We recommend you go over your bat thoroughly and check for any excessive wear or damage at least once a year for a "Ready Play" bat, and approximately every three months for an oil or natural bat.
Types of damage to look out for include:
Shoulder splits - Easily repaired in store, bats which develop shoulder splits can be easily repaired, particularly if they are picked up early.
Splice cracking - Lower splice cracks can be repaired in store, and will always require binding. This sort of damage is very hard to fix, however if caught early a repair can last!
Toe splits - Probably the most common type of damage, toe splits can be repaired a number of ways. If the crack appears in the back and front of the blade, it will need to be repaired in store to ensure the repair will last.
Face surface cracks - Also very common, these can be glued down and cleaned up before re-applying extratec, or oiling your bat.
If you have an oil or "natural" bat, you should check it is free from any of the above damage, lightly sand (With 180 grit sandpaper) and apply a coat of oil every one to two months. If you have a "ready play" bat, replacing your extratec once a year is a good idea. This will help identify any issues you may have underneath the extratec which may not be visible.
Any small cracks can be taped over using fibreglass tape, but as a general rule if the cracks are longer than one strip of tape (width) it will be best to have these repaired professionally to ensure the repair will last.