How an Axe-Handle Bat Is Going to Take Over Baseball
19th October 2016
Some of Major League Baseball’s best hitters have tossed aside their old sluggers for something called the Axe Bat. As the name implies, it’s part axe—thanks to a contoured oval handle and an angled knob—and promises players a more natural grip, better bat control, more-powerful swings, and a reduced risk of hand injuries. It’s also a Popular Science Best of What’s New award winner.
Chili Davis, the Boston Red Sox hitting coach—whose own 18-year MLB career netted 350 homers and three World Series rings—set the shift in motion when he brought one to spring training last year. When Chili swings, players take note, and two Sox are now swatting full-time with the Axe. Davis tells us the new lumber has a strong future in the batter’s box.