Many sports around the world are distinct because of the gear that athletes use to play those sports. Hockey sticks are a good example, not to mention basketballs, golf clubs, and tennis racquets. Baseball is hugely popular in the United States and Japan, and players need bats and catcher’s mitts to play this beloved sport. Amateur, casual players and big-league athletes alike need that gear, and many sports retailers have many brands of bats and mitts available, among other supplies. Some players also like to modify their baseball bats for enhanced performance, and this is true for both metal and wooden bats. A baseball bat shaving and rolling service can help with this, and if no baseball bat shaving and rolling services are in the area, a player can find rolled bats and shaved bats online for sale. Rolled bats for sale are a fine idea for practice games or casual games, and the same applies for shaved metal ones. How does this work?
Rolling Metal Bats
Many baseball bats are made of ash wood, which is in fact the traditional material for baseball bats for over a century. A fresh wooden bat needs to be broken in, and as the bat strikes baseballs or softballs, the pressure will bend and break some of the bat’s natural fibers, which is to be desired. After a few hundred strikes like this, the bat is fully broken in, since its fibers are now more flexible, and the bat can strike balls further than a fresh wooden bat can. Players may own prized broken-in wooden bats like this, but they can also get rolled bats, which act as proxies. Local baseball bat shaving and rolling services can help produce them.
A client may bring a fresh wooden bat to a baseball bat shaving and rolling service, and the bat is passed through a series of pressurized rollers that will distress the wooden bat to simulate its regular use in a game. Care should be taken, though, so the bat is not damaged by this process. If done correctly, a rolled bat will have its fibers broken just right, and it will perform just like a broken-in wooden bat. This is ideal for casual games, or for practice sessions where a player does not want to risk damaging their prized wooden bats. It should be noted, though, that rolled bats are not allowed in sanctioned or official games, and experts on the field might be able to identify them on sight. Wooden softball bats may also be rolled for similar results.
Shaving Metal Bats
Meanwhile, many softball and baseball players use metal bats in their games, and these are hollow bats with padding on the inside to keep them safe from the pressure of striking balls. Metal bats do not have wooden fibers and cannot be broken in, but they can be doctored at baseball bat shaving and rolling services. And as with rolled wood bats, modified metal bats, or shaved bats, can also be purchased online, ready for use.
A metal bat that is brought to a bat shaving service will have its end cap removed, and this exposes the hollow interior. That bat is then placed on a lathe table, and its open end is exposed to a rotating grinder surface. That grinder will scrape off a few ounces of padding, and once that is done, the bat is removed and its end cap put back in place. Removing a bit of padding makes the bat more flexible, and it can strike balls further than a non-doctored bat. But take caution when doing this, since shaving any padding from the handle will make the bat too fragile to use. The same is true if too much padding is removed from the body.
Shaved metal bats are not allowed in sanctioned games, but they are a fine choice for casual games where league rules are not enforced, and they might do well in practice sessions, too. Take caution: shaved bats do not perform well in temperatures below 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Mind the weather before using them at outdoor baseball diamonds or practice areas.
