the barrel size for a two piece composite is about as good as it gets. There is a reason these are the most popular USSSA bats.

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Comparable Bats

There are a few two piece composite bats with a light swing in the big barrel/USSSA market. To name a few, Rawlings’ Quatro, Slugger’s 919 prime and Easton’s Ghost X Evo. The only company to come out with a limited edition version of these bats throughout the year is Easton. In 2018 they had a color up version (white) of the drop 5 USSSA. That white version bat did very well for them.

A few years back DeMarini created some Zero Dark versions of the CF Zen. These were limited edition bats only to be found in brick and mortar stores. These CF Black’s are similar to that in the sense of a later release/color up that will reinvigorate the CF Zen lovers among us.

2019 CF Zen

See the CF Zen Review

We have hit with the BBCOR, Drop 5, Drop 8 and Drop 10 2019 DeMarini CF Zen. The bat is a two-piece composite bat with a big barrel and a light swing. We don’t see any differences between this bat and the 2018 (or its newer 2020/2021 version). That is not a bad thing. The bat dominated the USSSA space, is average in USA and a good to great bat in BBCOR. The USSSA bat likes to break, but in the meantime, it is a great hit.

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2018 CF Zen

See the CF Zen Review

DeMarini’s CF line of baseball bats are, arguably, the most popular bats on the planet. We have hit, and reviewed, every CF series since the CF3. The 2018 version is a good iteration and, despite using the rings in the barrel to compensate for the USSSA illegality in 2017, the bat is fantastic. We’ve yet to hear from a player who doesn’t like the bats—and we’ve seen dozens at this point.

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2017 CF Zen

See the CF Zen Review

The 2017 CF Zen is a legend. The 2 3/4 blue one was banned from USSSA play and the 2 5/8 green drop 5 was and is an absolute ball killer. At the time of this updated writing you can still find it on Amazon in exchange for your kidney. The bat is the perfect blend of balance and performance. Long sweet spot in every size and dominates the USSSA space. The only downfall is that it has some durability issues—but that is directly correlated to how hot the bat is from day 1.

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