Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Equipment => Other Gear => Topic started by: tim2000s on January 14, 2013, 09:20:35 AM
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Just reading the comments in the Gloves thread regarding D3O, and I wondered. Do we worry too much about the weight of our protective gear?
Would you prefer to pay more for very light protection or pay less to get the same level of protection, but a little heavier?
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Im actually torn on it.
I prefer the feel and suppleness of top range gloves. With that comes the added protection that you get with the higher end gloves.
However when I analyse it I dont play at a high enough level to need much more than a newspaper taped to my leg! Therefore lightness should be my primary concern when buying my equipment. Realistically if I was to buy some Ayrtek pads and gloves, I would buy the Elite out of vanity I think!However in reality I buy what I think looks nice and I love a gimmick!
I do own the D30 909 range, but in all honesty I think I prefer the SAF plain range that they make.
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i'll ask this, would you pick a crash helmet over the lightest strongest Ayrtek? the crash helmet would be far too cumbersome but provide ultimate protection for the job required. We require the lightest pads to give us better movement and flexibility whilst batting, so they are therefore more suited to the job as a lighter product in my opinion.
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I prefer protection as would prefer to be safe rather than have light softs
Others may go other way but I suppose its horses for courses
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I prefer protection as would prefer to be safe rather than have light softs
Others may go other way but I suppose its horses for courses
In an era when you can have both lightweight and high protection combined, there is no need for us to compromise.
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i'll ask this, would you pick a crash helmet over the lightest strongest Ayrtek? the crash helmet would be far too cumbersome but provide ultimate protection for the job required. We require the lightest pads to give us better movement and flexibility whilst batting, so they are therefore more suited to the job as a lighter product in my opinion.
But, and herein, you've missed the point, do you really need to fork out £90 for the lightest, best protection or would you be fine with forking out £45 for something that gives you enough protection, and costs a lot less?
The extreme position you have taken is a redundant argument, simply because you don't need that level of protection at any level of cricket. Even with those who have been hit through the grille of a Masuri or Albion, have they been killed?
In an era when you can have both lightweight and high protection combined, there is no need for us to compromise.
It is not a two argument question though. It is also about cost. The majority of cricketers, unlike most of the forumites, cannot and do not afford to pay loads for the best.
Compromise comes either in weight, protection or money available to pay for it...
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You have to look for a healthy balance i think. There is no point having ultra lightweight pads that offer little protection or high protection which is heavy. Excluding the Ultralite morrant style pads and the modern pads(puma style etc) i think most of the traditional pads probably weigh very similar. Unless a pad is particularly heavy or bulky do you really notice the difference? in certain sports weight matters - extra weight on a F1 car will affect its performance to .0010 of a second or something silly but will 100g extra on a batsmans pads really slow him down that much that we could actually measure or notice? do our legs notice a difference when we wear shorts or jeans? probably not
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but you can get light and highly protective pads for way less than £90 so the argument as a whole is redundant. if you asked this question in the early 90's then yes maybe but technology is at a level where it doesnt matter. The fact the D30 isnt really that groundbreaking proves that people can get cheaper, better alternatives anyway.
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Its a vanity thing for us! Does your average village cricketer buy top of the range? No. We do, as we obviously all have the desire to have the best we can afford!
Out of interest Tim, what softs do you have?
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but you can get light and highly protective pads for way less than £90 so the argument as a whole is redundant. if you asked this question in the early 90's then yes maybe but technology is at a level where it doesnt matter. The fact the D30 isnt really that groundbreaking proves that people can get cheaper, better alternatives anyway.
I'd argue that for your average club cricket, £90 is a lot...
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but will 100g extra on a batsmans pads really slow him down that much that we could actually measure or notice? Probably not
Not when most of us are a good 1/2 stone plus over weight!
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Its a vanity thing for us! Does your average village cricketer buy top of the range? No. We do, as we obviously all have the desire to have the best we can afford!
Out of interest Tim, what softs do you have?
I have two pairs of pads that I have bought in sales. £35 GM 909 D3O pads and £40 Puma Pulse 6000s from PDC. Gloves I have also bought all three pairs in sales. GM Original LEs, Newbery SPS and SAF, again nothing cost more than £35. I will never pay £90 for a pair of pads or gloves.
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I have two pairs of pads that I have bought in sales. £35 GM 909 D3O pads and £40 Puma Pulse 6000s from PDC. Gloves I have also bought all three pairs in sales. GM Original LEs, Newbery SPS and SAF, again nothing cost more than £35. I will never pay £90 for a pair of pads or gloves.
Mine wasnt meant as a criticism, as actually my current pads, i bought from the sports direct outlet near mansfield, D30 909's for £5! My 909 gloves £8 from the same sale as both had slight faults, ie the strap on the pads had one piece of the strap coming off (easy fix) and the gloves had a stitching fault on the logo.
I also have the SAF gloves, which offer the best protection and comfort out of everything. My total soft outlay is around £45 so its not too bad
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I'd argue that for your average club cricket, £90 is a lot...
I agree, i know club cricketers wont pay that, i didnt say they would........ ???
if you look at the generic newbery sps style softs that are very similar across alot of brands, You can get identical pads to sps by a different brand for £40 less, as they have a different label. like H4L softs for example, so my point was there is no need to compromise as there are better cheaper alternatives to D30.
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You seem to be highlighting D30 as the topic. Its not!
It seems more to me that are we over thinking the protection we get? Are we buying the top of the range gloves and pads for situations we will never face? Most of us will never face test level speed!
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on the lids - for most of us a £40 Albion club mark II is the best value, lightest and protective enough helmet for the level we play.
Most people at my club in the first team can either afford to buy the most expensive kit and do - or buy mid range kit and make do.
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Most people at my club in the first team can either afford to buy the most expensive kit and do - or buy mid range kit and make do.
Your club is lucky... The majority of the guys in mine can't and don't, although we have a lot of Indian kit brought over during family holidays.
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My club cant afford much. Average player probably has the £10 pair of gloves or pads from Sports Direct, or the cheapest Asian alternative. Bat wise its probably again £100 tops if they were feeling lush on that day, and even then the bat has to be made to last a good number of years. Actually an issue may be players not spending their money in the right places!
Since I have arrived, and using this forum, in general the standard of equipment at the club has improved. Most dont want to spend any real money on Pads or Gloves, but I have managed to gradually improve the bats. We have 2 Newberys, 2 SAFs, and a BB in the club, all for the main batsman, all as as an attempt to get more value for their shots. Our main batsman (who is in his mid 60's) has gone from a bat with no ping, to the Newbery and his average has gone up from 22 to mid 40's!
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I started with pretty low end gear when i first started playing cricket again a few years ago (literally a case of walking into the local cricket shop and saying can you give me everything i need for this much please??) over the years my kit has got gradually better as ive got more into my cricket. Since coming on this forum a while ago (i never used to post much just read reviews and get product info) i have been gradually upgrading all of my stuff, it doesnt have to cost a fortune for high end things you just have to be patient and wait for a good deal, im now just about happy with my gear so wont be any more expenses for a couple of years hopefully. Other than a new bag!
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To be honest, I have always found weight of protective gear to be trivial once you have been acclimatized to it and have been using for extended run, the heavier becomes light after few sessions.
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I think I'm like most on here - I like a bargain - and to be honest I like stuff to look good too. I bought some new pads this season but that was because my old Slaz Buckskins were more than 25 years old. Not surprisingly the new pads are lighter and also feel better fitting than the museum pieces. The protection has been great too - on the odd occasion when the ball hasn't found the middle of the bat (in my dreams!). :D