Features
-11 Length To Weight Ratio
2 5/8 Inch Barrel Diameter
Approved For Play In AABC, Babe Ruth, Cal Ripken, Dixie Youth, Little League, & Pony
Free Shipping!
New USA Baseball (USABat) Certified Stamp
Anti-Vibration Handle Construction Helps Reduce Sting On Mishits
Balanced Swing Weight Score (1.1)
Colorway: White / Blue / Red / Black / Gray
Custom Lizard Skins Baseball Bat Grip Provides Premium Comfort
Full Twelve (12) Month Manufacturer's Warranty
Hot Out Of The Wrapper Performance
Lowest Swing Weight Profile & Fastest Swing Speed In Louisville Slugger Lineup
One-Piece, Aluminum Baseball Bat
SL Hyper Alloy Material Delivers Maximum Energy Transfer
Speed Ballistic Composite End Cap Increases Barrel Length & Improves Balance
Stiff, Traditional Feel For Immediate Impact Feedback
Description
New baseball bats for the season! For the second year running, Louisville Slugger has created a one-piece, all alloy, hybrid bat: the Solo. This season's model, the Solo 618, may be known as a single-piece construction, but due to the new and improved Speed Ballistic Composite End Cap, Louisville Slugger has deemed it a hybrid design. The enhanced end cap, combined with Slugger's SL Hyper aluminum material, delivers increased swing speed, better overall control through the zone, and the most balanced swing weight score (1.1) in the Lineup. As the fastest swinging baseball bat Louisville Slugger has ever manufactured, this model is an excellent choice for players looking to ensure fastballs no longer phase them. Not only does the SL Hyper Alloy provide an increase in swing speed, but it ensures a stiff, traditional feel on contact with maximum energy transfer for further ball flight and more base hits. Not to mention, Louisville Slugger has applied a brand new vibration dampening handle design that helps reduce sting in the hands on mishits so that negative vibration is a thing of the past. The best part? A custom Lizard Skins baseball bat grip comes pre-wrapped around the standard handle for premium comfort and a better overall feel. Louisville Slugger: Hit For Power, Average, & Pride!
This Louisville Slugger Solo 618 USA Baseball Bat (WTLUBS618B11) features a lightweight drop 11 length to weight ratio, a 2 5/8-inch barrel diameter, and the USA Baseball (USABat) certification. With that stamp, this model is approved for play in AABC, Babe Ruth, Cal Ripken, Dixie Youth, Little League, and Pony baseball. Make every swing count and pick up one of these Solo 618 USA baseball bats today with free shipping and a full one (1) year manufacturer's warranty. Don't forget, with our 24/7 customer service, we'll be here for you from click to hit!
Reviews (88)
Average Ratings Based on 88 Customer Reviews
Pros: Light balanced swing weight, my 8 year old is swinging faster through the zone, hitting the ball well. Sweat spot seems to be rather large giving the bat good pop. My 8 year old loves the look of this bat, says it's his favorite over his other two bats which are the Rawlings Quatro-10 usa bat & the Easton-10 Beast X Hybrid usa bat
Cons: None
Pros: Bat handles well and seems to be very durable. Most of his fall little league team has been using this bat due to availability of usa stamped bats. Most of them seem to be very comfortable with it. Seems to be very balanced. He has gotten some pretty good shots with it in game play.
Cons: Cons is the pop. After using 2 3/4" barrel bats standardized for select ball play for the past 4 years. Going to this usa stamped bat has been quite a significant change. Ball definately does not jump off the bat like the ones he has used for select ball. Still a great bat, will just have to adjust to the change.
Pros: Good pop for a USA bat, but the main thing is the feel---very smooth and balanced swing weight compared to others...why spend $250 or $300 plus when this bat provides what my kid needs
Cons: USA bats are not like USSSA bats
Pros: Great light swinging bat for youth players. The pop is decent for the price and I don't think paying an extra $100 for a bat is warranted. Get this bat!!!
Cons: The sting on a not squarely hit ball hurts, but that is with any USA bat.. Even my friends Ghost X which was $350..
Pros: This -11 swings nice and light and relative to the competition still seems to have a good bit of pop. Weight is a big issue for everyone this year and going with anything heavier than a -10 will likely be a mistake. This is the best performing -11 we have played with so far.
Cons: none yet. well, the new usa standard is a con for everyone.
Pros: It's light, it has pop, it's the bat for my kid and yours.
Cons: none so far!
Pros: Affordable, looks good, balanced. Thanks to USA baseball for levelling the playing field with the usa bats. It was needed. Dont take my high ratings too literally cuz its all relative with these usa bats - its now personal preference for the "wood" you choose. I fondly bid farewell to the days of the calculating dads using an outlaw easton or combat b2 da bomb to create an illusion/distortion of the game with young players (unlike mlb's new baseball which doesnt put kids at risk). Gone are the days of the 50 pounder generating crazy back spin to loft a ball far in the air with his orange mako and/or softball swing. Now... with usa bats it will be more if not completely obvious to everyone if a bat has been tinkered with, and levels the playing field for the safety and betterment of the players. Maybe the spoiled usa kids that play baseball should use what kids iin other countries use. Having said all that, this bat seems good.
Cons: none so far.
Pros: This bat has great pop compared to other USA bats. My son tested out the beastX, GhostX, and Velo. The 618 not only had better pop and sound but had the best feel, not to mention it was the lightest. Tapered grip/handle is also a great feature.
Cons: none.
Pros: Got this bat for my 10 yo for Christmas and he used it at baseball camp and absolutely loves it!
Cons: na
Pros: I bought several bats for my youth players. The best performing by far was the Louisville Slugger. Most of the kids hated the Easton Ghost as it didn't seem to have much pop. All of the kids swung this bat faster through the zone. I will be ordering a few more in different lengths to satisfy the various sizes and abilities of the kids. Strongly recommend the bat and the price can't be beat.
Cons: None
Pros: Very balanced. Nice barrel/sweet spot. not too big/small. Ball jumps off the barrel on solid contact. The line drive contact hitter is finally rewarded. No longer is the high pop up a HR...
Cons: Haven't had the bat long enough to gauge durability but that's always a concern. Otherwise there are none to speak of at this time.
Pros: Good grip with wide bottom handle making it easier to choke up if needed. If you don't like a wider bottom handle, then this may not be one for you. It widens out towards the very bottom. May want to go with a Rawlings that has a skinny grip all the way down. Good pop when hit on the sweet spot. There will be learning curve with kids who are used to just hitting anywhere on bat. This bat also great weight distribution making it feel lighter than it really is. Barrel seems a bit wider throughout the barrel too.
Cons: If you don't hit the sweet spot, will sting. The wider bottom handle may not be good for kids will small hands. Not a true drop -11, but that is consistent with all new USA bats. I just wish they would all just give them a true Length/Weight rating.
Pros: very balanced feel! my eight year old is on the smaller side, so i got him the 29" 18oz. he has no problem swinging it. This bat also has great Pop for a USA bat. very comparable to the ghost x. I definitley recommend this bat!
Cons: only negative, but not a big deal. stings the hands at times. but wouldnt let that keep me from buying it.
Pros: More pop than expected, my 9 yo loves it, moved on from his Dimarini 28-16. No vibrations so far, sounds nice. Only cages so far, well see when we take the field. Overall, great bat at a great price.
Cons: none as of yet
Pros: I have purchased no less than 4 USA bats for my 8 year old son. But this is the bat he that went to try outs. We got a lucky break when Little League and a local retailer made nearly every new USA bat available to test drive.After being sized Each kid got to go into tunnel and hit 10 balls with several new bats. Seems the brand we had gone with before was nothing close to the Solo. It just swings faster and hits further. The balance just seems to work, This was the best hitting youth bat of the whole bunch. There is a composite big barrel by a big named brand,-11. We both thought it was great when he first got it. He needed thicker batting gloves and we changed the grip to lizard skin to ease the hand sting.We thought after a 1000 balls it would break in, like his last composite bat ,it never did. This bat out hit the big barrel composite and everything else we have seen and it served him well in try outs. He hit hard everything they threw at him, it's the best for 2018.
Cons: It's still a 2018 bat, what are you gonna do?
Pros: Feel, comfort, ball comes off the bat real nice.Was looking for -11 for my 10 yr old. Contact, gap speed type hitter about 70lbs. He tried out Ghost x hyperlite and LS Solo 618 over about 5 hitting sessions(including break in period prior for Ghost x hyperlite composite). Loves the solo. Don't be misguided by fact ghost hyperlite has a bigger barrel and slightly lighter. He squares up more baseballs with the LS 618 and the mishits spin far better than the ghost hyperlite off the bat. The ghost x hyperlite so far- unless struck in (small sweet spot on a huge barrel) the ball knuckles, floats, and dies. It's like the oversized barrel absorbs the energy. They would be much easier for fielders to make outs. Meaning more hits with the LS 618 ( because ball spins and darts). It is a great bat (as far as USA) if your son likes a light swinging, balanced, fast bat with a bit of pop. He loves it. Hope this helps
Cons: Not many but if you are really picky like me- A bit of sting which is the reason for the 4 in vibration. However, the ghost x hyperlite stings his hands so bad it drops him to his knees every 3 or 4 mihits he has to take a break. He says the sting from the LS 618 is a "normal sting", and he is able to shake his hands out, get back in box and continue. Keep in mind my son primarily plays catcher at this point, so has a bit of toughness, and same results other hitters. The 4 for durability is because the bat has developed a barely noticeable "tiny rattle", I believe in the end cap. it has not affected performance, and i'm sure LS will replace. But my son loves the bat so much with all his (hit marks) he doesn't want me to send it back. It weighs about 1.3 ounces heavier than advertised (almost all bats USA 2018 are heavier) so it is actually a -9.5/10, but swings very light, fast and easy. Also, I'm not knocking easton. They are replacing our Ghost x hyperlite with easton
Pros: My 8yr old son plays Travel ball and AAU for a local club. We have Owned the Ghost X 2 piece, Ghost HL, Beast HL and been to a few Demos for the Demarini, Mizuno and Rawlings. A lot of dads on the team have been waiting to see this bat in action and it doesn't disappoint. The ball screams off the bat and the mishit ground balls are so spinny that it was eating up our infielders. First few hits in the cages during BP all the heads turned due to the unmistakable sound of the Solo. My son moved up from a 28/16 Mako beast to a 29/18 Solo and has way more pull power with the Solo. My son is hitting the Solo harder and ball velocity is up over his Mako. Most of us baseball dads have been fumbling around checking reviews and buying the normal Eastons and have been bashing the USA bats due to performance. The Solo 618 or the Demarini VooDoo one piece bat are the hot bats that we have seen so far at our baseball school. Ordering the -10 Big Barrel for AAU play!
Cons: Hard to find in stock.
Pros: My son tried several bats including: Easton Hyperlite, Demarini Voodoo Balanced & 1 piece, Easton Hyperlite, Beast X, Ghost X, and Ghost-X Hybrid, and LS Omaha before figuring out the 618 Solo was the one. He's small for a 9 year old...only 50 pounds. Previously, he had a Combat Maxum -12 so he's accustomed to a light swinging, balanced stick. He gets decent pop but I'm most happy that he's been able to adjust to a 1 inch length and 2 oz. weight uptick with no problem. I attribute this to the bat's balance point. Great bat...cool grip too and he likes the tapered handle. Also, to top it off, the price is right on this compared to the others I listed.
Cons: Barrel isn't as big as the Easton and Rawlings line.
Pros: my nine year old loves its. Spent an hour in the cage today, no stinging, great pop and great sound.
Cons: none so far
Pros: very balanced feel, swings well, good median price point / I bought this for my son due to the new USA baseball guidelines. He has probably about 100 plus swings in it already and he seems to be adjusting to the feel. He swings a combat Maxum 30/19 with the 2 3/4" barrel and this bat hasn't seemed to affect his swing at all. The sound is very dead unless you strike a ball perfectly but he seems to have the same power in the cage so far. I will revise this after the season to see how it works against live pitching.
Cons: lots of vibration with the 1 piece design when a ball is hit anywhere besides the sweet spot, handle is pretty thick compared to his combat which has a larger diameter barrel
Pros: So my son had the Rawlings Prodigy -11 2 5/8 USABaseball bat in fall. It was good. He hit mostly solid line drives into the outfield. Saw a kid I had previously coached at a lesson with the Solo. He was crushing the baseball pitch after pitch. Okay, it's a lesson right. At spring tryouts, he was launching the ball again. This bat has POP for a USA bat. So I bought one for my son and those line drives are now deep in the outfield. The bat is balanced and feels lighter. It does not clank the the Rawlings did. it's a solid and sounds that way. The only thing left is the games. This bat is the real deal.
Cons: The other boys want to use it.
Pros: Has the pop and feel of a composite bar with a nice barrel and sweet spot. Sound is pretty good too. Great grip. Price is lower than many others. I have hit bslls to my players with just about every USA bat, including the expensive Easton bats. This one is much better. My 10 year old is using the 30-19 and he loves it.
Cons: None so far.
Pros: It has really good pop.Its super balence
Cons: It does sting a little.
Pros: My 8 year old loves this bat. It is light and more importantly balanced as described in other reviews. Went from a 27in 14 oz composite last year to this 28in 17oz. this year. Researched the heck out of USA bats. i think its a great bat for the price.
Cons: no complaints.
Pros: -I have a younger boy just starting out and this Solo 618 lets him get the bat through the zone. It has a very light swing. The new so called -10 & -9 bats are just too heavy. Not to mention they are really closer to -9 & -8 when you put them on the scale. -It still has the new bigger barrel and just as much pop as any other USA bat for a much better price. -The Lizardskin grip is a great perk.
Cons: -USA standard is weak. -There is still quite a bit of vibration, but expected because it's still just a one piece barrel. A two piece bat will help reduce some of the shock, but you're paying quite a bit more for that. -The hitting area / sweet spot is small.
Pros: Has good pop for a usa bat
Cons: None
Pros: Balance and feel of this bat are great according to my 11-year old son. Having the -11 drop with this bat makes a difference. No noticeable issue with vibration and sting upon contact.
Cons: Still adjusting to the decrease in pop of the USA bats.
Pros: Very balanced bat, fast through the zone , better pop than I thought. The lizard skin is nice and taper at end of bat. We are indoors at winter training so all hitting is done in cages or stations. I coach and see all the bats cycling through, ball appears to come off the bat hotter on the Solo. Looking forward to going outside to see how it performs but I do not anticipate things to change. There is always the 'one" bat and I think this may be it for now.
Cons: none
Pros: Lightweight for bat speed, Huge POP, NO Vibration or stings, Great size sweet spot, Lizard grip is awesome, great durability, can't believe it out performs the $300+ bats no questions. My son is going to out bat every kid on our team because of this bat and the fact no one else has it and it's sold out until May-June per LS.
Cons: SOLD out coast to coast, every kid on the team wants to use it and haggles to buy it since there is non avail.
Pros: My son loves the bat. Seems to have good pop for a USA bat. He hit a wood Phoenix all winter so he was very happy to starting hitting this bat. He said there is no vibration and great balance.
Cons: Only complaint we have is the bats all weigh in heavy compared to their advertised weight.
Pros: I've returned 2 top of the line Easton bats this year because of the sting to the hands. I purchased this bat based on reviews that I've read. I'm happy to report that after 3 cage sessions, my 10 year old son hasn't felt any sting to his hands at all.
Cons: No pop. It will be interesting to see how many balls go over outfielders heads this year in 8-10 year old age group.
Pros: Great pop compared to other USA bats he has tried, including the Easton ghost hyperlight. Very light feeling bat due to its even balance makes it a very fast swinging bat. My son is getting more hits with this bat.
Cons: none yet, after two weeks
Pros: -11 with great pop
Cons: Tough bat to get at 30 drop 11
Pros: first of all, this company has fast shipping. This bat is highly recommended for its price! it has a nice pop and super light!
Cons: Don't be negative and give it a try, it'll be worth it...
Pros: My son hit two deep Fly balls with this bat. 1 for a double and was a fly out. but in the game they were the two deepest hit balls between either team. I like to think his hard work in the tee and taking endless BP has made his approach consistent and powerful bit I truly believed based on the reviews that he was going to struggle to hit the put of the infield. Even with the new bat he is hitting the ball further than just this past fall with a USSSA bat. I highly recommend this bat. it is as close to or better than the pperformance of a USSSA bat. I should say that by the time he used it in live game he probably had over a 1000 swings on it and rotated it between every swing. It was well broken in by the time he used it in league. I think that is the most common mistake parents make. They do not take the time to properly break in a bat before using it in a game situation. There is a right and a wrong way to do it.
Cons: Its the sweet spot or nothing so barrel control and the ability to square the ball is a must. A miss hit is a weak grouundball and an automatic out.
Pros: No sting. We had to return the Easton Hyperlite because the sting was so bad. My son has tested a few friends bats and he prefers the Solo 618 over them all.
Cons: USA stamp = No pop.
Pros: v
Cons: this bat almost broke my sons hand the vibration was so bad during weather below 55 degrees, wouldnt suggest biying this bat!!!
Pros: Got a 29" bat for my son for Christmas and have been using it for winter workouts and have a few months to give good feedback. Our travel team has a mix of all the top USA bats hanging on the rack and the 3 top hitters on the team are all using Solo's. It almost looks like an unfair advantage over the Teams we play with the other big brand bats. Our middle infielders are just feasting on their weak ground balls coming off the other USA bats. My sons 29/18 weighs 19.2oz and took a few weeks to adjust coming from a 28/16 Mako but is now hitting with some pull power and the Solo just sends it every time with coach pitch. 7 out of 10 hits with the Solo are equal to his MOAB but the MOAB still has 3 balls that are 35-40' longer. Solo is the best that I have seen so far and is very balanced and great acoustics. You can tell how well they hit the pitch just off the sound.
Cons: The 28" Solo's look a lot different then the 29" Solos. The 28"s have a similar profile to the 518 Omaha's and seem to ring your hands a bit. The 29" sweet spot is a lot bigger then the 28's. The 28" Solo's sweetspot is right on the 6 of the 618 and anything higher up will ring hands. The 29" sweet spot covers the whole word SOLO. Seems 3 times bigger for the extra inch. The acoustics are clearly different from a sweetspot hit vs an off center hit. Last 2" of the 29" will produce a weak ground ball and some hand sting. Had to move my son closer to the plate as an adjustment. Our Solo's get a lot window shoppers sitting on the fence due to the lack of availability in any retailers anywhere. 2 of our 3 removed the foam padding under the grip with just a normal LizardSkin grip. Taper seems ok for a bigger kid but not an 8 yr old.
Pros: First, remember it's the kid swinging the bat and the work he or she puts into it. The bat itself is super balanced. We tried other bats that are end loaded and were toughter to get around. My son is 9 and playing up a level against quicker pitching, so this bat was necessary. A great alternative is LS Omaha 518. Same bat balance, just different metal compostion.
Cons: non yet.
Pros: We tried many of the new USA bats for my 7 & 8 year old boys. This was the best combo of balance, feel, pop, and TRUE weight. Our 28/17 weighs 17.6oz. All others were close to 3oz above published weight.
Cons: It's a USA bat.
Pros: This is a nice bat. Has good balacen.
Cons: My son has used this bat for three months now. For a 28" 17oz bat the Vibratons are not nice for young kids. My son plays 7/8 year old. Baseballes around 30 to 40 mph. On averge temp around 55 to 80
Pros: Pretty close to stated drop, my son has the 28/17 and it weighed in at 17.8 which is good for USA standards. Looks good and grip is nice. Seems to provide a good swing speed.
Cons: sweet spot seems small only top 2 inches are the max diameter. Seems to produce a lit of ground balls for kids. Personally i think it seems to need a breaknin period despite manufacturer. not sure there are any better options under $200.
Pros: After many tries, I was finally able to get my hands on a 29"/18oz Solo 618 for my 9yo son. After a couple years of swinging a 14oz. 2 1/4" barrel bat in his house league, I was a bit concerned an 18oz. bat would feel heavy, but the weight distribution on this bat feels excellent. It is really well balanced, and does not feel barrel heavy...as most of the USABat Easton's we tried, making them feel heavier than 18-19oz. I could tell right away after the first few test swings he took, the 29"/18oz. was the perfect size, and he was happy with how the bat felt. Taking his first live swings, the pop was surprising for a USABat, and my son was incredibly happy with it. If you can find it, I'd highly recommend this bat.
Cons: None yet. My son is very happy with the pop, feel, and lack of vibration so far.
Pros: - Solid POP for a USA bat. My son was swinging the Easton Hyperlite before this. Every hit on the Easton stung his hands to the point that he was swinging and missing on purpose. Obviously I had to get him something else. Compared to the Hyperlite the ball jumps of the bat. My son does not complain of any sting/vibration. Says its very balanced and light.
Cons: Cant find the bat in stock anywhere.
Pros: Ideal swing weight. Ball travels farther that other usa bats. Nice looks. Only 1 ounce heavier than advertised so a 29/18 is a 29/19 and exactly what we were looking for.
Cons: Sting on mis hits A teammate's solo bat had end cap come loose. Had to send in for replacement.
Pros: has good pop to the bat considering the new USA standards my 11 yr old loves the grip and is easy to swing with. 2nd game of the year and already a straight shot to outfield for a homerun after that it went from one other player on the team using it to three other players.
Cons: there has not been any cons as of yet its a solid bat
Pros: First weekend with bat my son went 7-10 with 4 balls have to over the outfields heads. Good pop for USA bats. Easy to handle, good size, very pleases. Used a 31/20 for my 10 year old son who is big.
Cons: Hard to find bat
Pros: very good pop for a USA bat
Cons: its a USA bat
Pros: Last year i was using an Easton XL3 31"/20oz and the Easton Mako 31"/20oz.My dad got me this bat and i wasn't sure about it but, i was wrong, the bat is great.This bat is the closest iv'e found to that bat.Has amazing pop and very little sting.this bat weighs 20oz unlike the other USA bats.
Cons: If you don't hit it in the sweet spot it will sting where bating gloves.
Pros: Seems to be one of the better USA bats available at a "decent" price. Sone, started with a Easton Hyperlight. Broke that within a week. Save your money and buy this. No reason to spend any more. Decent "pop" for a USA Bat, Pre-Gripped with Lizard Skin
Cons: USA bat - (enough said) Has some hand sting if not hit right. Suck it up, there is no crying in baseball.
Pros: My son , who is 14 loves the bat. Last season his batting was not so good. If he did hit the ball, it went straight to first and he went straight to dug out!!!!! This year , with his new bat, he is hitting so much better. They are even going outfield instead of to first where he always got out. The kids on his team are asking to use the bat!!!
Cons: some vibration
Pros: My 7 yo son switched to this bat a week ago and since is 7 - 8 with some of his most impressive hits to show for it. Entire team and coaches noticed immediate difference. Has been quite literally a game changer. - Excellent balance. - Great pop off the bat. - Bat speed notably better.
Cons: None to speak of so far.
Pros: My son says it has pop. I don't see it in his hitting.
Cons: I have to try to convince my son to use this bat. He is constantly saying it stings his hands and he is always switching to someone else's bat or using an old bat. I read that in other reviews, but he is almost to the point that he won't use the bat because it hurts his hands.
Pros: Good weight and ball comes off the bat pretty fast for a new USA bat.
Cons: Nothing yet....
Pros: This bat is popular because it's well-balanced, light, and moderately priced. At the younger ages 6-9, it should be all about making contact at the plate and learning "how" and not necessarily "how far" to hit. The 618 is made to support this view. I think depending on the player, power may be a focus from as early as age 9. My son's (age 7.5) first bat was a -12. This one is a -11. So around age 10, I predict a slighlty end-loaded bat will be best for him at-10. I hope LS makes a slightly end-loaded aluminum bat without the extra $100 price tag by then or I will strongly consider other options.
Cons: The pop issue is universal with the new standards. I've seen research out there that many composite bats underperform compared to the 618.
Pros: My 9 year old son has been playing with the Easton Ghost X (29) and lack of power moved me to look into other options. To note, several kids on the team have been using Ghost bat with similar results. With positive reviews, we purchased the Solo and with hopes of deeper hits but so far, we are seeing similar results from both him and teammates that have wanted to try out the Solo. Around the league we are seeing kids consistently hit the same regardless if they are using Composite or Aluminum. Bottom line, I am confident to say that younger hitters with the new USA bat standards are hitting relatively the same whether they are using a $50 bat or a $350 bat. For the money, the Solo is a great bat and definitely one to consider if you are looking for a mid priced/good performing bat.
Cons: USA bat regulations are having a strong effect on the game. I suspect that bat manufacturers will figure out how to sweeten the bats in 2019 once the manufacturers have a little more time to study the bats and responses to hits. Just as a reference to power with these new regulations, in the 2017 season, our league had 19+ kids hit at least one ball out of the park-for 2018 a total of 5 have done it.
Pros: Bat is great! My 8yr old son is pounding the ball with it. My son is 4' 41/2" 71 pounds has a 29" -11 bat and loves it.
Cons: Only the price, but a good makes a huge difference
Pros: bat is light, quick thru zone with great pop. the whole team wants to use!
Cons: has scuffed quite abit in short time
Pros: Like many others have said, this bat is good. Everything except the vibration kills it. The technology at the end of the bat has proven to work, my son throws this bat through the strike zone so fast, because of this technology. But everything else for this bat is perfect.
Cons: My son states that every time he uses the bat it vibrates. He is a pretty good hitter, and we've tried everything. He squeezes the bat tight, and he definitely hits the ball in the middle of the barrel. I am actually quite disappointed, because I've seen all of these good ratings for the vibration. For example, one time my son hits a blast to RF. He told me down at first base that his hands were stinging so bad, that he couldn't pitch. This is one of the many accounts were this bat has proven not to be good when it comes to vibration.
Pros: Good price for a high performing bat. We have this and the ghost. The ghost is no longer used. The balance is better and thus my sons swing is better. I measures the exit velocity between this and his ghost. The solo had higher average exit velocity and conistently 5 mph higher on his best hits. A better bat for 1/2 the price.
Cons: The vibration on this bat can be pretty bad if you don't hit the ball correctly. Vibration is a little worse than the ghost.
Pros: Excellent pop no sting extremely balanced feel LS made a slugger out of my son Great job keep up the good work and great quality bats.
Cons: none
Pros: very balanced. easy to get through the zone quick and has very good pop! son is 7 swinging a 28/17 and has hit the fence 4 times with it on a 145 ft fence. better sweet spot than other high $$ bats on the team. well worth the money
Cons: wish all usa bats had better barrel design
Pros: It has good pop for a USA bat, but nothing like the bats from last year. My son has several USA bats from an Easton Ghost to a Voodoo one piece, but this one is by far his favorite. It has a much better sound than the "dead" sounds from other brands.
Cons: I could not accurately rate the durability of this bat because this is only the first month we have had it. Also, I wish the Solo 618 was available sooner, but we are adjusting to the bat as we play games/practices.
Pros: 9 year old loves this bat. Gettung lits of great hits.
Cons: none as of yet.
Pros: well balanced, lowest vibration of the bats we've tried so far, better pop than the Ghost X hyperlite for my son
Cons: still less pop than the old bats
Pros: For the 6 days my son used it, it seemed to have great POP to it. My son LOVED the feel of the bat and the balance when he swang the bat.
Cons: 6 days after receiving (maybe the 4th practice, less than 100 hits) the bat gave a horrible corky, spring type noise on one area of the barrel. Tapping around the barrel of the bat gives some unorthdox noise that was not indicative of a properly functioning bat and it did not make this noise when new. Bat went bad somehow. My son is by no means a "slugger", but he makes contact very often and has good and bad hits.
Pros: Balanced bat. Smooth swing and decent pop.
Cons: None yet
Pros: Good pop and good swing speed
Cons: A fair amount of vibration
Pros: Waited all season to buy a bat for my 10U. Wanted to watch the dust settle on the new USA bat standards and see which bats came out on top. We tried out 6 bats during the season and this one was by far the best. Better pop than other brands with the same specs. Bat shipped the same day. Using it in All Stars now and loving the bat.
Cons: Haven't had it long enough to accurately review durability.
Pros: Very balanced, bigger knob, 28' bat weighed in at 17.7 oz on my scale.
Cons: none yet.
Pros: None
Cons: May 10 yo son is not picky about bats and he is a power type of hitter. He hated everything about this bat. He said there is no pop and the vibration is awful even when hitting the sweet spot! We do not recommend this bat!
Pros: Best USA bat available. Bat speed the name of the game. This Bat delivers. Son has hit multiple HRs with this bat. in Practice and Games. The last being a legitimate 330' HR. Best pop for USA Bat Ive seen.
Cons: vibration if not hit in sweet spot.
Pros: Out of the box this bat out performed the Easton Ghost X. It is superlightweight and great pop for a USA bat. I bought the Ghost and it cracked aftet 17 hits. A month later still waiting for my replacement bat. Louisville hit a home run with this bat. It is better than any composite for 2018. We tried them all.
Cons: Nothing so far.
Pros: Excellent pop, no vibration, increased my sons swing with USA bat. Went from a -10 to this bat and wow what a difference an once MADE - and the bat is all that!!!! wow wish we could of got this bat earlier in the year but it wasn't available....worth every penny
Cons: Excellent all around my 11 year old LOVES this bat!!!!
Pros: M 11 year old loves his new bat. Feels and sounds good. We had the Easton Ghost X and thr louisville solo is a much better quality bat. It has better sound to it is a lighter weight. This bat seems like its better quality that the ghoast X and for my son seems to be similar to the his mako.
Cons: his only complaint is the bat is thicker on the bottom of the handle and tapers up.
Pros: startng the year out my son was using the Easton Beast. He was making contact but the balls never seemed to jump off the bat and had very little distance with line drives. Purchased the Solo and he's making the same contact but the balls are exploding off the bat. its been a while since I was moved to write a review on a bat but for the money spent its well worth the investment.
Cons: need to advertise this bat more!
Pros: My son loves it! He is hitting very well with it. He previously owned another, more expensive bat and he never wanted to use it. I wish I would've bought this bat sooner
Cons: Nothing yet...
Pros: Better than the cheap bats and just as good as the most expensive! AllStar team seems to like this bat in the 29/18 and 28/17 sizes. Have not seen any other bat outperform this one.
Cons: It's a USA Bat. Swing hard boys!
Pros: well balanced seems to have good pop great grip
Cons: nothing yet
Pros: my son love it . he got 6 over the fence already in the last month
Cons: none
Pros: good pop, he doesn't complain about vibration, well balanced
Cons: nothing yet
Pros: My 11 year old was permitted to use USSSA this spring. His bat is Mako Beast and why wouldn't he? We work constantly so he is getting better each month or season. To put this into perspective his fields at 9-10 wete 205 and 185. I knew at 10 he could clear 185 which he did. He and I were stunned when he ckeared 205. Fall ball we play big fields. Past fall we played 11-12 and 70 foot bases on huge field. This spring same rules but fence 220. Again I did not think he could do it. He did once in game mid season and then a couple times at practice. Then in mid June he won a home run derby at a camp. The issue about his bat came up. I ordered the 2019 Axe Avenge which was shipping end of July. I don't take him out for tourneys yet. I am weird that way. But the 12B toutney team called. We agreed. i needed a USA bat. This bat was cheap and light and i knew with less pop speed was key. We ordered the 31 inch and it arrived just in time. We broke it in at field with 20 foot wood fence
Cons: pros continued. He was hitting them out there. We compared it to Mako. It is not the Mako. This weeks tourney though - fence probably 210, he hit 2 out. We have compared it with 718. We like this one better. Did experiment on big field with fence about 235 on Saturday night. He one hooped the fence a couple times and hit one out with this bat. He hit 3 of 20 out at same place with his Mako. It is not the Mako but it is a darn good USA bat. The Axe we ordered before we got recruited for this tourney team better be real good.
Pros: We purchased this based on reveiws and looking for bat with good balance and pop. my son likes the look and feel of this one with little vibration and excellent pop. This helped him with confidence with a improved performing bat.
Cons: overall USA bats are secondary to the ussaa perfomances, however this one may be the best of the new requirements.
Pros: If you start swinging right sometimes you'll get a good hit.
Cons: Bad vibration and pop .
Pros: Totally balanced Good pop
Cons: Exteme stinging in cooler weather Makes weird ringing sound in cooler weather
Pros: Totally balanced Close to a true -11 Good pop
Cons: Never once stung my sons hands until it got cooler out. Now every hit does, even solid perfect ones. Also makes a weird ringing sound in the cooler weather.
Pros: Good pop. Well balanced. My 7 year old son loves it and hits it well.
Cons: None
Pros: Good general feel and has a good amount of pop for a USA bat. Shipping was quick and easy.
Cons: None at this point.
Have a question about the Louisville Slugger Solo 618 -11 USA Baseball Bat: WTLUBS618B11? Ask our team of experts and they will respond within 24 hours.
About the Brand

In 1842, J. Frederick Hillerich emigrated with his family from Baden-Baden, Germany to the United States. Eight years before, the 1834 Book of Sports had made its debut as the nation's first publication covering baseball. But when he arrived in Baltimore, J. Frederick Hillerich would never have dreamed of the future impact his family would have on America's favorite pastime.
After a short while, the Hillerichs moved to Louisville, where J. Fred started a woodworking shop in 1856. Two of his sons, Adam and John Andrew "Bud" were born in the United States and would later join their father in his business. By 1864 "J.F. Hillerich, Job Turning" was in operation and filled orders for businesses by custom-turning everything from balusters to bedposts.
The firm thrived, and by 1875 the little woodworking shop employed about 20 people. In 1880 Bud Hillerich, who was an amateur baseball player, became an apprentice in his father's shop. Young Bud made his own baseball bats along with bats for several of his teammates.
The debate over the origins of the first bat continues to generate controversy among baseball enthusiasts, but the younger Hillerich was most certainly involved in getting his father's business involved with what would become the company's signature item. According to company legend, the first bat was turned by Bud for Pete "The Old Gladiator" Browning in 1884. Browning was a star on Louisville's professional American Association team - the Eclipse. On a spring afternoon Bud, then seventeen, witnessed Browning break his favorite bat. Bud offered to make a bat for his hero, and Browning accepted. After the young wood shop apprentice lathed a quality stick from white ash, according to the story, Browning got three hits with it in the next game.
Louisville Slugger gloves are worn by more pitchers in Major League Baseball than any other glove.
Bat Properties
Approved For | USA Bat |
---|---|
Barrel Diameter | 2 5/8 |
Baseball Bats | Youth |
Bat Construction | One-Piece |
Bat Type | Baseball |
Color | Blue Grey |
Deals | Personalization Eligible Closeout Bats Bundle and Save |
Length to Weight Ratio | -11 |
Material | Aluminum |
Series | Solo |
Swing Weight | Balanced |
Vendor | Louisville Slugger |
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