In softball and baseball, there are several things that can be done to the bats that can allegedly dramtically improve their performance. These doctored bats can be created by several processes that include techniques known as shaving and rolling. Rolled bats, including rolled softball bats, are created by a softball bat shaving and rolling service when the bat is inserted between two rollers, squeezing the material inside the bat and in theory making the sides of the bat “harder.” In theory, bat rolling helps a softball bat hit and drive a ball much farther away, a process that usually happens after a bat has been used many times. Some people will have their bats rolled to increase how well they perform during games. In professional softball and baseball, this is considered unethical, but in casual games, there’s no real harm done.
Aside from rolling, another technique that can affect softball and baseball bats is a technique known as shaving. Shaved bats are also created by a softball bat shaving and rolling service and is what happens when the inner walls of the bat are thinned out. While this technique can add great distance to any ball the bat hits, it can also greatly shorten the lifespan of the bat because the shaving process is tampering with the inner walls of the bat itself. It’s important to note here that shaving must be done after rolling, because shaving affects the inside of the bat and if the bat is rolled after being shaved, it can compromise the bat entirely, rendering it useless for play at any level. Additionally, only the main portion of the bat is shaved, not the handle. Shaving the handle could render that part of the bat susceptible to breaking if it’s accidentally struck by the ball. Also, like rolling, shaving a bat, be it for softball or baseball, is also considered highly unethical and can be penalized if the player is caught using a tampered bat.
In conclusion, softball bats can be shaved and rolled by a softball bat shaving and rolling service. These services are typically done to dramatically increase the performance of a bat during a game of softball, allowing it to strike the ball much harder and faster and farther away than it typically would if the process had not been done. At the same time, shaving the bat can also shorten the bat’s lifespan. Furthermore, while it does help the softball bat’s performance, these practices are considered highly unethical and frowned upon. While they can be used to improve the bat for casual games of softball, these altered bats should not be used during official softball games, since it is considered a form of cheating.
