2018 USA Baseball Bat Update

UPDATED 11/22/18 - If you purchased one of the new USA bats and experienced a full season of use from them you understand that these new bats simply do not perform at the levels most have been accustomed to. Most of the performance levels we 40-50ft less than previous years. Many of our customers resorted to getting their bats rolled and or shaved to get back some of the expected performance levels. Although the bats don't gain back all of the distance they do perform MUCH better than if nothing was done.

We're finding that for 2019, most manufacturers have made some small tweaks to their designs to push the performance levels up a bit, reduce stinging of the hands on mishits and also increased durability. We expected that their would have to be some trial and error on the new bats but we think this years USA Baseball bats will be a welcome change as compared to last year. We are stocking most of the new 2019 USA Bats now and we encourage you to try one of the new designs.

 

On January 1st, 2018 most major youth associations adopted the new USA baseball standard. Below we've listed most of the associations. Unfortunately, this new performance standard has make the performance and exit velocity off the bats similar to the BBCOR standard adopted several years ago by High School and Colleges. For most, this new performance level will come as a surprise to most. To be frank, the new USA bats are terrible right out of the wrapper. The intention of USA baseball was to have the bats perform similar to wood bats and I must say that they certainly achieved that goal.

In order to maintain this new performance standard, manufactures have made bats with thicker wall or tighter composite weaves to prevent the walls from flexing too much as well as incorporating restrictor rings inside the barrel. The new USA bats are no difference than any other bat, they will get better as they have more hits on them, however the problem is they will take in excess of 4000 hits to do so.

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Will rolling and or shaving improve my new 2018 USA Baseball Bat?
For those effected by this new 2018 USA Baseball performance standard I'm sure you are trying to find some way to improve the performance and or shaved of these new bats. This new performance standard has drastically reduced the exit velocity off these bats. You WILL need to get your bat rolled to bring it back to what you're use to. Bat Rolling has shown substantial improvements to several new bats we have tested. Please ensure you check with your league or event coordinator prior to getting your bat rolled or shaved. Some leagues or event may have rules that restrict these alterations.

What are the typical distance increased on USA baseball Bats
Our initial testing has shown that Alloy USA bats are improving around 10-15ft after rolling and 20-25ft after shaving. On the composite USA Baseball bats we are showing increased of 20-25ft after rolling and 30ft plus when you roll and shave them. Keep in mind your actual distances may vary slightly. Even with these sizeable increases, the new bats will not perform nearly as well as the older models but will perform noticeably better than a stock bat. Again, please confirm with your league or event coordinator prior to using a rolled or shaved bat. Some leagues and events permit the use while many do not.

What type of Bat Rolling Machine do you use?
We roll ALL bats with our DUAL Electric Driven Xtreme Black "Legacy" Bat Rolling Machines. We also have 2 manual machines for those bats that do require perpendicular rolling along with the parallel rolling.

What if my bat has already been used and I think it's broken in?
Even bats the have been used will benefit from our rolling process. We get bats in every day that have 300-400 hits on them and after we get the bats back to the owner they are very surprised with the results.

Is rolling considered Illegal?
While we don't discuss the legalities of Bat Rolling we would recommend that you consult your local league or association prior to purchasing our Bat Rolling Service or purchasing a bat that has been heat rolled. In most cases there are rules in regards to rolling that prohibit such alteration, but in some leagues and associations bat rolling is approved. Also, many home run derbies or showcases permit the use as well. Following the rolling process, we compression test ALL bats to ensure they still are performing at or below the maximum allowable level. Also, since ALL manufacturers are required to send a sampling of their bats to independent testing facilities prior to approval for use, it is our belief is that since they have already been proven not exceed the designed performance levels after an ABI process (identical to our rolling process) that rolling is simply allowing your bat to performance at it's optimal level without having to put 1000's of hits on it before it reaches this level.

Will Rolling or Shaving void my manufacturers warranty?
Simple answer is YES