Louisville Slugger TPX EXOGRID SL9X5 Review

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.
The Exogrid is a one piece bat with the trademark Louisville stiff handle. What makes
(or made) it unique is that metal is trimmed from the handle in a grid pattern to reduce the overall handle weight. The metal is replaced with carbon (a.k.a. composite) inserts that are supposed to be several times stronger and lighter than the metal replaced. This is supposed to increase the handle stiffness (even for a Louisville bat) and strength
without increasing the weight.
The first question about the Exogrid is what category is this bat in? Is it an alloy or hybrid bat? In my opinion it’s a 100% alloy bat, and that’s how I classify it in my reviews. The carbon sleeve in the handle does not make it a hybrid bat. The proof is that Louisville has introduced a true hybrid bat in 2009, the H2. As mentioned, this was a unique design when it was introduced but has been surpassed by composite and hybrid bats. Unfortunately, Louisville is still pricing the Exogrid as a premium bat that incorporates the latest technology (Adult -3 retails at $370 and the Youth -11.5 at $230). It’s priced the same as their new hybrid bat, only $30 less (for the Adult model) than their top composite batTriton) and $70 more than their second tier composite bat (Omaha Comp). ( This makes absolutely no sense! Why would I purchase the Exogrid when the new technology costs the same or about the same? I’ve been a big fan of the Exogrid over the last two years and think it’s a quality bat that should be considered. But unless Louisville wakes up and prices this bat correctly it’s time to move on.