Bat shaving and rolling are the unique processes of breaking in baseball or softball bats barrel for peak performance. How does this work? The bat repeatedly passed through a roller machine where it is pressed to significantly alter the barrels composite fibers improving the trampoline effect, thus adding incredible pop, distance and ball speeds.
Ideally, it can take up to 500 or more hits for baseball or softball bats to experience a natural break-in trampoline effect and increased batted ball speeds. For some players, that’s a lot of hits to gain peak performance considering there are available options to speed up the process.
Players looking are constantly looking for competitive advantage, and that’s why some have their bats shaved or rolled for improved performance during matchday. Certainly, baseball bat shaving and rolling not only improves the batting distance but also a player’s game.
While older technology is still applied in rolling some older baseball and softball bats, today’s bat materials require a more advanced rolling machine as it has become a labor-intensive process. What are the key advantages of baseball bat shaving and rolling.
- Increased Bat Power Doctored bats perform much better and this is simply because the composite fibers are stretched and the bat walls made flexible, greatly increasing the trampoline level of the hitting surfaces. Essentially, this is the same natural process that occurs whenever you hit the ball. Rolling a bat allows the fortification of the fibers which can potentially increase up to40 feet in hitting distance.
- Create a Wider Sweet Spot A sweet spot essentially means the place where the barrel has the most possible rebound effect. Rolled and shaved bats fibers are optimized for maximum flexibility which turns the entire barrel surface into a large sweet spot.
- Eliminate Dead Spots Not only the new bats benefits from rolling and bat shaving service. Even used softball and baseball bats can greatly benefit from these breaking processes, as there are potential dead spots in the barrel that limit the peak performance of the bat. Naturally breaking-in bats from hitting often result in dead spots because the patterns of consistent contact on the surface of the barrel create less trampoline effect.
- Ready for the first game Many players would like to use doctored bats on their first game of the tournament. However, that is not possible using a new bat and that’s where bat rolling comes in eliminating the need for an extensive break-in process. A bat can be rolled and transformed in less than 2 days.
Baseball bat shaving and rolling can mean a huge difference in your gameplay, however, these processes compromise the durability of bats. When going for bat rolling, ensure you pick an expert who understands different bat profile to eliminate dead spots and boost bat performance.