I know lots of coaches/dads out there are looking for a -5 transition bat for their sons to use in their non-gameday work, so I thought a review of the -5 Assault (same as the Omaha/Omaha 515) would be of use.
First Impressions
Visually, a pretty cool and stealthy looking bat with mostly black and red graphics and the Louisville Slugger logo, much like their wood bats. Most of our boys liked it a lot, but it might seem a little on the plain side to the DeMarini crowd who may prefer dragons and other mythical figures on their bats.
Material/Design
1-piece alloy.
Weight
Weight tested was a 30/25 (-5). Actual weight… 25.1 oz.
Swing Weight
Very balanced bat, that made for an easy transition for our hitters who were swinging -8’s on gameday. Not one complaint about it being difficult to get the bat around, or about it feeling heavy.
Barrel/Profile
Barrel length was standard/traditional, and the bat profile is very much like a 271 turning model. This is a benefit for using these as work bats, as the traditional barrel length will make this bat act like a wood bat in that it makes the hitter work to find the barrel/sweet spot rather than having the barrel run from taper to endcap.
Grip
Standard Louisville Slugger cushioned grip. Most hitters found it comfortable without feeling too thick/cushioned, and those who like a flared knob appreciated the factory flare at the knob. Hitters who normally liked to build up the knob with tape or use a knob cuff, said that neither was necessary.
Performance
Pretty good for a 1-piece alloy, with a traditional barrel/profile. Much like a maple 271, squaring the ball off the sweet spot with good bat/swing speed rewards the hitter with a good result, but (not surprisingly) missing the sweet spot doesn’t give you the result of doing the same with a high performance/long barrel composite and will send some negative FB to the hands. Distance and batted ball/exit speed were generally less than the boys’ high performance composite -8 game day bats, but I think that was to be expected and certainly might change somewhat as the boys grow more accustomed to swinging a traditional profile -5. IMO, these are all things I want from a work bat… leave the extra forgiveness, extra barrel length, and added performance for game day bats, in which the results of AB’s are the primary focus.
Durability
With more than 500 cuts on ours, no dents or anything else other than normal nicks, scrapes, and ball marks.
Overall
Not one of the boys who put some time in with this bat had anything negative to say about it. Some of our better hitters (including my son) said they would enjoy giving it a shot with some gameday AB’s, while some said they thought they weren’t quite ready to game a -5 (all the better to put more time in, working with one) and they felt more confident with a longer barrel bat. Also, since all of these models are 1-piece alloys and can generally be found in the $100 price range, they fit the bill for a transition work bat that can be used extensively in the cage without worry.
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