How to Spot a Shaved Bat | Gorilla Bats | Blog

During a swing, a baseball or softball bat can travel up to 80 miles per hour at its peak. Obviously, professional ballplayers have a faster bat speed than you're average Little Leaguer or recreational player, but with the right practice, correct form, and some shaved Easton USA bats, you can drastically improve your swing speed.

It's important to note, however, shaved bats aren't 100% legal in baseball and softball leagues across the United States. That being said, they are perfectly legal for batting practice, exhibition games, and home run derbies. Bat rolling and shaving services exist to help you improve your swing, make more contact, and hit the ball much farther (and harder).

How to spot a shaved bat?

It's quite easy to identify a poorly shaved bat. It'll sound strange, look bad, and the player will likely be bragging about their "skills." Conversely, quality shaved Easton USA bats are much more difficult to spot. If it's done well then spotting a shaved bat is nearly impossible. A lower quality shaved bat will have plenty of cosmetic defaults near the cap and throughout the bat. If the cap is placed back on correctly, however, a shaved bat will look exactly like it did before.

The best way to actually determine if a bad is shaved or not, however, is to perform weight and compression testing.

Weight Tests

Simply using a kitchen scale can help you identify whether or not a bat has been shaved. Plenty of baseball and softball bat manufacturers are notorious for producing bats that weigh more than their sticker weight. In fact, the majority of bat companies have yet to produce a bat that weighs less than its sticker weight. If done correctly, a shaved bat will, in fact, weigh less than its sticker. For example, a 27-ounce bat might actually weigh in at 28 ounces; but after a legitimate bat shaving company works its magic, it'll end up weighing closer to 27 ounces or just below.

Compression Tests

After weighing your bat, if you're still unsure if it's shaved or not, a compression test is a great option. Keep in mind this isn't as true as it used to be since non-linear modern bat designs affect the transferable nature of compression tests. But if you're working with an experienced company, a quality compression test should do the trick.

Though you won't be using your shaved Easton USA bats in actual games, practicing with these powerful tools will certainly translate into on-field performance. If you want to learn more about baseball bat rolling and shaving, give Gorilla Bats a call right away.