Shaved Bats

[quincy]

are their people out there really fixing their kids bats trying to get a competitive edge while scouts are looking?

Heck yes I would if they were allowed.

 

[riseball]

Rolling bats is the equivalent of shaving. By rolling a composite bat you are creating a HUGE sweet spot versus the normal sweet spot created by breaking a bat in the cages or games. It's becoming more prevalent in fastpitich due to the pressure from parents for their kids to get a scholarship. It's a complete disgrace.

Shaving provides a competitive edge well beyond what is accomplished by rolling. If what you said were true there would be no market for shaving.

 

[SoAZDad]

If this is a very very good team as you describe, it is likely that they are well coached and that they have done their homework with regards to bats. The hottest of this year's bats are just that...the hottest of the current year bats. The team in question probably shopped and stocked up on the top bats on the "all-time" list instead of the "this year" list. It is funny that another team would think they were juiced if that was just speculation. The new bats in the bag are likely a reflection that they play a little u-trip on occasion.

Now, if they were in fact shaved, then hang 'em high in the town square, but as you described the team it sounds like this is more likely a case of being well schooled/well tooled, not cheating.

Some folks cheat, but I'm inclined to agree with vdubya ^^^^^^.

The older bats they were using may have been well broken in and ridiculously hot.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

. I saw three balls hit over the fence in two games.

I don't want to sound like an a-hole, but 3 yards in 2 games wouldn't cause me to be alarmed. Our 2nd year of 14u we averaged just over one HR per game, like 1.17 or 1.27 ( been 5 years ago and don't have those stats in front of me ) Some games we had no round trippers, some we had multiple. Now if it was a dozen HR's in 2 games, and their swing was sub par but still going 200+ feet, I might call BS.

 

[29dad]

Seems to me that it's been cold nearly everywhere lately and that a lot of players keep their new gamers in their bags at this time of year. I know my DD does. My vote is for "parents rumbling." That's what they do.

 

[riseball]

Thinking along the the lines of Ockham's razor I would submit good coaching vs sub par pitching over juiced bats. My own TB team put of 29 runs in 3 games on Saturday against pitching that was flat and fat. Not knowing any better I can see how some might have thought juiced bats.

 

[JAD]

Was the bats aluminum? Can't shave composite bats. Aluminum bats can be shaved but why, if you can use a composite bats.

Composite bats CAN be shaved....

www.batrolling4u.com - Worth Miken - Bat Shaving - YouTube

 

[SoAZDad]

Yup, vduby, GOINGDEEP, 20daad, and riseball all have plausible explanations for what took place. Now I think it's FAR less likely their bats were rolled or shaved.

BTW, another tidbit of evidence to corroborate what riseball posted: my DDs team won 3 USSSA pool games last Saturday in a mediocre pool by hitting the snot out of the ball without rolled/shaved bats (to my knowledge anyway) and outscored their opponents 45-5.

That reminds me, I need to post a brag thread...

 

[SyndreSoftball]

I don't want to sound like an a-hole, but 3 yards in 2 games wouldn't cause me to be alarmed. Our 2nd year of 14u we averaged just over one HR per game, like 1.17 or 1.27 ( been 5 years ago and don't have those stats in front of me ) Some games we had no round trippers, some we had multiple. Now if it was a dozen HR's in 2 games, and their swing was sub par but still going 200+ feet, I might call BS.

I agree, it is my DD first year in 14U so I thought that now the girls are stronger and it is not out of the ordinary to see multiple HR, now these balls were SHOTS, but to me it just looked like some big girls that are well coached. I think the other parents were just sour, I saw other towering shots in that showcase and thought nothing of it, but I was just suprised to hear the talk of rolled or shaved bats, I wanted to know if this a big problem in Showcases.

 

[Sparky Guy]

I personally have no dog in the rolling fight since my DD dies not hit. But no matter how you slice it, shaving a bat is not legal. But even so the alphabets are not that serious about enforcement.

You do have a dog in the fight indirectly. Your DD pitches. I'm sure you've seen some girls hits some balls and thought there is no way that girl can hit a ball that hard. I know I have.