Pine Tar Rules for BattersĪccording to Rule 3.02(c), “The bat handle, for not more than 18 inches from its end, may be covered or treated with any material or substance to improve the grip. For a more in-depth description of the rules for batters and pitchers, we have included MLB’s official rules below. For batters, it is legal, with some exceptions. Using pine tar in baseball is both legal and illegal depending on how it is used. This is so they can continuously apply pine tar to their batting gloves (or bare hands) by simply touching their helmet. Some players have even been seen to put a healthy amount of pine tar on their helmet rather, or in addition to their bat handle. It is not always only used on the handle the bat that players elect to put pine tar on. The tacky, sticky nature of the pine tar allows hitters to have a more “relaxed” grip on their bat, which can help in making better contact with the ball and getting more pop on contact. In baseball, pine tar is the brownish-black, extremely tacky substance that is most commonly used by hitters looking to improve their grip on the handle of their bat.

In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know about pine tar use in baseball. Now, it is probably most commonly associated with use by baseball players in addition to batting gloves, baseball bat wraps and accessories. Before its use in baseball, it was primarily used by mariners as a sealant for their vessels. Pine tar is a very tacky, sticky substance that is produced by the high temperature carbonization of pine wood. Baseball & Softball Batting Practice Equipment.Fastpitch Softball Catcher's Helmets & Masks.Baseball Protective: Elbow, Leg & Arm Guards.Batting Helmets for Baseball & Softball.Slowpitch Softball Gloves for Men & Women.Youth Infield and Outfield Baseball Gloves.Slow Pitch Softball Bats for Men & Women.