2017 Louisville Slugger 517 Omaha Review

As one of the very first to swing the original 515 and 516 Omaha from Louisville Slugger, we have hit regularly with each of those bats over the course of the last two years.

The major upgrade from the 2016 516 are an improved alloy for a lighter swing speed.  We can confirm that. Additionally, while the physical barrel hasn't increased much (if at all), Slugger claims the usable barrel, due to an upgraded alloy, has also increased. This, in theory at-least, creates a larger sweet spot. There really is no way for us to confirm this. Another change from previous years is a custom Lizard Skin grip.

The 517 from Slugger is a single piece aluminum bat. It is a straight forward bat that doesn't boast any new tech. It, after all, a bat. And they make no bones about it.