How to Tap a Wood Baseball Bat

Wood baseball bats have a tendency to splinter and break from time to time. This can occur after a significant amount of use, or if the velocity of the pitch meets the swinging bat at just the right location near the top of the handle. Once a bat has been cracked, you no longer want to use it in a game. Aside from the danger of it breaking further, a cracked bat will not strike the baseball as hard.

Instructions

    • 1

      Hold the baseball bat near the top of the barrel with one hand.

    • 2

      Tap the handle and knob of the bat against the dirt in a downward motion. Avoid tapping the bat on the grass, which may be soft, or on home plate, which may have a rubbery "give" to it, making it hard to determine if the bat is in fact broken.

    • 3

      Listen for a vibration sound. The sound of a broken bat is one of vibration. A slight rattling ring will be heard from a broken bat. If you hear a firm sound, then it is a good chance the bat is not broken.

    • 4

      Feel the bat for any vibration. At the same time you are listening, feel if there is any vibration up the handle and barrel of the bat as you tap it against the ground. Vibration means the bat is broken. A dead sound means the bat is still intact.

    • 5

      Visually inspect the bat for hairline cracks or fractures. Simply hold the baseball bat and rotate it to determine if you see any breakage. If you did not see, feel or hear anything that seems like it is cracked, it is good to use.