This is called cupping. A cupped bat will have a small area cut out of the end of the bat, usually 1.5 or 2 inches in diameter and a fraction of an inch deep. This slightly reduces the weight of the bat and moves the sweet spot up to an inch closer to the handle. Should you hit a ball near the end of a cupped wood bat, the bat will be susceptible to breaking, however. It’s a trade-off.