Many fast pitch players hesitate to use a new composite bat in the middle of season, thinking that the break-in process is too time consuming. However, breaking in a new bat shouldn’t take more time than a routine practice session. Don’t be tempted to skip the process of breaking in your composite bat, since a fresh bat won’t perform as well as one that’s been broken in correctly. [2] X Research source

Don’t break in your bat during very cold weather. The softballs should be at least 60℉ (15℃). A cold ball can damage the bat before it is broken in properly.

The alternative to using a tee would be hitting half-speed pitches or slow pitches. This would break in the bat effectively, but it might not be great for your batting form. Hitting half-speed pitches, especially when they have an arc, can mess with your form and timing.

To make the process go faster, have someone help you by setting up new balls on the tee before every swing. You can take more than 100 swings if you desire. However, don’t do less than 100, since the bat needs to be broken in gradually. Moving to a full-speed swing too quickly could damage the bat. Instead of randomly hitting with different parts of the bat, try to line up the bat so the brand name is facing you. After you’ve done some reps with this setup, switch sides[5] X Expert Source Haley SnyderSoftball Player Expert Interview. 23 June 2021. The more you hit the bat in 1 spot, the quicker it will break. [6] X Expert Source Haley SnyderSoftball Player Expert Interview. 23 June 2021.

Short lobs are often used to help batters work on their form. Work with your coach or a friend to swing 50 times this way. If no one is available to pitch short lobs, you can use a pitching machine. Adjust it to pitch slowly and without an arch so you don’t have to change your form to make contact. Hitting reps are a great way to break in your bat. [7] X Expert Source Haley SnyderSoftball Player Expert Interview. 23 June 2021.

After 50 pitches, your bat should be broken in. However, if you’re not quite willing to use it in a game, use it during batting practice a few times to make sure you’re used to the way it hits.