Is real pine tar legal? Yes it is. Does it improve your game? Yes it does. Am I going to teach you how to properly use it? Yes I am. Here is everything you need to know about using pine tar.

Ingredients

To apply pine tar to your bat, this is what you will need:

1. Tar

2. Tar Rag (to apply tar to the bat)

3. Paddle (to apply tar to the rag)

4. Rosin bag (for added texture & grip)

Instructions

1. Apply tar to rag with paddle.

You don't have to rub it all the way out to the edges; just get it in the middle section.

2. Apply tar to bat with rag.

You want to apply the pine tar above the handle of the bat - not where you are actually going to grip the bat while at the plate. That way, you're able to reach up and grab the bat where the pine tar is applied, and then bring your hands back down to the handle. This will give you just the right amount of stickiness. If you apply pine tar to the handle, it will be way too sticky.

Put your bat on the pine tar rag, and give it a good twist. Open up the rag and roll the bat on the rag. This will leave it with a nice texture. If you want there to be clean lines, you can apply a piece of tape at the top and bottom before applying. Personally, I like the pine tar to taper off, so I don't use tape.

Whenever the stickiness runs out, just tap your hands on the part of the bat where you applied the pine tar, and you'll be ready to hit again.

3. Hit the rosin bag on the bat to add additional texture.

4. If the pine tar gets caked on after a few months, use an old credit card or a tar scraper to scrape off the old tar before applying a new layer. Then, follow the above instructions for applying pine tar.

See the following videos for a visual demonstration:

How to Apply Pine Tar

How to Re-Apply Pine Tar

How to Tar a Metal Bat

FAQ

Will it ruin my batting gloves? No. Real pine tar is actually used as a leather conditioner. Pine tar, then, conditions your batting gloves, in addition to making them tackier.

Why not just use a pine tar stick? You can use a pine tar stick, but for me, it's a little too sticky for my liking. I want to have a good grip, but I don't want it to stick too much to my batting gloves.