Published on: September 29, 2016
Mizuno’s line-up of 2017 metal baseball bats hit retail in August. Giving us all the details on the latest gear from Mizuno, we sat down with Mizuno bat engineer, Brendan Kays, to talk about the all-new Mizuno Covert.
How does Mizuno come up with the latest bat innovations?
The bat is one of the most powerful tools in a ball player’s bag. What is most important it that we are listening to what players need and what in their baseball bats. Our team is out on the field, talking to players as much as possible. This gives us the insight we need to know where to focus our attention and find innovation ways to get there. Another asset is a roster of former baseball players working at Mizuno who challenge us in all fronts, from materials and design to the technology.
The Covert is the newest in the bat line-up and packed with technology. What is CORTECH and how does it impact performance?
CORTECH is the base technology behind all of our aluminum bats – one-piece alloy Generation, two-piece hybrid Covert and power-hitting Maxcor. CORTECH technology allows us to make the walls of the bat thinner by varying the thickness towards the cap and towards the handle, unlike other bats. CORTECH helps us achieve a wider “sweet spot.” This means more hits for players off the sweet spot, and a lower swing weight for increased bat speed and added control.
What about Hot Metal Alloy? Is this a different material than what’s use in other baseball bats?
Hot Metal Alloy is a much stronger alloy that what has been used in Mizuno bats and competitor bats in the past. This increase in strength allows for more creativity in the CORTECH design and even thinner walls than ever before to give you that increased pop!
How is the Covert different than the Nighthawk?
Covert is a very similar construction to the Nighthawk. We pushed the limits of the material and manufacturing process and made sure every technical detail was accounted for in the Covert. The result, a lighter swinging bat with a 22 percent wider sweet spot than the Nighthawk thanks to new innovations of Hot Metal Alloy in our CORTECH design. Wider sweet spot means more hits at the plate.
Is the Covert recommended for certain types of baseball players?
Covert is perfect for all types of hitters and skill levels. The hybrid design with LINK construction eliminates vibration and since the barrel is aluminum the bat doesn’t require a break in period like most composite making it an ideal choice.
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The new Mizuno Covert metal baseball bat provides both comfort and durability. It comes in multiple drops (-3, -5, -9, -10, -12) to meet the needs of any level player. It is BBCOR certified and USSSA, NCAA & NFHS approved. Time to get swinging!