In baseball, pine tar is applied to the handles of baseball bats. Because of its texture, pine tar improves a batter's grip on the bat and prevents the bat from slipping out of the batter's hands during hard swings. Major League Baseball still requires players to use wooden bats. Since they can be quite slippery, league rules allow players to add up to 18 inches of pine tar to aid in grip. The better the grip on the bat, the more loosely a player can grip it, allowing for more “pop” and less stinging when contact is made with the ball.
Conventionally, pine tar has been applied to the handle of a bat by use of a pine tar stick or a pine tar rag. In both instances, pinetar is applied to the handle of the bat in the desired location. Often, pine tar is applied to the handle of the bat at the throat, between the grip and the barrel. In this manner, the player can reach down the bat and obtain as much or as little pine tar as desired before returning the hands to the grip area of the handle.
While this method has proved effective, there are drawbacks. Specifically, a build-up of pine tar can occur on the handle of the bat. Additionally, the pine tar on the bat can prove to be messy when the bat is stored after use. Removal of pine tar is very difficult, generally requiring a solvent and much scrubbing.
It would be highly advantageous, therefore, to remedy the