Once again DeMarini delivers with one of the best baseball bats on the market in the 2018 DeMarini CF Zen as part of the CF series of bats. This -3 balanced BBCOR bat is the lightest-swinging bat DeMarini has made to date.
This CF Zen BBCOR bat was engineered to help improve the player’s bat speed through the strike zone, and it’s a great introductory bat for those looking to make the jump to BBCOR.
Best Place to Buy the DeMarini 2018 CF Zen Baseball Bat
My favorite place to check pricing is on Amazon. Their prices tend to be the cheapest and with my Prime membership, I get 2 day free shipping. Sometimes even in 1 day!
The primary goal of this CF Zen bat was to help hitters create speed not only through the zone but also on the ball. This Zen baseball bat is built to help increase exit velocity on the baseball as well, making it a great fit not just for contact hitters, but power hitters as well.
DeMarini worked with high school and college players who build their game around bat speed, and this composite DeMarini BBCOR bat is what they eventually came up with.
In the middle of the CF Zen bat is DeMarini’s 3Fusion handle, which helps in the weight distribution of the bat. This was done to help create a balanced swing speed without losing any pop. The 3Fusion handle works from the middle to the cap of the bat and gives it a smooth and comfortable feel.
Available Sizes:
The length of the 2018 DeMarini CF Zen starts at 30 inches and goes all the way up 34 inches. The weight starts at 27 ounces for the 30-inch bat length and goes up one ounce for every inch, so the 34-inch bat weighs 31 ounces. The diameter of the barrel is 2-5/8 inches.
| Bat Size | Bat Weight |
|---|---|
| 30 Inches | 27 Ounces |
| 31 Inches | 28 Ounces |
| 32 Inches | 29 Ounces |
| 33 Inches
34 Inches |
30 Ounces
31 Ounces |
Who is this bat for?
The CF Zen BBCOR was created for ages 14 and older and is BBCOR Certified for high school and college baseball players. This bat was inspired by high school and college hitters, and that’s who it was made for. Any high school or college player looking to help gain bat speed and power through the zone should take a look at the 2018 DeMarini CF Zen.
Why You Want This Bat
- It’s one of DeMarini’s lightest swinging bats, meaning it will help increase your bat speed
- The 3Fusion System from knob to end cap helps with weight control of the bat
- The paraflex composite material of the bat gives it better flex without losing pop
Why You Might not Want This Bat
- A few of the bad reviews on this bat had to do with the end cap breaking off. Apparently, the end cap breaks off fairly easily, but DeMarini does offer a one-year limited warranty for this bat
- Currently listed at a high price on the DeMarini website, this bat is not cheap
- While you can get pop out of this bat, some reviewers stated that the sweet spot in order to generate that pop is very small
Best Place to Buy the DeMarini 2018 CF Zen Baseball Bat
My favorite place to check pricing is on Amazon. Their prices tend to be the cheapest and with my Prime membership, I get 2 day free shipping. Sometimes even in 1 day!
Comparisons
The biggest difference between the 2018 DeMarini CF Zen model from its predecessor is the 3Fusion handle. The 2017 DeMarini CF Zen BBCOR version of this bat did not include the 3Fusion handle, which didn’t help with some of the sting and vibration when a ball wasn’t perfectly squared up. That is obviously taken care of with the 2018 model.
As far as swing weight goes, the CF Zen BBCOR is not nearly as balanced as the CF Insane or Voodoo bats from DeMarini. But, the 2018 DeMarini CF Zen is constructed fully with composite material, while the DeMarini Voodoo is made up of half-and-half.
Customizable
Just like with most DeMarini bats, you have the ability to customize the 2018 DeMarini CF Zen to your liking. You can choose the base color of your bat, as well as the first and second decal, which means you could have up to three different colors on your bat if you so choose.
You can also pick the base color of the handle, but it has to be black or white. However, there is a small decal on the handle that you can make a variety of colors.
For the main grip on the bat, there are several colors to choose from. You can also choose an American flag grip or a cash money grip. The grip tape at the top of the handle can either be black, white or gray.
The end cap and the knob of the bat are customizable as well with various colors available, including camo blue, silver, and zero dark.
Keep in mind, customizing your bat will cost you extra!
Final Verdict
The 2018 DeMarini CF Zen gives high school and college hitters a great bat for those struggling to generate bat speed. The fully composite barrel gives you the feel and comfort needed to still generate some pop.
While there are some concerns with the end cap of the CF Zen bat, DeMarini does offer a limited one-year warranty, which is greatly needed with the high price of this DeMarini BBCOR bat.
But the DeMarini CF Zen baseball bat is still regarded as one of the best on the market, and the 2018 version doesn’t disappoint.
Best Place to Buy the DeMarini 2018 CF Zen Baseball Bat
My favorite place to check pricing is on Amazon. Their prices tend to be the cheapest and with my Prime membership, I get 2 day free shipping. Sometimes even in 1 day!
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