^ CA has been doing it for years and they got some stick for shortened blades. Now, many bat makers are doing it, it is not such an issue any more.
Agree with this partially, I was not a fan of CA for doing this because it was something different. After actually trying one, I find that a shorter blade is absolutely fine
for me! (Provided it's not MMI3 short) One thing to note about CA was that the overall bat length was also shorter, so it meant that it would take a bit of adjustment, or may even be uncomfortable for people who are used to holding the bat at the top of the handle.
I think I'm even tending towards a shorter blade now, take away the wood from the nonessential areas and whack it in the middle! (Been using a H4L Warbird and had no issues)