Bigdawgbatrolling's Blog

Bat Shaving Alloy or Aluminum Bats, is it possible?

bigdawgbatrolling — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:33:44 +0000

Seems like a pretty simple question until we dig a little deeper. The quick answer is yes and after that comes the “but”. Very few bat shavers will shave Alloy bats (this is to include aluminum when alloy is mentioned). This is not to say they cannot perform this service they simply understand the physics of the process.

When a ball hits a bat the walls of the bat flex to propel the ball, the wall then returns to the original shape. Composite bats are proven to withstand more flex than alloy bats and therefore more strength on the surface area where the impact of the ball strikes. The flex of a composite bat has the potential to be far greater than that of an alloy bat because the composite is far stronger. Composite fibers flex and return to shape with little adverse effects to the integrity of the bat. On the other hand, alloy bats are not as strong and the same amount of flex will dent the bat because the alloy material will not allow the bat to flex back into shape. Bat manufactures have created alloy bats that will withstand the impact of repeated ball striking by making the walls a specific thickness. Alloy bats will dent after a period of time as the material becomes more malleable after repeated ball striking. Composite bats have been proven to last longer with the same amount of impacts and the same wall thickness. This was great for people who purchased bats because they stretched their dollar with increased life of a bat. A caveat to the longer life was greater distance. The resin in between the composite fibers would break up and increase the flex of the bat, which increased distance. Baseball and softball associations realized this increase in distance and started to require bat manufactures to take action to decrease batted ball speed at the peak of a bats performance.

Although it is illegal in all associations to do, people can still get their bats shaved to increase performance. Getting back to the “but” I spoke of earlier. An alloy or aluminum bat just is not as strong as a composite bat; therefore, when an alloy bat is shaved the flex of the alloy material cannot match that of a composite bat. The alloy bat is unable to perform even close to that of a composite bat, yielding minimal distances gained from shaving. Another problem is durability of the alloy after the walls have been decreased from bat shaving. The thinner walls means the bats will flex more but the dent/crack point tolerance will increase. The couple of bat shavers who perform bat shaving on alloy bats will shave out minimal amounts of material from the walls of the bat to try to increase durability. And here lies the catch 22 with alloy bats. If you shave out a small amount from the barrel there is not a noticeable difference in distance but if you shave enough to gain 5-20 feet of distance the integrity of the alloy is gone and the bat will undoubtedly dent quickly. What does this mean exactly? A shaved alloy or aluminum bat will dent or crack in a very short period of time and if the bat has been shaved and it does not dent or crack there will be almost no increase in distance. These facts are why almost all bat shavers will not shave alloy bats. If they shave the bat to gain performance they will have an upset customer with a broken bat. Also, if the bat shaver only shaves out enough material so that there is increased durability the customer is upset because there was not a noticeable gain in distance. It would seem thatsome bat shavers want to hoodwink their customers with the promise of making good hitters great by shaving alloy or aluminum bats.

USSSA Headquarters Announced the following

bigdawgbatrolling — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:42:01 +0000

USSSA has a long history with 1.20 BPF standard developed on principals of physics by Dr. Richard Brandt of NYU. While the current standard of 1.20 BPF for softball bats remains in our view the appropriate level for competition, the current generation of composite bats is susceptible to alteration with overuse. As such, USSSA attempted to address the issue by providing stiff penalties for those who use altered bats and is attempting to help develop an on field testing device to determine when bats might through overuse or alteration exceed the 1.20 BPF standard. In addition, USSSA has reduce the compression (that is hardness of the ball) used in slow pitch from at one time in excess of 700# to 325# for today’s balls. And lastly, USSSA has reduced the weight of the ball, again in an attempt to maintain the proper competitive level of play. With all of that done, USSSA still finds the possibility o faltered and over used composite bats to be a concern.

Accordingly, beginning in 2011, USSSA will revamp its 1.20 BPF testing procedures to reduce the possibility of improved performance of carbon fiber bats with overuse or alteration while maintaining the 1.20 BPF standard. Bats passing the new test will carry a new and easily identifiable USSSA mark on the taper of all USSSA licensed bats. Old bats with the old USSSA BPF Mark currently are expected to be grandfathered through the end of the 2012 season. Additionally, USSSA softball bats with the new Markare not currently expected to be available until late fall of 2011.This announcement is effective as of the issue date of October 19, 2010.

New for Worth in the 2011 Season: Big Changes on the Horizon

bigdawgbatrolling — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 15:29:41 +0000

With the sucess of the Resmondo World Series Edition, Resmondo and Worth has teamed up with a new bat, the Worth Resmondo “Limited Edition” Titan SBLER-LE. It will look similar to the World Series Edition, with a flat black and grey color scheme. Worth has also stopped production on the 2 piece bats (DUOs, Mutants, etc.,). Some representatives have said they will no longer be in production. Digging further, we found out that this could very well be true. Worth has a new undisclosed technology in the works for their bats. They claim that this technology will truely bring the sweetspot to the entire length of the bat with a series of “chambers”. This is part of the reason for the hault in production of the 2 piece bats. What doe s this mean really? New technology bats for the 2012 season and 2 piece bats will be in high demand for the 2011 season. The 2 piece bats are already a known as a “hot” bat in the softball community and this news should bring their price up (How far? Who knows?).

As always BigDawgBatRolling.com will carry all of these bats.

Bat Shaving or Bat Rolling BigDawg can hook you up!

How to Perform Bat Rolling

bigdawgbatrolling — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:00:10 +0000

Perpendicular Roll

You will need to run your bat perpendicular through a parallel bat rolling machine. I suggest rollers that are of a harder material than the regular nylon rollers, these rollers will not deform. Pick one of 8-12 points around the bat and also decide what your maximum pressure will be. The first perpendicular run through the bat rolling machine will be 25% of the maximum pressure and you will run the bat along the entire length of the barrel 4 times up and back on one of the 8-12 points. Next, increase the pressure 25%, which will be 50% of the maximum pressure; then you will need to repeat above process, keeping on the same point. You will then need to increase the pressure to 75% and this time only perpendicular roll the sweet spot of the bat (2 inches above the taper and 2 inches below the endcap). Repeat sweet spot only perpendicular roll at max pressure. Repeat the entire above process on each of the 8-12 points around the barrel of the bat.

Parallel Roll

Next, you will need to parallel roll your bat to break in any spots the perpendicular roll has missed because even the most thorough perpendicular roll will miss areas along the barrel. The parallel roll will also help if your bat was slightly deformed by the perpendicular roll. Sometimes a bat will have long flat spots along the length of the bat from perpendicular rolling. Parallel bat rolling will aid in the removal of these areas of flatness. Place your bat in the bat rolling machine parallel and centered on the sweet spot. Just as with the perpendicular roll, you will start at 25% of maximum pressure. Turn the bat in the rollers 5 full revolutions, then increase the pressure to 50%, and turn for five full revolutions again. Increase the pressure to 75% and repeat and then again at 100%. Your bat is now effectively rolled and will yield optimal distance results.

Problems that may occur

Some common problems are laminate creasing, roller slipping, and flat spots; I will talk about all three. Laminate creasing happens with certain manufacturers of bats (Miken mostly). This does not occur on every model but a select few. The main thing is to catch this before it happens. If you are rolling a bat that you have never rolled before just take it slow and even cut your pressures in half increments. Every time you increase to a new pressure take the bat out and check it. Normally a crease in the laminate starts small and increases with pressures. If you see one of these starting, back of a eighth turn and that will be your maximum pressure.

Roller slipping happens a lot with nylon rollers but one bat rolling machine company has come out with new rollers and bearings that have reduced slipping some bats will still slip. Athletic tape or pine tar can help slipping rollers but I have found the best way is to grip the bat while rolling and help it along. The only other advice is to upgrade to a new a roller with upgraded material.

Flat spots happen when the composite does not break down evenly along the bat. Sometimes a simple parallel roll will get these out. If these spots do not come out with a parallel roll then here is what I suggest. Run your hand along the barrel of the bat until you feel the spot. Put your finger on the high point of the flat spot (this will be on either side of the flat spot) and put the bat back into the bat roller perpendicular with that spot you have fingered exactly on the bottom roller. Next, roll the bat through at 75% and 100% maximum pressures. Repeat this process until all spots are gone.

Bat Shaving or Bat Rolling BigDawg can hook you up!

Bat Rolling Baseball Bats; Is this a Good Thing?

bigdawgbatrolling — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 02:36:36 +0000

Baseball bats are the most widely produced bat in the United States. In addition, composites have overtaken the top manufactured position that aluminum bats held for so long. With the new era of composite material, bats are more durable and better performing bats. The performance is not limited to the distance and pop of the first hit, it will actually get “hotter” with use. There has been a scandal or controversy in the NCAA about rolled composite bats and they have decided to go back to aluminum bats. The problem might not have been with the bat rolling aspect but with the increased MPH achieved through breaking in the bat; naturally through batting practice or the bat rolling process.

Big barrel baseball bats have composite that is more durable (thicker) than any other type of bat. This is part of the reason they hit “hardballs” and not softballs. Baseball bats do pose a problem to bat rollers who want to break in the bat through advanced break in techniques. The barrel is larger and shorter than other bats. The perpendicular roll of a baseball bat is more difficult due to this fact. If you are not familiar with what bat rolling accomplishes I will go over it real quick; The resin is broken upon within the composite which gives the bat more flexibility (trampoline effect) and equates to more distance. A complete roll of a baseball bat is impossible with a perpendicular roll only, the taper will pose the biggest obstacle. This problem is alleviated with a parallel bat rolling after the perpendicular roll is completed. The parallel roll will cover the entire sweet spot of the baseball bat’s barrel.

As I said before, the baseball bat’s composite is thicker and more durable than any other type of bat. For this fact, some rollers will break down after repeated baseball bat rolling. The bearings and softer nylon rollers will not hold up under the added pressure, this is why some bat rolling companies have changed there roller material and changed their type of bearings the bat rolling machines utilize. The roller material change is the biggest advancement. Because so much pressure is needed to compress composite baseball bats the nylon rollers “warp” or deform to the bat and correct pressure cannot be achieved. This deforming of the nylon roller and added pressure causes the break down of these types of bat rolling machines. Getting back to the issue of rolling baseball bats; a bat rolling machine with upgraded rollers are needed to properly roll big barrel baseball bats, the nylon rollers will not create enough pressure on the surface of the bat.

After a big barrel baseball bat has been rolled you can expect 20-40 feet of distance to your batted ball, assuming the bat is 34 inches in length. The longer the barrel the more flex or trampoline effect occurs. Therefore, as the barrel length decreases the flex decreases by an inch. In my experiences, the distance lost due to a smaller length barrel is about 5 feet every inch. So, that means big barrel bats under 30 inches will only gain about 10-20 feet.

In Summary, big barrel baseball bats can be rolled with good distance results but some factors can decrease that distance. Nylon rollers can deform under the high pressure needed for the more dense and thick big barrel baseball bat material. A harder roller material is needed to properly roll a big barrel bat. The length of the bat is also a factor in the distance gained, a shorter length equals a small decrease in distance gained.

Big barrel bats will gain distance to your batted ball when properly rolled.

Bat Shaving or Bat Rolling BigDawg can hook you up!

Bat Shaving: People will Drill Out Material from your Bat Instead of a Lathe

bigdawgbatrolling — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 06:11:31 +0000

Bat shaving is a bat modification that decreases the thickness of a bat’s inner barrel. The end cap is removed and a digital precision lathe “shaves” the inside of the barrel. The decrease of alloy or composite material allows the barrel to flex more at the point of impact, which translates to greater batted ball speed. The greater ball speed can add 40-50 feet with shaving alone, add bat rolling prior to shaving and that number goes up even higher.

There are many people who open up a bat and shave the inside with a drill hone (or drum sander). A hone will create “hot spots” and “dead spots” through out the shaved barrel. A hot spot is where the spot is shaved too much and the barrel will flex more. This sounds good because we want more flex for more distance, right? Not exactly, the hot spot will cause a weak spot on the barrel and increase the chance of cracking significantly. There are predetermined widths for bat shaving, which test the limits of the bat as far as strength and durability. Sanding past these limits will cause your bat to break prematurely. The dead spots are just the opposite of hot spots; they cause the bat to flex less, which causes a decrease in distance. A bat straight from the factory will often have inconsistencies of 5-10 thousands of an inch along the barrel already. The precision lathing of your bat will actually create the most accurate wall available. A constant wall allows the bat to have the same flex around the bat for increased distance and better durability (remember, a shaved bat is less durable). The main point is that sanding the inside of a barrel will never be consistent or precise, only a lathe can do that. Most people who shave on EBay (and even some on the internet) utilize a drill hone (drum sander); this is why you will see cheap prices on EBay for bat shaving services. A CNC lathe should have a digital read out to lessen the chance of inaccuracies. One pass through the lathe is not as accurate as taking out material in 2-3 passes. It would be like using coarse grit sand paper as opposed to a fine grit sand paper. The fine grit will take longer but it produces a better product. When the bat is taken out of the lathe it will have lost 1-2 ounces of material depending on the manufacturer of the bat (different bats have different specifications). That weight needs to be put back into the bat at the handle and end cap, an extra amount can usually be put into the cap for an end load. If you did not know, all manufacturers create their barrels to weigh the same. They put metal weight into the handle and extra resin into the end cap to weight the bat anywhere from 26 ounces to 30 ounces. After the weight is added back the end cap is put back on using the correct glue, substandard glue could result in the end cap separating and even popping off.

Bat Shaving or Bat Rolling BigDawg can hook you up!

Caution Perpendicular Bat Rolling is Not Enough

bigdawgbatrolling — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:54:19 +0000

Only rolling perpendicular had been good enough in the past and was the industry standard in the infancy of rolling bats. That is until BigDawgBatRolling enhanced this older idea of rolling. Bat rolling perpendicular followed by parallel generates Optimal Distance Results.

The physics of the composite bat facilitates this type of rolling to achieve your Optimal Distance Results. Perpendicular rolling breaks resin up in elongated sections along the barrel of the bat. The perpendicular roll flexes the barrel 1 to 1 ½ inches length wise but width wise that number decreases to just ¼ of an inch. A normal bat is 7 inches in circumference; this means to effectively roll a normal softball you would have to perpendicular roll on 28 points. Some would say that parallel rollers were made to speed up the rolling process and this seems to true. I am sure the creator of the first parallel roller did not realize perpendicular rolling took that long for an effective roll but none the less they wanted a quicker roll. This eagerness has propelled the bat rolling industry onto a new path for bat rolling. The technology of the bat rolling machines today do not allow for a systematic 28 point perpendicular roll. Effectively rolling perpendicular only would be a tedious and unworkable task. Along came the parallel roller and the bat rolling process was improved.

You will hear that parallel rollers will put too much stress on the bat. To an extent this is true; with rollers longer than 6 inches you will break up the resin to close to the taper and end cap. The 6 inch roller only covers the sweet spot and does not come too close to the taper or end cap area. The barrel flexes as pressure is increased. The flex at maximum pressure in a parallel roller will extend out 1 to 1 ½ inches past the roller. A 6 inch roller will not damage the end cap or taper area when parallel rolling because the flex created does not extend into those areas. The width flex stays consistent around the entire length of the bat because the roller never leaves the surface of the bat. This will break up resin at every point along the length of the roller plus 1 to 1 ½ inches past the rollers (which are referred to as the sweet spot). The area at the top of the bat has been shaven down to facilitate the end cap placement and is susceptible to breakage while rolling. Also, if the taper area is compromised by breaking up the resin the life of the bat is drastically reduced. The taper area acts as the fulcrum in the mechanics of a swing. This area has to be the strongest part of the entire bat and bat rolling near the taper is a big bat rolling mistake.

I went over the benefits and physics of why to perpendicular roll and then parallel roll your bats. Just remember perpendicular rolling is good but perpendicular followed by parallel is what the industry standard has evolved to.

Thanks for visiting the Original Bat Rolling Blog

Bat Shaving, Bat Rolling Machines or Bat Rolling BigDawg can hook you up!

Bat Rolling Machines: What you Need in a Machine

bigdawgbatrolling — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:33:52 +0000

I did extensive research on bat rollers, the physics of bat rollers, and actual companies and their reputations. When I did my research I also focused on the physics of the bat rolling machines, basically which one was the easiest to use and built to last. I know other bat rollers in my area that roll in parking lots, so I got to see some of these machines first hand. The oddest bat rolling machine I saw was a perpendicular one where you needed to use wrenches to compress the rollers (believe it or not there were no handles), what a headache. With a perpendicular roller it is hard to keep the bat balanced and it is hard enough to roll without worrying about wrenches to turn the rollers. Bat rollers use parallel machines because of the 2 rollers on the top, parallel rollers on are 10 times steadier and easier to use. The perpendicular rollers have only 2 points to anchor the bat, 1 bottom roller and 1 top roller, while parallel rollers have 3 points to “anchor” the bat (2 top rollers and 1 bottom roller). For this fact, it is very hard to control a bat while rolling with a perpendicular bat roller. I also saw a parallel one that uses wrenches also to turn the rollers. This is a bat roller that takes 4 times as long to roll bats because the turns are quadrupled as a resul;ts of the 4 bolts on top that need turned in order to lower the roller. This machine also has a 7 inch roller instead of the 6 inch roller the mainstream bat rollers have. When I talked to a bat rolling machine manufacturer they said they had tried different size rollers and the 6 inch worked best on the sweetspot. I also did my own study of the physics of the flex of bats during compression in a parallel roller. The 7 inch rollers caused the flex point to be inside the taper and endcap area, which can damage the bat. When manufacturers claim the whole barrel is the sweetspot they are bending the truth. What that means is there is less composite material located towards the taper and end cap. The taper area is actually an overlapping of composite creating a joint in which the resin needs to stay intact. If the resin breaks up in this area the bat is susceptible to breaks. The end cap area has a significantly less amount of carbon fiber because an area needs to be lathed out for the end cap. If a roller larger than 6 inches is used it puts undo stress on the end cap area and taper section reducing the life of the bat.

Durability was a big deal with me because I had 2 bat rolling machines break . I had the bearings wear out after about 200 bats rolled and I had the actual roller separate from the turning mechanism on the other after 300 bats. I was stuck with 2 broken bat rolling machines. So then I got a roller with the softer plastic (or what I call nylon) and 1000 bats later the roller had a significant wave in it and the roller was starting to drag. I contacted the company and within a week I had new rollers and and bearings (They have now upgraded their rollers and bearings, this will be a problem of the past).

There are 6 main bat rolling companies and everyone of these companies use a parallel bat rolling machine to roll thier customer’s bats. Ebay has about 20 different bat rolling individuals during the season out of these 20 not one uses a perpendicular machine. What this boils down to is my recommendation to get a parallel bat roller with upgraded material so there are no problems with rolling bats.

BigDawg Bat Rolling

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Bat Shaving, Bat Rolling Machines or Bat Rolling BigDawg can hook you up!

Bat Rolling Guide

bigdawgbatrolling — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:03:34 +0000

Bat rolling has been a guessing game for most people who bat roll; what pressure to use, how long to roll, what bats break easily and so on. There are quite a few more issues with bat rolling than just putting pressure A and rolling through B amount of times. People are purchasing bat rolling machines and checking out pressures on customers from EBay and Craig’s List. I can tell this by some of the bad feedback that is given on EBay and forums. There are small amounts on forums, videos and web pages on how to bat roll but no magic guide for rolling. It is odd to say that bat rolling is an art, but it truly is a complicated process. I had a college professor say to our class one time that reading a book, an 1 hour a day, on a specific topic will make you an expert on that subject. I would definitely say this is false for bat rolling, although it is a great start. In my opinion, an hour or two a day of bat rolling will lead to becoming an expert. Practice definitely makes perfect with rolling.

Picture this, there are about 22 people advertising bat rolling services on EBay and out of those only 5 have been bat rolling for more than a year (as far as their time on EBay or as Internet company). In addition, there is no method to know how long someone has been rolling when buying from Craig’s List. If a good ad on EBay or Craig’s List can drag you in to give up your $400 bat then so be it, but my dollars would be better left with the person who has great feedback and has put out the time and cash into maintaining a website. Customer referrals are a great way to go, that is, if you know somebody. Please do this before you get your bat rolled… do some investigating on the person or company rolling your bat. Examine EBay feedback and look on the internet, it does not take a lot of time. What is 20 minutes to make certain your $300-$500 bat will not get broke. Most legitimate bat rolling companies offer a cracked bat guarantee. Some of the widespread things you will find on EBay are: “do not let an amateur roll your bat”, overstated distance results, like saying you will gain “20-60 feet of distance” (20-40 feet of distance has been established, no more). People actually have pictures of bat rolling in their living room as an ad picture. I have seen one guy” blame the manufacturer for breaking a bat, are you kidding me? Same guy wrote that the bat will be compressed at .186 inches; this would break any bat before you went half way to .186 of an inch, ridonkulous. One guy offers “hot” and “super hot”, Email him and see if there is a “super dip dooper hot”. Please do not take offense if you do roll bats just tell the facts and run a bona fide business with no outlandish propaganda. Every bat rolling company will benefit in the reputation of quality bat rolling instead of a few second-rate rollers leaving a bad taste in customers and potential customers’ mouths. In the Marines we used to call the bad seeds the 10% that recruiters shoved through. Unfortunately I see plenty more than 10% as I look on the Internet and on EBay. I am sure the top bat rolling companies will read this article and understand precisely where I am coming from. Those few bat rollers who don’t understand will be waiting to “go to work on” that brand new $300 bat you have.

The 10% I speak of have been doing things to harm the industry and character of bat rolling, which has been aggravating me for long time. Seeing the nonsense around I wondered to myself, what can I do? I did not want to mention anyone by name because that discredits me also. I needed to do something to help. Have you ever heard the statement, “Give a man a fish”? I am sure you have heard that. I figured I could create a base for bat rolling to help those who want it. Share the experience of 5 years of bat rolling, hopefully that can make a difference.

Bat Rolling Guide

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Bat Shaving, Bat Rolling Machines or Bat Rolling BigDawg can hook you up!

Is Bat Rolling Illegal? What does ASA, USSSA, and NSA Say?

bigdawgbatrolling — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:52:31 +0000

It is clear that all associations believe that altering a bat not allowed as spelled out by their rules but let’s clear the air; there is not any law that states a rolled bat is illegal. It would be hard for a prosecutor to prove that a rolled bat is any hotter than a bat broken in by hitting baseballs or softballs repeatedly. There have not been any landmark civil suit cases to date. There has been one court case to date about altering bats but this was a shaved and a painted bat: “Oklahoma City, OK—The Amateur Softball Association (“ASA”) is pleased to report that the U.S. District Court for Western Oklahoma has awarded ASA $100,000 in damages and attorney’s fees totaling approximately $12,000 against the first two defendants in the Association’s ongoing attempts to rid the game of softball of illegal equipment including painting and other techniques used to alter bats”. This was not damages to a person but to the ASA organization and it was three years ago. Association can suspend you if a bat is found to be altered but bat rolling is virtually impossible to detect, without a shadow of doubt. Unlike shaving or end loading a bat the effects of rolling are not easily detectable. A bat would need to be cut long ways and scientifically examined to find a pattern of resin break down consistent with rolling; no association has that type of time or money. I have personally known of bats that were sent to large bat companies for warranty which were rolled and not one was denied a replacement.

I will now go into what each association’s rules are in regards to rolling.

ASA

Rule 3 Equipment
“We have had several questions pertaining to bats and what is legally permissible to do to a bat. One item that appears to keep coming up is the rolling of bats for quicker break in of the fibers. There are those who maintain that rolling of one’s bat is perfectly legal. According to Rule 3 Section 7 NOTE: ‘The characteristics of any approved equipment can not be changed. Examples’. Therefore, according to our rules, rolling of one’s bat is illegal and would make that bat an altered bat according to Rule 1 Altered Bat: When the physical structure of a legal softball bat has been changed”. They specifically mention bat rolling but as I stated earlier there is no way to detect rolling.

USSSA

“Altered Bats – Excessive Pressure Included in the USSSA view of what is an altered or doctored bat are any bats that are subjected to pressure in any manner that exceeds that of striking the bat against an approved ball traveling at game like speeds. Such excess pressure would include, but is not limited to, any compression, rolling, placing in a vice, hitting a stationary object such as a pole, etc”. Again the same type of verbiage

NSA

“An altered bat is considered altered when the physical structure of the legal bat has been changed in any way, or when an illegal or non approved bat has been made up in such a way as to appear to be a legal bat. Examples of altering a bat are, but not limited to the following: Painting a bat, replacing the handle or shaving the handle or barrel or the taper changed in any way. Such as by sandpapering or applying a solvent to the surface such as fingernail polish remover or by any other means. Removing or replacing the plug or changed in any way other than factory repairs. Had the knob removed/ replaced or changed in any way or had anything removed or added to the inside or outside of the bat other than the legal way to tape the bat the specified and appropriate place as described in the NSA Rule Book”. There is nothing specific about rolling but some could see this as a way to say it is illegal.

Bat rolling is a very hot topic among softball associations, players, and bat companies. Associations are trying to level the playing field as best as possible with their resources. Only one bat company has made huge commitments to keeping altered bats off the field of play. Easton has made reveal composite and started stamping there end caps where the cap meets the bat. This, I’m sure, has made a slight dent in altered bat use but without testing bats at the parks with a precise compression tester there is no end to bats going above the mph legal limit. ASA has made such a machine but it is archaic at best. The machine can tell if the bat is over the 98mph limit but it will not tell you by how much. Bats that are broken in by batting practice can be deemed illegal because they are over that limit and with that the owner is at risk being labeled a “cheater”. Bat companies are to blame, for the most part, because there is an unspoken competition as to whose bat can change in batted ball speed the most after being broken in. This would be the bat everyone seeks to obtain and thus sales go up. With all that being said bat rolling is no different than a well broken in bat, so why spend days, weeks, or even months breaking in your bat when you can get it rolled? With such a drastic difference between new and broken in bats, you need to get your bat rolled or spend days breaking it in to level the playing field. If it was increasing distance like shaving does I can see the argument of cheating but we are talking about apples and oranges. Bat rolling simply speeds up the break in process with out any detection.

Bat Rolling Services

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Bat Shaving, Bat Rolling Machines or Bat Rolling BigDawg can hook you up!

Bigdawgbatrolling's Blog

Bat Shaving Alloy or Aluminum Bats, is it possible?

USSSA Headquarters Announced the following

New for Worth in the 2011 Season: Big Changes on the Horizon

How to Perform Bat Rolling

Bat Rolling Baseball Bats; Is this a Good Thing?

Bat Shaving: People will Drill Out Material from your Bat Instead of a Lathe

**Caution** Perpendicular Bat Rolling is Not Enough

Bat Rolling Machines: What you Need in a Machine

Bat Rolling Guide

Is Bat Rolling Illegal? What does ASA, USSSA, and NSA Say?

Caution Perpendicular Bat Rolling is Not Enough