Categories: Bats

2018 Louisville Slugger Vapor Review

2018 Louisville Slugger Vapor

Be careful not to fly away when swinging the Lousiville Slugger Vapor: the bat that’s light as air.

Yea, when you are looking for quality bats you can be sure that Louisville Slugger will always deliver.

After all, they’ve been in the business of making baseball bats since 1884.

They do know a thing or two about how to carefully construct a bat that will dominate during the baseball season.

This 2018 Louisville Slugger Vapor was one of the most viewed 2018 bats. I know that a lot of you are looking to see if it is worth all the hype or not.

The quick answer is yes, but let’s get into some details to make sure that I cover all of the points that I think you should know about this bat.

Design

There’s some new, and some old but overall these features make the Louisville Slugger Vapor awesome.

Alloy Frame

Made of an all alloy frame, it is durable as it is at promising a solid performance. This is one of the old features since most metal bats are made of alloy.

What I can tell you is that it is high quality and made to perform.

Comfortable Grip

It comes with a handle that is wrapped with a synthetic leather grip making it comfortable to the hand and ensuring an easy swing like the 2018 Omaha 518.

One of the most important and overlooked things is being comfortable at the plate. I know it sounds like I’m reaching here but I’m serious.

If I don’t like a grip for a baseball bat, I don’t think I can use it in a game. The reason for that is just because I need to be as confident as I can at the plate.

Being comfortable and having that good grip on the handle is one of those things that is almost vital for me.

Engineered For Speed

I don’t know what the heck they did but this thing is made to be light and fast. Those are two great things to have in a baseball bat.

The one-piece design and performance alloy that is used is a great baseball combo.

I see that this bat is made for the contact hitter, who likes to get some speed on the ball instead of weight. For me, that is what I am looking for (in my own opinion and style of hitting).

The benefits of speed include turning on inside pitches easier, getting farther hits, and having more bat control for a smoother swing.

Warranty and Specs

This bat comes with a 12-month warranty and is BBCOR certified for both High school and College use.

Other quick specs include:

  • A -3 Length to weight ratio for the best swing
  • A barrel diameter of 2 5/8 inches
  • 31/32-inch tapered handle for superior grip
  • One-piece alloy design for excellent performance and durability
  • BBCOR Certification for High School and College approval

Performance

There is some major talk about this bat going on around the baseball community about the Louisville Slugger Vapor.

The main subject of controversy is about the lightness of the bat.

A lot of people say that this bat needs more weight to it, but they are wrong and I’ll tell you why.

Why It’s Called The Vapor

This bat is called the Vapor, which is a gas of a liquid that is suspended into the air. If you want to imagine what exactly vapor is, look above the pot when you boil water.

Vapor is like a gas, and it is just hanging out in the air without a lot of weight to it.

That is exactly what Louisville Slugger did here with the 2018 Louisville Slugger Vapor.

The purpose of this is not to have weight, it is the total opposite. You want lightness if you’re looking at this bat. The main aspect of this bat is that it is light and can generate a quick bat speed.

With that being said, bat speed you want and bat speed you’ll get.

The Vapor is quick as a rabbit on a hot summers day, as it is as balanced as the engineers at Louisville Slugger could make it. That is usually what you get with light and balanced bats.

More specific to an in-game experience, this is made to get nice line drives or solid grounders in the gap. You aren’t necessarily looking to hit it over the fence with this bat.

It is more aimed to give you better handling and speed through the zone. There simply isn’t enough weight behind it for some guys (not all).

So basically I’m not saying it’s impossible it hit a homer with the Louisville Slugger Vapor, but it’s easier with bats with a little more weight to them.

If you want to pick up a 2018 Louisville Slugger Vapor click the button below to take you right to Amazon.

BBCOR Certification

This is a term that is very common in the world of baseball and you very likely may have come across it. Most people, however, don’t know what it means and the circumstances surrounding it.

BBCOR stands for Baseball Coefficient of Restitution and is the standard that oversees the manufacture of all adult-type baseball bats in College and High School Play.

Instead of having a measure of the ratio of the pitch and bat speed to ball exit speed, BBCOR is known for measuring the ball’s trampoline effect.

With past baseball bats, when a thrown ball came into contact with a composite or alloy bat, the bat would flex concavely. The ball thus retained some of that energy and this resulted in further hits.

The BBCOR standards ensure that bats that are not made of wood perform just as much by reducing the flex, therefore, leveling the playing field and promoting player safety.

Another requirement for baseball bats to earn a BBCOR Certification includes a -3 length compared to ounces ratio and a 2 5/8-barrel diameter. BBCOR Certified baseball bats all have the BBCOR Certified.50’’ mark.

How to properly take care of your Baseball bat

No, the Louisville Slugger Vapor will not take care of itself. It’s like a newborn baby… well not really.

Let’s look at a few tips to help you maintain your baseball bat in the best condition possible for the longest time possible.

  • Avoid using the baseball bat in temperatures that are below 60 degrees Fahrenheit
  • Try to limit the bat use to a specific individual i.e self-use
  • Avoid storing the bat is extremely hot or cold temperature areas
  • Always use regulation leather covered baseballs
  • Avoid playing or hitting water clogged baseballs
  • Always check your baseball bat routinely for damage.
  • During hits, ensure to rotate your bat ¼ way with every swing that way you avoid over using a single part of the bat and therefore causing damage.

While different manufacturers may offer different ways to maintain your bat, the above principles are generic and apply to all bats.

When getting yourself a baseball bat, you will typically receive a 12- month warranty that Is intended to cover end cap breaking, denting, internal rattle, breaking and loose knob.

A Couple Of Last Things To Say

So yea, this bat is pretty awesome and I think it’ll be a good investment for anyone who’s on the fence.

The other thing is that it isn’t that much moola for a high-quality baseball bat. That’s another great thing about the Louisville Slugger Vapor. If you want to see the price click the button right under.

To conclude, this is a great bat for anyone looking for a nice and strong bat that performs awesomely.

I personally love this bat and with all of the positive feedback from the baseball community, I think anyone can enjoy this bat from Louisville Slugger.

For another Louisville Slugger product click here.

3.9 / 5 ( 209 votes )

Lets Be Friends!
Christopher Moskowitz

Chris is a cool guy that loves reviewing baseball products. When he saw there were no real reviews on the internet on any baseball bats or gloves, he decided to take it into his own hands.

Share
Published by
Christopher Moskowitz

Recent Posts

Best Website to get Custom Jerseys [UPDATED 2020]

A lot of people recently have been asking me what is the best website to get custom baseball jerseys from.…

2 years ago

2020 Louisville Slugger Prime Baseball Bat Review

Hey, guys it Chris again with another awesome baseball bat review. The all-new 2020 Louisville Slugger Prime bat is one…

2 years ago

2020 Louisville Slugger Select PWR Review

Yo, what's up guys it's Chris again with another awesome review on an awesome bat review. This time we're going…

2 years ago

2020 Louisville Slugger Meta Baseball Bat Review

Hey whats up guys, its Chris with another review on another version of the 2020 Louisville Slugger Meta. I've been…

2 years ago

Best Baseball Gifts for 2019

Tis the season to get some awesome new gear for your loved ones to be able to use this upcoming…

2 years ago

Marucci Capitol Series Baseball Glove Review

Hey, everybody, it’s Chris back with another baseball review. This time we have an awesome glove that I’m super excited…

2 years ago