How to tell if a Bat has been Doctored by Bat Shaving or Bat Juicing

The quickest way to tell if a bat has been shaved is to open up the end cap and see if the inside has been shaved.  The bat will have circular ridges if a lathe shaved it or it will be smooth if a drill hone shaved it.  Some bats have a rubber type coating throughout the inner barrel: Eastons, TPS, Demarini, and Mizuno bats, this is a easy way to tell also. 

            Most will not have the ability to open up an end cap and check the inner barrel so I will go over other ways to suspect a bat has been doctored. 

Compression tester: This machines have a lot of controversy surrounding there effectiveness.  They sometimes get it right and other times are off the mark.  This is from personal experiences and from trolling the forums of others' experiences.  I know that a new shaved bat will pass if it has not been hit.  I speculate that the top layers of composite have not been broken down and withstand the pressure of the compression tester.  I have also seen new unaltered bats fail the test so the tester is very inconsistent. 

Weight of the bat- If a bat has the stock grip with no added accessories (knob cuff, tape, pine tar etc.,) the weight of the bat can be a factor in deciding if a bat has been doctored.

I will go over each bat manufactures weights.

            Easton: Slow pitch bats weigh within +/-.1oz of the advertised weight. So if a 28oz bat weighs 27oz, the factory grip is still on the bat, and there are no other accessories the bat is somehow modified.  I say this because it is possible that an end cap broke and it was replaced without the end weight.  Fast pitch bats are the same way but baseball bats are different.  Unbelievably a bat that is 30inches and 19oz might really weigh 20oz.  I have seen this over and over with Eastons so you would need a new unaltered bat to check the weight.  Most times they weight would be on the heavy side.

Miken: Slow pitch, fast pitch, and baseball bats weigh heavier than advertised in almost all models and weights.  A 27oz bat could weigh 27.oz to 28.1oz for example.  So if a Miken bat is stickered at 27oz and it weighs 26oz then there is a likelihood the bat has been altered. 

Worth: They are the same as above.

TPS, Demarini, Mizuno, and Combats: Weight is exact on all their types and models so any variance (around .2oz or above) in weight could indicate an altered bat. 

Handle area: Some models might need to have the knob knocked off and reattached as apart of the bat shaving process.  The grip would have to be removed and the area where the handle connects to the knob would have to be inspected for signs of reattachment.  On some models, (Mikens and Worths) handle weights are used.  Make sure there is a handle weight under the knob sticker not some dry nail or epoxy.  Make sure it is the correct manufacturer handle weight and not some piece of steel rod made to fit.  A good indicator of an altered Worth bat is if the handle weight does not have a circular pattern on it (note that Worth bats made in the USA do not have the circular pattern and will have the same weight as a Miken bat).

End caps: Dealing with new bats on a daily basis I have seen it all.   I have seen new unaltered bats with horrible separation, chips right on the lip(more frequent than you would think), caps being offset and even epoxy coming out the side (quite a few Easton bats had the epoxy coming out).  With this said the end cap is definitely not a adequate indication of an altered bat.  Although if an Easton bat does have epoxy coming from the cap and it is not clear or black it is probably a altering hack job.  If any other bat has some kind of glue coming from the end cap it has been altered.

            Eastons: If the "E" on the cap is not aligned up to the bat correctly it has been altered.  Most bat shavers know this information but a "hack" could reveal your bat has been shaved as this information is definitely taught to Umpires through there schooling (this is a fact in the USSSA and ASA umpire classes).  TPS bats have also started something similar.

These are the tall tell signs of an altered bat but the only way to be positive is to open up the barrel and check inside.