Many sports that are played around the world today are distinguished by the balls or equipment that players use during a game. Hockey is known for its sticks and pucks, and tennis players will have a court, net, and racquets. Baseball is known for its bats and catcher’s mitts, and this sport is hugely popular in the United States and Japan today. Amateur and professional players alike need the right gear, and they can visit sports good retailers to buy metal bats, wooden bats, mitts, and outfits for a good game. Softball is a popular variant of baseball, and comes with its own distinct gear. But it is also possible to modify wooden and metal baseball bats and softball bats, such as rolled bats and shaved bats. A player can find rolled bats for sale online, or visit local shops that offer softball bat shaving and rolling services. Why try softball bat shaving and rolling? Doctored bats can outperform their unmodified peers, and this is a popular option for practice sessions and casual games alike.
Rolled Bats
First, consider wooden bats. They are traditionally made out of ash wood, and are still as popular today as they were back in the early 1900s. Wooden bats are made up of natural fibers, and as a fresh wooden bat is used, the pressure of striking balls will bend and break those fibers somewhat, which is to be desired. Once an ash wood bat is fully broken in, it is more flexible and can strike balls further than fresh wooden bats can. A player may have a number of prized wooden bats in their collection.
Players who need a top-notch wooden bat right away can visit softball bat shaving and rolling services to modify a metal or wooden bat. In the case of wooden bats, they will be passed through a series of pressurized rollers, which will distress the wooden bat’s fibers to mimic those of a fully broken-in bat. This should be done carefully, so that the bat is not damaged or broken. The end result is a bat that can perform just like a broken-in wooden bat, minus the time and effort needed to break it in during practice. So, rolled softball bats can be used as proxies for prized broken-in bats during long practice sessions, so the player doesn’t have to risk damaging their best bats during a practice game. These rolled bats may also prove popular for casual games, too. But take note that rolled wooden bats are not allowed at sanction games, and they might be identified on sight if they are used there. Rolled bats are casual only.
Shaved Metal Bats
Many baseball and softball brands today are making metal bats, which are in fact hollow inside and have padding in them to keep them secure and safe during use. These metal bats don’t have natural wooden fibers to break in, but they can still be modified at softball bat shaving and rolling services. An interested customer can look up pre-shaved metal bats online and order them, and/or they can visit local bat shaving services and bring along a metal bat for modification.
The workers at a shaving service will remove the metal bat’s end cap and place the bat on a lathe table, and the bat’s open end will be fed to a rotating grinder surface. That grinder will scrape away a few ounces of material from the bat’s interior padding, and then the bat is removed and its end cap is removed. It is now ready for use.
Shaved metal bats are more flexible, and they can strike a ball further than normal. This is desirable for casual games, but such doctored bats, like rolled wooden bats, are forbidden at sanctioned games. No padding should be shaved away from the bat’s handle, or it becomes too fragile and may break during gameplay. The same thing might happen if too much padding is shaved from the bat’s body, so care should be taken when shaving it. Also, bear in mind that shaved bats don’t perform well in temperatures below 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
