When you’re engaged in sports like softball or baseball, it’s natural that you would look for ways to improve the performance of your bat. Some softball players like to use shaved fastpitch softball bats because they feel these bats have a better degree of performance and can drive the ball farther and harder away than other types of softball bats. Several techniques can be used to improve the performance of softball bats, and these include processes known as rolling and shaving. Rolled and shaved bats have been pressed between rollers and had the inner walls of the bat thinned out to increase the bats’ performance. While using rolled bats or shaved bats for softball might seem tempting, there are some things you need to be aware of before you run about to seek the closest softball bat shaving and rolling service. This article will look at the pros and cons of using shaved fastpitch softball bats.
- Pro: Increased Performance: One pro to using shaved fastpitch softball bats is that they do indeed have increased performance. By having these alterations done to your bat, you’ll be able to drive the ball faster and farther away than you might with an unaltered bat. Since most softball players want to give the best performance possible, this would be a good reason to use a bat that has been shaved and rolled.
- Con: Shortened Lifespan: One con to using altered softball bats is that they won’t last as long as an unaltered bat. This happens because shaving involves opening up the bat itself and lightening the inner wall. While this does increase the performance of the bat, it also shortens its lifespan because the inner walls have been tampered with and won’t hold up for as long as a bat that hasn’t been shaved. So you’ll have a bat that works better but for a shorter period of time.
- Pro: No Breaking in Period: The general theory holds that a bat’s performance will improve the more it is used, because the wood will shift and change the more it strikes the ball. An advantage of rolling and shaving a bat is that it simulates this period of time and effectively “breaks in” a bat in a matter of hours instead of weeks or months. This can, in theory, allow a bat to reach peak performance with far less effort.
- Con: It’s Unethical: The biggest con to using shaved and rolled bats is that both practices are considered unethical and are strongly frowned upon by professional softball leagues. This is because shaving and rolling a bat is considered a form of cheating (since not everyone can afford to have this process done), because it grants an unfair advantage to the player using the bat. Now, if you’re not playing professionally, it’s likely alright to use an altered bat since you’re only playing for fun. But if you’re playing in any kind of league, be careful, since being caught with an altered bat can carry huge consequences.
In conclusion, there are several pros and cons that go along with using shaved fastpitch softball bats. These include two pros: having increased performance and no breaking in period. However, they can also include two cons: a shortened lifespan for the bat and the fact that the process is considered unethical and a form of cheating. These are all things you need to keep in mind if you’re looking at using a shaved or rolled bat for your next softball game.
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