How to Tape a Baseball Bat Handle

Grip tape is more than a mere accessory for your Baseball or Softball bat. It has a direct influence on your game performance. Maintaining and upgrading your bat’s grip tape can increase the lifespan of your bat and give you a better grip while swinging over the plate.

How to Tape a Baseball Bat Handle

Grip tape is easy to install and it isn’t time-consuming. Regardless, it gives you a stylish look and comfort whilst swinging the bat on the pitch.

Choosing the Right Grip Tape for your Bat

There is an array of aspects to consider before purchasing the right grip tape for your Baseball bat. For instance, size, pattern, color, age, etc. Each factor plays a role in the performance of your game. Although, it all narrows down to the size of the grip tape you choose as per your preference.

Color and pattern adds a unique style and enhances the appearance of your bat. There are brands like Lizard Skin and Vulcan that specialize in different types of colors and patterns of grip tapes. They offer a range of selection that you can opt for according to your personal preference along with the utmost quality.

lizard skins 11 mm dura soft polymer mlb series

Regarding the most important aspect, the size. There are essentially three sizes available in grip tapes

  • large (thick) 1.8 mm
  • medium 1.1 mm
  •  thin 0.5 mm.

You can customize your bat with the type of size, color, and pattern of grip tape that you relish.

The large (thick) size is ideal for players that desire comfort. Thick grip tapes increase the cushioning and help in the reduction of sting and vibration.

The thin grip size is perfect for the professionals that relish fast gameplay. It helps to swing the bat at a rapid speed and increases the performance of your game. Lastly, the medium grip size is a perfect equilibrium for players that want a mixture of comfort and high performance.

The size and appearance of the grip tape completely depend on your needs and desire. Once you know your exact preference and playstyle, installing the grip tape to your bat is a piece of cake.

How to Tape a Bat and Materials required

Cushioned Baseball Bat Grip Tape

For installing or perhaps re-gripping your Baseball ball, you will require items such as your baseball bat, bat grip tape, Knife or scissors, and Electrical tape. You don’t need to have any specified skill to install a grip tape to your bat. It is quick and easy by simply following the 8 steps below:

How to Tape A Baseball Bat Handle

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  1. Before installing or re-gripping a new grip tape to your bat, ensure that you remove the old bat tape. It will give you a fresh start for your installation. You can do this by removing the tape that it near the barrel.
  2. Take out the new grip tape from its packaging and find the pre-cut end for easy peeling.
  3. Unpeel a part of the wrap’s backing and keep the incomplete end nearest to the knob. As the incomplete end is the evenest side of the bat grip tape. Make sure that the tapered end faces to the barrel.
  4. Now begin at the bat’s handle and start by taping the grip from the angled edge alongside the knob.
  5. Whilst applying tension and slightly putting pressure on the grip tape, start wrapping the tape slowly around the handle of the bat by constantly rotating it. To gain the ultimate even coverage on the handle, it’ll be better to monitor the perforations with the tape.
  6. Keep applying the grip tape to the handle of the bat until it is completed. Alternatively, perhaps until where you desire to stop. Use the knife or scissor to cut off the excess.
  7. Now, use the electrical tape to lock the ends of the grip tape. It should be nearest to the barrel of the handle.
  8. Lastly, you can end the installation by applying any extra sticker that you desire on the handle. You have to apply the sticker over the electrical tape to complete the final look of your bat. Although, this step is optional.

Different ways to tape the baseball bat handle

Unlike grips in other sports, baseball bat handles can be wrapped in more than one way. What you saw above was a general way of taping the baseball bat handle. However, there are three different ways in which you can do it. These include:

  • The Straight Wrap
  • The Crosshatch Wrap
  • The High Ridge Wrap

The Straight Wrap

Perhaps the simplest wrapping method, the straight wrap is the basis of all other styles of baseball bat handle wraps. Though basic, it is the most effective and is the favorite due to its easy application. It carries a functional design and certainly improves the overall grip.

How to Tape a Baseball Bat and Improve Your Confidence in Your Swing

This particular wrapping technique implies substance over style. Most players don’t care about the aesthetics and all they want is a wrap that can get the job done. So, if you like to keep it simple, this technique is for you.

Crosshatch Wrap

Crosshatch Wrap is similar to straight wrap, except it’s aesthetically pleasing and is much quicker in terms of application. Having said that, Crosshatch Wrap when compared to straight wrap isn’t as effective when it comes to grip strength. Nonetheless, it’s still efficient.

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Players who like visual appeal often wrap their baseball handle using this technique. Additionally, if you’re running out of time, this wrapping style will be the least time consuming of the three. It won’t take you more than 10 minutes to apply this wrap.

High Ridge Wrap

The High Ridge Wrap is certainly the most complicated of the 3 wraps and is the most time-consuming. It has multiple steps and you can’t just tape it straight away. First, you must create ridges using rolled up tape. The ridges differentiate this wrapping style from the other two wraps; hence, it takes that additional time and effort.

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Nonetheless, people who don’t like comprising on quality, prefer this over the other two techniques. That’s because the high ridge wrap offers a more ergonomic grip and is more effective.

Conclusion

Even though the installation or re-gripping of a bat is easy, it is important you accurately understand the steps whilst gripping a tape to your bat. Gripping the bat helps to improve your maneuverability and comfort in the game. However, making any mistake in wrapping the grip has the potential to cost you a hit in the big game. Learn how to do it right once and you’ll be good for life.

It’s not a complicated procedure but I hope the pictures and video in this article helped.

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