Every bat has a "sweet spot," the part where the least vibration through the bat is produced on contact -- hitting the ball off the sweet spot means less "sting

Every bat has a "sweet spot," the part where the least vibration through the bat is produced on contact -- hitting the ball off the sweet spot means less "stinging," which you may have experienced if you've ever been to a batting cage and taken a bad swing at a ball. It's also the part of the bat where you get the biggest exit speed off the bat, and faster balls tend to be fielded less, so more exit speed means a better hit ball. Aluminum bats have a significantly larger sweet spot than wooden bats, and they also have a higher coefficient of restitution -- that's the measure of "springiness" that a bat has, which is another factor in ball exit speeds. (Although aluminum bat manufacturers have been "deadening" their aluminum bats for college use because of safety concerns.) Altogether, aluminum bats are substantially different from wood bats, and what you get is a game with a lot less skill involved and a lot more well-hit balls. This Axe Bat, meanwhile, is a pretty modest tweak that is allowed under the current rules for what players can use.