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By Bat Digest | Last Updated June 15, 2022
Our 2017 DeMarini Vendetta Fastpitch Review comes after a few hours’ research and cage experience with the bat. It should be considered a starter bat for travel ball players. Expect a real butter smash even on mishits, insomuch that bad hits actually feel good. Newer players seeing big-time pitch speed will appreciate that. It also swings heavier than its top-shelf peer, the DeMarini CF9. The drop 12 Vendetta is a great choice in the drop 12 space—one of the very best in our opinion. The drop 10 is great as a backup or batting practice bat for elite players, or as a starter bat for those new to the craft.
There are at least a few player groups that will appreciate the 2017 DeMarini Vendetta. The largest group may be the younger players looking for their first row in competitive fastpitch. Indeed, the bat has all the features of a serious bat—namely, two-piece composite construction with a large barrel. The Vendetta’s use of a softer composite makes the transition into faster pitches and unruly bat speeds more manageable.
Yet the soft barrel and flexible transition are exactly why more experienced players may do well with another model, like DeMarini’s CF9. A stiffer feel and a more firm barrel generally hit the ball more powerfully. Hence the reason the Vendetta is not for everyone.
| 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| MOI | Tech | Drb | Flx | Prof | ReSl | PlaRa | ExVe | Relv | Dmnd |
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| 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| MOI | Tech | Drb | Flx | Prof | ReSl | PlaRa | ExVe | Relv | Dmnd |
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Like the top shelf CF9 from DeMarini, the Vendetta is also a two-piece composite bat. However, expect a transition without added technology, a composite barrel with a few years old technologies (C6), and a less stiff feel.
Compared to the 2016 DeMarini Vendetta, you can expect no changes but the color up. In fact, the Vendetta has not changed much for several years and has become a staple entry-level bat in the fastpitch space.
In the Drop 12 two-piece composite space, the DeMarini Vendetta has at least a little bit of company. Maybe the most popular, Easton’s FS3 fastpitch (our 2016 FS3 review) bat is a lighter swing than the Vendetta, but it has the same feel of an entry-level travel ball-type bat. Slugger also makes a fastpitch bat in the drop 12 space called the X12. Like the FS3, it is a light swinging bat. Expect the drop 12 Vendetta to swing slightly heavier than either the FS3 or the X12. If we are to believe the average of most online reviews, then the FS3 is the most popular and the Slugger X12 should never be bought.
If you need a slightly heavier option in the drop 12 space, then the Vendetta is a great choice. Otherwise, we think the Easton FS3 is a winner.
In the drop 10 space, the options in fastpitch softball bats appear endless. There is not a bat that does not come in a drop 10. As such, the range of performance standards varies greatly. The Vendetta serves as an entry-level bat with a real soft smash and a slight end load. If that describes your hitting needs, then it may very well be the bat you have been looking for.
Otherwise, Slugger’s LXT or XENO, Demarini’s CF9, Easton’s MAKO, Marucci’s Pure or Rawlings’ Quatro—to name a few—might be the better option.
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.
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