How Do I Vice a Softball Bat?

Every softball player wants to get the most out of his bat. After a softball bat has connected with a ball several hundred times, the fibers in the barrel stretch. This stretching action causes the softball bat to become way more powerful. However, rather than hitting a softball several hundred times, those fibers can be stretched by placing the bat in a vice. Here's how to vice a softball bat so you gain maximum power from your swing.

Things You'll Need

  • Softball bat
  • Bat vice or bat roller
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Instructions

    • 1

      Insert the barrel end of the softball bat into the vice. Insert the bat so that the top inch and a half pokes out the other side of the bat vice. Essentially you are aiming to roll the barrel of the bat and don't need to worry about the area by the end cap.

    • 2

      OTighten the vice grip on the bat as you would any vice. Be sure that the pressure is firm without being extreme. Different types of softball bats have different wall thicknesses, so the thicker the bat, the more pressure it can handle. Read up on your bat's specifications by going to the company website that produces your bat. You'll be able to find information about bat make-up, bat length, bat weight and bat wall thickness for the major softball bat brands.

    • 3

      Roll the bat through the machine. Roll the bat through the vice machine until you reach the thinner part of the bat just above the hand grips. You may hear some light cracking or popping. This is positive because the fibers are stretching.

    • 4

      Repeat the bat rolling at least 100 times. In order to properly roll the bat, the pressure must be applied over and over again. Slowly roll the bat back and forth until this is accomplished.

    • 5

      Change the position of the softball bat. Because the rollers will only apply pressure on a small surface area of the bat, the bat must be rotated to ensure that it was "viced" evenly. Repeat this process until the entire barrel of the softball bat has been rolled.

    • 6

      Test the bat. After the bat has been through the vice, take it to the batting cage. You should notice some extra pop when you hit the softball.