2017 Anderson Flex Review | Upgraded End Caps

By Bat Digest | Last Updated November 17, 2022

Two years ago, we took the new Anderson Flex for a spin, and with plenty of 2015 Flex cage time since, it still serves as one of our main BP bats.

Price Check

2017 Flex Video

2017 Flex Video

2017 Flex Models

With that in mind, you can imagine our excitement to try out the 2017 version. We have come a long way since then, and after several hours of hitting and comparison, the following comprises our 2017 Anderson Flex Review.

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General Recomendations

For 2017, the Flex continues the one piece aluminum track it started in 2015. The barrel size and general contact feel are very similar to the previous model. The swing weight, however, has decreased slightly. This feature improvement, as we understand it, is attributed to the upgraded, lighter end cap found only in the 2017 version.
There is also a color/design upgrade for 2017.

Model Recommendations

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Comparable Bats

There are a number of single piece aluminum bats built for a stiff feel and good power transfer. The 517 Omaha from Slugger and the 5150 from Rawlings are likely the two most popular with the best user reviews.

Previous Models

We referenced Anderson’s site a number of times to verify sizing and end cap construction. Of course, our 2015 Anderson Flex Review was also very helpful. Our Louisville Slugger 517 Omaha Review and our 2017 Rawlings 5150 Review are useful too. As the bat has not changed much, Amazon’s user reviews on the 2015 Flex are also referenced.

Overall Ratings

The overall rating uses seven different weighted metrics to determine our overall score. Half of total rating comes from the player and our exit speed tests (Player Rating: 25%, Performance: 25%).The other categories are Relevance (20%), Demand (10%), Durability (10%), Resell Score (5%), and Tech Specs (5%).

*: When a bat is denoted by a star (*) it is a preliminary rating. Expect it to be updated as we learn more about the bat and gather more data.

(PlaRa) Player Rating: We measure player rating from user reviews. Those users include our own hitters that we test at the lab as well as reviews we find online.

(ExVe) Performance: Performance measures the exit speeds and distances we capture in our hitting lab with HitTrax using these bats.

(Relv) Relevance: We measure the number of sizes and the MOI of the bat. Bats with a wider range of options get a better score.

(Dmnd) Demand: Demand is measured by consumer sentiment and the buzz around the bat.

(Drb) Durability: A bat’s durability is measured by user reviews as well as feedback from manufacturers.

(ReSl) Resell Score: Based on the price the bats go for used. Higher prices mean greater user demand which means, generally, a better bat. A resell value closer to its original price means a higher score.

(Tech) Tech Specs: We rate the bat on its technological advancements from previous years and compared to the industry at large. This is our chance to reward companies who are trying to innovate.
MOI
MOI or Mass Moment of Inertia is a measurement of bat swing weight. This quantifies how difficult it is to swing a bat. The industry often refers to this as things like End Load or Balanced but those words have been overused to the point of meaninglessness. We measure the actual swing weights of each bat we test using the industry-standard pendulum period, balance point, and scale weight. You can read more about that here.
Price
The price is the original MSRP price of the bat.
Type
The types of bats are single-piece alloy (SPA), two-piece composite (TPC), single-piece composite (SPC), hybrid (Hyb.), and wood (Wood). Hybrid bats are made of composite handles and alloy barrles.
Date
The estimated date the bat began distribution.