Cricket Bat

Top Contributors
Neither, they are both Kashmir willow, and are a far inferior quality to English willow. What level do you play at? How old are you? We're the wrong kind of people to ask, you need a profile (bat shape) that suits your style of play, you need the right size for you if you are still growing, you need the best quality of bat you can afford. Where do you live? Do you have a local cricket shop? Or a place that stocks local bats? Go there, pick them all up, see which feels "right" in your hands.
 
Thought I'd join in here with a slight deviation - not wanting to start another thread and this one looked fine for the gist of what we are about to discuss..... Bat weight and primarily the lack of it.

http://pencilcricket.blogspot.com/2012/01/on-light-bats-and-manky-boots.html

Pencil here is on a quest to find a lightweight bat. There's an interesting quote from Boycott with regards bat weight and his own preference for a bat of 2lb 4oz. I'm not sure myslef whether big and hefty is as good as light and agile, I suppose it kind of depends on what strokes you've got in your locker. A part of me would advocate the option Spider rejects e.g. get fitter and stronger. Any comments?
 
My 2 penniesworth exactly Dave. Bite the bullet, work on strength. A light bat is all well and good, but there is a limit. There is a reason that the lightest full-size bats start at 2'7 (normally), because any lighter and the weight distribution is difficult. you need a certain amount of weight to make sure that you actually get something behind the ball, too light and your pick-up, back-swing, and follow-through becomes messed up technique-wise. If you want to try and find your "ideal" weight, pick up a bat, hold your arm straight out at a right-angle to your body, and point the bat on the same angle. Hold it there. If you can do that for 10-15 seconds, without any real struggle, it's your (roughly) ideal weight. If you are picking the ball up late, or playing late, even with at 2'7ish bat, then I'd suggest that more practice is needed at a slower speed, and then to work yourself up.
 
I had always been an advocate of usign the lightest bat you could find, always felt that the lighter the bat the quicker you could move it, that's pretty damn useful playing on pitches that can see balls on a length scratching your nose. Last season however I stepped up from my 2,7 to a monster 2,11 and I really saw a difference. Sure to begin with I felt like I was a bit slower but after a few nets and matches the timing was there and the difference in hitting power was noticable, definitely wont be going back to using what now feels like a toothpick. I can understand the idea of using a smaller bat to make timing and strokemaking easier but the added value for money you get from a slightly heavier bat and the fact you do get used to it fairly quickly I can't see the sense of using a super light bat.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top