FWIW...Texas senior HS football player (270 lbs) benches 700 lbs...

With his big chest and short arms he only had to take it down like 6 inches. Still though, 700 pounds for a high schooler is impressive.

mash
According to this article a bench shirt can add quite a bit to your max.(about 300 lbs. in the example they give.) Props to the boy, that's a lot of weight, but bench shirts are bs. I competed one summer but never used one.

how in the hell is a thin shirt supposed to increase your max?

It basically acts like a giant spring because the shirt naturally tries to straighten your arms

The wide grip is standard at meets. If your arma are in too much the lift is illegal and why would you want your arms in any more than his-it's a bench press not a triceps workout. The shirts need to go. A triple stitch denim can add 300-350lbs to your bench. All lifts need to be RAW like Kazmier and Dean used to do back in the day. Although the shirts sure save your shoulders and chest from ripping out of the sockets.