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What’s New With the 2013 Louisville Slugger TPX Exogrid 3?

The Exogrid has been Louisville’s best selling bat for the last six years, and in 2013 they have introduced the Exogrid 3. It is a hybrid baseball bat that uses an internal carbon composite sleeve in the handle. That LS-2X composite sleeve makes the bat lighter and makes the handle extremely stiff. That’s saying a lot for Louisville who prides itself on stiff handles and has never made a flex handle model. The majority of the bat is made with their AC21 alloy which was introduced in the 2012 model along with the LS-2X composite sleeve.

For all intense and purposes it is the exact same design they’ve used since it was introduced. The change for 2013 is that they’re now claiming it has the “lowest swing weight available” for a 2 5/8″ barrel BBCOR model. They say this is due to “composite flex band technology” that uses thinner high strength and lightweight graphite fibers, adding more layers to the barrel for added strength while reducing the overall thickness of the barrel wall.

It had always been promoted as a balanced bat in the past, so this change is significant. The best indication of how it is received is to see the number of college players using it. As said, it is the preferred bat of college players on teams swinging Louisville. If this changes they’re not accepting this technology.

It has always been a great choice for both power and singles hitters and is a bat I recommend. It is available in Adult BBCOR, Senior and Youth models. The BBCOR model retails for $299.

Here’s are the specifications of the Exogrid 3:

  • The heart of the ExoGrid 3 is the carbon sleeve, which provides greater handle stiffness than aluminum alone ever could
  • Metal is trimmed in a grid pattern, then replaced with carbon composite inserts that are several times stronger and lighter than the metal they replace
  • ExoGrid Bi/Fusion process uses a combination of heat and extreme pressure to bond the carbon sleeve, carbon inserts and metal wall to function as one single unit
  • Using thinner high-strength and lightweight graphite fibers, Louisville is able to add more layers to the composite for added strength while reducing the overall thickness of the barrel wall, meaning more pop and less weight
  • Rather than thicken the walls to bring them in line with BBCOR standard, Louisville inserts a 1″ wide graphite band
  • This graphite band gives the bat the lowest swing weight available for a 2 5/8″ BBCOR barrel, and it’s small enough that the sweet spot feels just like your old BESR bat
  • LS-2X composite /AC21 alloy hybrid
  • 31/32″ tapered handle
  • Synthetic grip
  • 2-Color end cap

Slide over here to view all of the 2013 Louisville baseball bats.

Here are Our 2013 Louisville Slugger Bats and Reviews

The Louisville name is synonymous with baseball bats and in reviews it’s impossible to separate them. Unfortunately they’ve been fighting an uphill battle in the industry to regain the top spot in the industry. The problem has been in the 100% composite category where they have failed to manufacture a bat that has caught on. Last year they took a step in the right direction with the Z-1000 composite. It has received much more acceptance and you’ll actually see college players using it. They’re hopeful it will become a staple in their line-up with the long running Omaha and Exogrid.

No surprise that Louisville is sticking to a one-piece stiff handle design for their 2013 line-up. They finally got the message last year and returned to the design that has defined and what people expect from them. All bats listed below are BBCOR Certified for high school and collegiate ball or approved for play in Little League, Babe Ruth, Dixie, Pony, AA Continue reading →

2012 Louisville Slugger BBCOR Baseball Bats

Louisville has a long and respected history in the baseball bat industry and was considered the holy grail of baseball bats. That distinction has long since faded and they are trying to catch up. Unfortunately, it’s going to be a long recovery as they were slow to get out of the BBCOR bat gate.

For 2012 they’ve made significant changes to their line-up. They’ve discarded the poor selling multi-piece bat design of the last few years and have gone back to their core, a one piece bat design (say bye-bye to the Triton and H2). Not to say I told you so, but these were my comments regarding their 2011 models:  “They need to decide if they’re going to jump into the multi-piece bat market or not. If you’re coming out with a multi-piece design tell me it’s a multi-piece design and why that makes sense, or come out with a one-piece design and tell me why it’s better. Stop with the “bonded to be a one-piece bat”, nobody believes it and that is why sales are lagging.”

Louisville needs a strong entry in the 100% composite category to b Continue reading →

2011 Louisville Baseball Bats

Louisville has a long and respected history in the baseball bat industry, but they’ve falling behind in the composite and hybrid categories. They’re entries into these categories, now 3 years old, have not received a positive response. They are seldom seen at the high school or college level (when composite bats were legal in the NCAA). For 2011 they’ve only made some minor changes. This is extremely disappointing from what most consider the holy grail of baseball bat manufacturers. Louisville must go back to the drawing board in 2012 and come out with a brand new high end composite and hybrid design. The “bonded together to a one piece bat” claim has fallen on deaf ears. They must come out with a true two-piece design for their hybrid and either a true two-piece for their composite or a true one piece bat and stop the bull. Don’t forget to visit My Baseball Bat Recommendations for my choices in each category.

Here’s the breakdown of the Louisville line-up:


Louisville Composite Bats


  • TPX Triton – A 3-piece bat made with 100% composite material with Louisville’s stiff handle and a balanced design. The 2011 Triton is the exact same bat as the 2010 model, with the exception of a better paint job. I’ve only seen the 2011 Triton in a Senior or Youth model, nothing in the Adult -3. This bat has by far the largest barrel I’ve seen on a baseball bat. As I’ve stated in the past, it would be in Louisville’s best interest to either call this a multi-piece bat or stick to a true 1-piece design. Instead they continue to market it as a three-piece bat bonded together as a one-piece bat. I’ve hit with the Triton and seen it used in some youth games and it seems to hit well and has a great sound. You will rarely see it in a high school game. Even when composites were legal in the NCAACollege teams using Louisville bats choose the Exogrid, Omaha or H2 (in that order) and not the Triton. I recommend the Easton Speed for experienced players who want a 100% composite bat.


  • TPX Dynasty Composite – This 100% 7C composite, one-piece bat has the Louisville stiff handle and a balanced design. This bat is the same bat as the 2010 Dynasty, 2009 Omaha Comp and 2008 Catalyst. Louisville has been playing musical chairs with the name of this bat and decided the old Dynasty name would make sense. I believe this bat is an excellent second tier composite bat choice for several reasons. First, it has a great price at $259 for the Adult -3 model. Second, it has a proven track record being a Catalyst/Omaha Comp. Third it’s a true one-piece bat! No claims of being bonded together to act like a one-piece bat. An excellent choice for those looking for a lower priced composite bat.

Louisville Hybrid Bats


  • H2: There is a slight change to the 2011 H2 model. It’s a two piece bat that bonds the pieces together to make the claim that it’s a one piece bat (we’ve already covered this). The 100% composite handle is Louisville’s stiffest which is saying something, and barrel has been changed to Louisville’s new AC21 alloy, replacing their long running ST+20 alloy. It has a balanced swing weight design. The new alloy was added because it bonds together better with the composite handle, not because it provides better pop. I’m guessing they had one too many returns of a bat that broke in half at the “bonding” point. The Adult -3 model retails for $299 as it did last year. It’s not one of my top choices in the hybrid category, but still a decent bat.


  • Exogrid: Louisville’s best selling bat is back for a 5th year. There is a slight change for 2011 as it too has changed to Louisville’s new AC21 alloy. The EXO has been Louisville’s best selling bat for the last few years and, quite honestly, has saved them from total disaster with the Triton and H2 debacles. Clearly their going to milk this golden goose for as long as possible because the Adult -3 continues to retail for an amazing $369. The really big news is Rawlings release of their own Exogrid in 2011 (see Rawlings reviews). It will be interesting to see if Louisville loses some sales because of this. In my opinion this bat is closer to a 100% alloy bat then a hybrid but with the carbon sleeve cut into the handle it’s in the hybrid category. I believe the price of this bat is way too high and I can’t recommend it when for an additional $30 I can get a 100% composite bat. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good bat but I just can’t recommend pulling the trigger at $369. If you love this bat find the 2010 model. It’s the same bat and will cost you a lot less money. It’s still a one piece, hybrid bat with some metal cut out of the handle and replaced with composite material. It comes with Louisville’s stiff handle and a balanced design. As mentioned earlier, most players on College teams who use Louisville bats swing the Exogrid.

Louisville Alloy Bats


  • TPX Omaha: No it’s not the energizer bunny, its Louisville Omaha and it’s still going. It’s the same bat they’ve been making for the last ten years, with some new paint. It’s a one-piece, 100% alloy bat with a stiff handle, a balanced design and the same ST-20 alloy. They did not make this bat with their new AC21 alloy, which makes it clear the new alloy is only intended to help the bonding on their hybrid bats. Amazingly, they have increased the price to $229 for the Adult -3 model. It was priced at $199 last year. It’s very odd that the price would go up on a very old design, not the smartest of moves. It’s a great choice for those who don’t want to break the bank. Many players on College teams with Louisville contracts prefer to use the Omaha instead of the Triton or H2.

Louisville makes quality bats but, as mentioned, they need to rethink their multi-piece design and marketing hype. They need to decide if they’re going to jump into the multi-piece bat market or not. If you’re coming out with a multi-piece design tell me it’s a multi-piece design and why that makes sense, or come out with a one-piece design and tell me why it’s better. Stop with the “bonded to be a one-piece bat” nobody believes it and that is why sales are lagging.

Our Review of the Louisville Slugger TPX EXOGRID SL9X5

The Louisville Exogrid has been a popular baseball bat for the last three years. When introduced, it had a unique design that separated it from the pack. In the 2009 model year, with the reemergence of composite bats and introduction of hybrid technology, the Exogrid is no longer a novelty. Louisville is a strong proponent of the stiff handle. Their material says “the last thing you want at the moment of contact is for your bat handle to flex thus the barrel can not.  A stiff handle produces more barrel flex, resulting in maximum trampoline effect and greater performance.” The Exogrid is marketed as the premier stiff handle bat in their arsenal because of its design.

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