Bat Altering 101

What is Bat Altering?
An Altered Bat is any bat that has been modified to allow it to perform at it's highest level. All bats are designed to perform at a predetermined level. The bat manufactures typically are required to design bats to perform within a specific performance factor which is mandated from the various associations. This performance factor is even now becoming more of an issue in College, High School now Little League Baseball. Every association has different rules on what they consider altering. We recommend you refer to the rulebook of your particular association before making your choice of altering or not. Bat Rolling is your best option since it can not be proven that you have rolled your bat. Most bats are now rolled (ABI Procedure) prior to testing to ensure they don't exceed the design specifications after rolling.

What ways are there to alter a bat?
The 2 most common ways of altering a bat is either by shaving or rolling. Shaving a bat is done by removing the end cap and shaving the inner wall of the barrel. Rolling is the safest way but shaving will provide you with the greatest performance increases. Rolling your bat is done by rolling the bat through two rollers which will increase the trampoline effect of the bat. This will improve the batted ball speed by approximately 10%. This equates to 20-40 feet of additional distance for composite and 10-20 feet for Aluminum. One commonly used method that is used along with shaving is end loading. By adding weight to the end cap when it's removed you will change the balance point of the bat. This extra weight in the end allows the bat barrel to get through the hitting zone quicker and also allows you to maintain your bat speed after contact has been made. Bat Shaving on average will increase distance by 30-50ft.

Can you quickly summarize Bat Rolling for me?
Sure, Bat Rolling is done with a Bat Rolling Machine. If you visit our products page you'll see what  bat rollers looks like. We currently offer our GD-P4000 Parallel - Perpendicular Bat Rolling Machine. Our GD-P4000 Parallel - Perpendicular Roller is the industry standard when it comes to Parallel Machines. When you roll your bat you are breaking down the resin (Glue) that bind the composite fibers that make up your bat. Rolling accomplishes what would normally take 500-700 hits on the bat. The advantages are you don't have to spend hours of batting practice and you eliminate the wear and tear on your bat. Bat Rolling is the preferred altering process as it does not effect your warranty and there is not way to tell the bat has been rolled.

How does bat altering effect my bat?
On average you'll see improvements anywhere from 5-15mph on the batted ball speed. This equates to 20-50 feet more distance. It doesn't stop there. The improved batted ball speeds will allow those infield hits get to the outfield quicker, creates a larger sweet spot and most importantly puts the ball over the fence more frequently. When you shave your bat you are thinning the walls out and this will effect the durability of the bat greatly. It will also void the warranty of your bat and you will not be able to send it back should you have any issues with it. Rolling a bat does not effect the durability of the bat and you will maintain your warranty. For this reason again we recommend rolling vs. shaving. Most associations have rules regarding bat altering and we recommend that you contact them regarding the specifics.

Learn more about Bat Shaving