How to Tape a Wooden Baseball Bat
Bat control is a fundamental part of a baseball player's swing. Getting a good grip on the bat and maintaining control from the start of the swing to the follow through will help ensure the bat doesn't fly out of your hands.
Taping your wooden bat handle can help you keep a good grip on the bat. There are two common methods to tape a wooden bat: a full wrap or a criss-cross wrap. Both provide an excellent surface grip, so choose the one that feels most comfortable in your hands.
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Instructions
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Full Wrap
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Secure the tape once around the bottom of the bat. When the tape begins to overlap, begin creating an angle up the bat.
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Wrap the tape up toward the barrel in a spiral pattern. On each complete turn, let approximately 50 percent of the wrap overlap the previous layer.
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Bring the tape up approximately 12 inches from the knob of the bat. As you reach this point, begin tapering off the angle and making it flat again.
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Wrap one final, flat layer where the tape ends. The tape should be perpendicular to the bat at this point.
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Rip or cut the tape and press the edge firmly into place.
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Squeeze the bat handle from the knob to the barrel to set the tape into position.
Criss-cross Wrap
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Make one complete wrap around the bottom of the bat. Once you have completely wrapped the bottom once, angle the tape toward the barrel at a 45 degree angle.
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Wrap the tape up the bat handle. Leave an even gap between the lines of tape, creating a candy cane pattern. The gap should be a similar width as the tape.
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Stop wrapping the tape approximately 12 inches from the bat knob.
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Rip or cut the tape and loosely press the end into place. The end will look messy at this point, but don't worry.
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Wind another layer of tape, starting at the knob but in the opposite direction.
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Wrap in a candy cane pattern up the barrel of the bat. You will notice that this creates diamond shapes as you wrap.
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Rip or cut the tape when you reach the spot where the first wrap ended.
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Wrap an additional layer of tape around the bottom and top of the wrap. This layer should be perpendicular to the bat handle and is used to cover the ends of the diagonal strips.
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Squeeze the bat in your hands to compress the tape. This helps it stick to the handle.
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Tips & Warnings
Before you start taping the handle, sit down and place the bat between your legs to steady it.
Do not rip off a piece of tape in advance. Apply the tape directly from the roll onto the bat. It will adhere to the bat better using this method.
Wrap the handle slowly. Take care to avoid wrinkles, tears or bumps in the tape. When you're finished, the tape should be smooth between your hands.
If you don't have bat handle tape, you can use any non-slick tape, such as athletic tape or masking tape, instead.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit batte image by Jacques PALUT from Fotolia.com
