Doctored Bats

Doctored Bats 101

What is Bat Doctoring?
Bat Doctoring is again just another term used by people to define Bat Rolling or Shaving. The 2 most common way to Doctor a bat is either by shaving or rolling. Bat Shaving a bat is done by removing the end cap and shaving the inner wall with a Digital CNC Lathe of the barrel. Rolling is the safest way but shaving will provide you with the greatest performance increase. Rolling your bat is done by rolling the bat with three rollers which will increase the trampoline effect of the bat. This will improve the batted ball speed by approximately 5-8%. This equates to 20-40 feet for Composite Bats and 10-20 feet on Aluminum Bats. Bat Shaving is a process where material is removed from the inside of the barrel. By Shaving you will get 10-20 feet additional distance over stock. 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 barrel get through the hitting zone quicker.

Can you quickly summarize Bat Rolling for me?
Bat Rolling is done with a Bat Rolling Machine. When you roll your bat you are breaking down the resins that bind the composite fibers that make up your bat. Bat Rolling will make the walls of an Aluminum bat a little more flexible. Rolling accomplishes what would normally take 400-700 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. There have been several independent studies done to verify this information. Kettering University and Washington Status University are two of these. Do a Google search and you can find out more about it.

Is rolling or shaving considered Illegal?
While we don't discuss the legalities of Bat Rolling or Shaving we would recommend that you consult your local league or associaation in regards to the rolling process. In most cases their are rules in regards to rolling that prohibit such alteration but in many leagues and associations the rules are not so clear and also in leagues with no bats rules, homerun derbies or showcases the process is acceptable. We compress test ALL bats after rolling 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 our belief is that since it has already been proven that approved bats will not exceed the designed performance levels after and ABI process (identical to our rolling process) 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. Shaving is considered illegal in most every league unless it has no bat rules or used in homerun derbies or showcase. Use of a shaved bat in any sanctioned event or league is prohibited.

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