can you knock a bat in too much?

[Jim2109]

can you knock a bat in too much?

ive got 2 questions here really. the first is can a bat get knocked in too much? i bought a Kookaburra Kahuna Carnage a month back and ive used it for 2 matches (one of which i never even got bat on ball except to edge a catch to slip lol, the other i hit about 15 balls off spinners and slow bowlers). it was oiled and then knocked in by a machine by the shop i got it from, which i actually think was just a pressing machine not a knocking machine, but it compressed the face substantially, you can actually see a step where the machine was moving upto, its compressed it a good 3-5mm. i then spent about an hour with an old ball in a sock before i first used it.

ive now got the entire winter without using it, so was wondering if its beneficial to knock it in more? hence the question. im figuring that the harder the face is the better, less energy will get absorbed so the ball should fly further right? i was thinking if i knock it in for 30 mins every week throughout the winter it should have another 10 or so hours on it by the time pre season begins. its got a really nice ping to it in one small area, but the rest of the bat is fairly dull.

my second question is kind of a follow on from that - if indeed you cant knock a bat in too much, is there any benefit to then keep knocking it even when its being used? im not sure how wood works, but id have thought that ideally you want the bat to wear evenly across its entire face, and simply playing matches wont do that. whereas putting 10-15 mins per week of knocking on it after a match would keep it all even.

what are peoples thoughts? thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[mas cambios]

Re: can you knock a bat in too much?

In theory you can over knock a bat but it would take some doing. You'd be compressing the fibres of the wood to a point where they lose their natural 'spring'.

In your current situation I'd probably leave the bat as it is, the idea of knocking a bat in is to harden the surface of the bat, but leave the centre 'springy'.

 

[Rampant]

Re: can you knock a bat in too much?

In theory you're meant to knock it in a little bit after every oil and sanding aren't you? But you would be better off over knocking-in than underdoing it.

 

[Rampant]

Re: can you knock a bat in too much?

The best way I found to see if the bat was hard enough was to press my fingernail into the face of the bat, if it easily marks the face then you need to put more time into it, otherwise you're golden.

 

[Jim2109]

Re: can you knock a bat in too much?

The best way I found to see if the bat was hard enough was to press my fingernail into the face of the bat, if it easily marks the face then you need to put more time into it, otherwise you're golden.

i still can a little, certainly not as much as at the very top of the blade where it hasnt had any work, but i still can. guess it probably needs a few more hours at least.

thanks for the advice guys.

one other small thing - if an area of the bat feels fairly dead, as in not particularly springy, is that a sign that it hasnt been hardened enough (e.g. the bat is just absorbing the blow), or that it has been hardened too much? my guess is that its not hard enough and that a bat should feel like it increases in springiness as you knock it in right?

 

[mas cambios]

Re: can you knock a bat in too much?

Better off not knocking it in at all to be honest, keeps the wood at it's softest with most spring.

 

[Rampant]

Re: can you knock a bat in too much?

But it won't last very long, but if you have bottomless pockets, and you don't mind whether it breaks or not, then I would start using it. As some international players are rumoured to use them without even putting 2 hours into them. But not everyone has the luxury of having 8 bats to choose from!

 

[mas cambios]

Re: can you knock a bat in too much?

Let's be honest here, the amount of use that a bat belonging to your average club player sees is not that much. Bats don't 'break' in general. Yes, they crack/split etc but rarely split in two.

You can get away without knocking a bat in and have it last for the same sort of period that a knocked in bat would. It comes down to many things but luck mainly - I've seen bats that have been prepared to a tee snap on the first use and ones that are treated like crap last for 5 seasons plus.

The aim of knocking in a bat is to harden the surface to help protect it - think of it as creating a hard skin to protect the softer centre. There is no set way of doing it but as a rule of thumb 6 hours with a couple of oil applications should do it.

As mentioned above, some people say that if you can no longer make a mark with your fingernail then the bat is probably ok but others say that it shouldn't become overly covered in seam marks when used. Personal preference to be honest - go with what you feel happy with.