Custom Bats Cricket Forum

Equipment => Bats => Topic started by: justnotcricket86 on July 15, 2013, 11:50:32 AM

Title: "Bad Bats"
Post by: justnotcricket86 on July 15, 2013, 11:50:32 AM
Following on from what Tim was talking about in the how many bats in 24 months thread, though I would see what people rate as the worst bat they have ever had, and why?

Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: PedalsMcgrew on July 15, 2013, 11:56:35 AM
A Kook Bubble from years ago, I wanted one because Graham Thorpe used one, got one from a great retailer, top of the range, knocked it in, used it for three months, never ever hit a shot that felt like it came off the middle then it snapped in half. I've used a few kooks since then and they have been better than that but not by loads....not my favourite brand at all but that Bubble was absolutely dreadful. I've used a few dodgy Puma's too but that was a while ago. I think most manufacturers now have pretty good quality control so the really 'bad bats' don't find their way onto the shelves like they used to.
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: Nickauger on July 15, 2013, 11:56:42 AM
M and H S6 that I bought from Tim. Not Tim's fault I should add. Would have been lovely I'm sure, but it was a LHLB which I just couldn't get on with!
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: tim2000s on July 15, 2013, 12:05:46 PM
My worst two, as mentioned, just felt dead. I've parted with many that I didn't like the balance/pick-up on, which is entirely different. These have generally had really good middles, but other people find it than I do!
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: Maverick79 on July 15, 2013, 12:11:30 PM
GM Icon 808. Absolute plank, the middle was small and dead. Having said that I also had a GM+ Icon 808 which was lovely. Laver & Wood SR which was pressed so, so hard and never really opened up after paying for knocking in, knocking in more myself and endless amount of time against a bowling machine.

Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: Abighugeappl on July 15, 2013, 12:21:02 PM
I had a BAS that felt great against Bowling machine balls, but felt absolutely horrendous with cricket balls  >:(
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: jimster on July 15, 2013, 12:24:57 PM
G&M Icon Original L.E and it was an absolute plank! It also snapped after 1 season
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: mujju on July 15, 2013, 12:26:14 PM
My GN legend ..less grians, hard pressed ..ping not excellent as should be as for a 339 pound bat:(.. it was my fisrt online purchase though ..bought last may  ..just broke my heart :(
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: Six Sixes Cricket on July 15, 2013, 12:27:17 PM
Saf Hades
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: tim2000s on July 15, 2013, 12:28:14 PM
Saf Hades
We need more than that... Although you wouldn't be the first person I've heard say that...
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: Banksy on July 15, 2013, 12:28:23 PM
A teammate of mine had a Newbery Mjolnir C6+. Absolute plank, the middle sounded like it was hitting the splice!
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: Six Sixes Cricket on July 15, 2013, 12:36:18 PM
We need more than that... Although you wouldn't be the first person I've heard say that...
I know of a few others who were less than impressed with theres
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: Manormanic on July 15, 2013, 12:38:39 PM
I've only ever had two planks - one was a Mjolnir which had lovely grains - ten, perfectly spaced - but which had no middle whatsoever and, despite picking up like it was around my preferred 3lb mark, was actually only 2lb 10.  The other was a GN Fusion - whether this was the handle or the willow I really don't know, but the response was like shanking a 5 iron.

Another that sucked, though it had a nice middle, was a top of the range Kahuna RP that split right rhough the toe after six weeks.  But that is a different kettle of mackeral!
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: tushar sehgal on July 15, 2013, 01:00:55 PM
SAF Hades for me hands down, no middle whatsoever, tiny bat considering it was 2'11 dressed. Only good experience in getting that bat was actually the back and forth with Marcus...sold it on ebay for $11.50 i think...after months of knocking, trying in nets and maybe one match...
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: tim2000s on July 15, 2013, 02:20:15 PM
SAF Hades for me hands down, no middle whatsoever, tiny bat considering it was 2'11 dressed. Only good experience in getting that bat was actually the back and forth with Marcus...sold it on ebay for $11.50 i think...after months of knocking, trying in nets and maybe one match...
Ouch. $11.50?  Big mark down!
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: tushar sehgal on July 15, 2013, 02:22:24 PM
Ouch. $11.50?  Big mark down!


Well it could have been 11.50 pounds, but I did get refunded for the cost of the bat although it still hurt losing over 100 pounds in shipping and customs cost...lessons learnt i guess :)..someone is Aussie land got it...

http://feedback.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=nscricket&ftab=FeedbackAsSeller (http://feedback.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=nscricket&ftab=FeedbackAsSeller)
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: Byo on July 15, 2013, 02:29:13 PM
RNS Larsons - utter plop!!
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: johnnyw on July 15, 2013, 02:45:01 PM
One of my first bats was a solitaire with a pea sized middle
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: Duffers on July 15, 2013, 02:48:19 PM
SS Ton LE. Had to nearly pull your shoulders out to get it off the square!
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: shoab68 on July 15, 2013, 03:05:52 PM
SAF Erus, I bought few years back, cost me 328 GBP, small middle with a very less ping.
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: tim2000s on July 15, 2013, 03:08:11 PM
I failed to include a SAF Custom that the Hades replaced. That was as bad as the SG.
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: Nickauger on July 15, 2013, 03:10:16 PM
I thought SAF's were amazing..... and I don't remember the SG being that bad when you sold it on here ;)
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: tim2000s on July 15, 2013, 03:13:11 PM
I thought SAF's were amazing..... and I don't remember the SG being that bad when you sold it on here ;)
Good SAFs are. I'm pretty sure the Batoff results nailed the coffin down on the SG....
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: Nickauger on July 15, 2013, 03:13:55 PM
Oh did they, I didn't pay much attention to the batoff resdults lol.
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: countycricketplayer on July 15, 2013, 03:20:25 PM
I had a kookaburra 1000, didn't have a middle
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: uknsaunders on July 15, 2013, 03:25:48 PM
GN Millenium - looked like a twig and played like one as well. Hit the middle twice in a season. Only came good when the handle was about to break and suddenly went like a gun for one knock. Couldn't get on with a LH/Short blade Kippax, looked great and the ball flew when tapping up. Just couldn't find the middle in a game and felt like I was hitting the ball with a metal bat.
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: Colesy on July 15, 2013, 04:19:54 PM
Gray Nicolls Viper Venom

Utter plank
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: Cover_Drive on July 15, 2013, 04:27:10 PM
GM Flare Original LE and Laver & Wood Reserve, both were knocked thoroughly yet didn't ping.
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: yuonskelton on July 15, 2013, 04:29:18 PM
Woodworm hard drive, middle is AWOL.
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: procricket on July 15, 2013, 05:16:50 PM
GM Flare Original LE and Laver & Wood Reserve, both were knocked thoroughly yet didn't ping.


Got to agree there one of laver and wood reserves was poor very poor returned it the other 2 I have are up there with the best though
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: coverpoint_pro on July 15, 2013, 06:23:09 PM
The saf hades i had was poor, along with a gm epic.  Both just didnt want to open up after such a long time knocking them in and netting with them!
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: shoab68 on July 15, 2013, 06:33:33 PM

Got to agree there one of laver and wood reserves was poor very poor returned it the other 2 I have are up there with the best though
Even my Laver signature took ages to open up and a very moderate ping too ---
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: King pair on July 15, 2013, 06:45:21 PM
Worst I've used not owned is a woodworm meda drive. Just a plank. Plank plank plank
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: craigwm on July 15, 2013, 07:07:47 PM
Adidas Pellara for me, although what was I expecting...
Fortunately I only paid £125 not the full £280, don't think there was anything I liked about it!
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: bat_fan on July 15, 2013, 08:50:05 PM
GM Icon original. I paid £270 expecting a fairly decent stick but after nearly 18 months the bat simply has no power and a very small middle.

Also a GN fusion I had a few years ago that had an ok middle but everywhere else the bat felt dead with a lot of vibration.

Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: Giraffe208 on July 15, 2013, 08:55:47 PM
Gray Nicholls Millenium 5* - Got a few runs with it but was a chore to get to the boundary!
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: Twelfth Man on July 15, 2013, 08:57:09 PM
I was dissapointed in my Gray Nicolls Evo Players, it never really got going and then it eventually decided to break. It had so much potential :(
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: SOULMAN1012 on July 15, 2013, 08:58:20 PM
Blenheim Churchill was very poor for the money, was just dead all the way through. Also a Slazenger Air Blade Pro for about 5-6 years ago, was huge and light and just didn't go anywhere.  Plank
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: Giraffe208 on July 15, 2013, 08:59:20 PM
Must add, wasn't too disappointed when my brother borrowed it and broke it. He then coughed up some cash towards a replacement. Of course I acted like I was livid!
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: countycricketplayer on July 15, 2013, 09:22:11 PM
also I had a gunn and moore that wouldn't go anywhere
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: Blank Bats on July 15, 2013, 10:07:59 PM
Back in the day,
I had a slaz v500 ultimate
GM maestro
Kookaburra gold crown (I think)
Paid top dollar but were memorable planks.

Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: tim2000s on July 15, 2013, 10:13:49 PM
I nearly forgot my first memorable plank... My original late eighties powerspot tufcoat. Nasty lump of useless wood... Middle like a dead cat.
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: PM7 on July 15, 2013, 10:23:04 PM
I remember those shocking Powerspot tuffcoaats, you couldnt hit a fart in the wind with that bat.
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: thecord on July 15, 2013, 10:27:11 PM
I remember those shocking Powerspot tuffcoaats, you couldnt hit a fart in the wind with that bat.

Scored my first ever ton with one! Must have got lucky...
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: Ams4287 on July 15, 2013, 10:42:42 PM
I had a Charlie French made maybe 10 years ago or so, would have happily chucked it on the bonfire!

Think to be fair lads I know who use them these days are pleased with there's, just thought it a big unresponsive lump back in the day.
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: Jogetnz on July 16, 2013, 03:29:46 AM
Not much love for the Hades on here, I'm surprised by the amount of times that they have been listed.
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: Marc28 on July 16, 2013, 03:46:03 AM
First Bad Bat was the school Gray nicholls tuffcoat what a joke no wonder we all went out and brought our own,
My actual first brought Bad Bat, Kookaburra Recoil 400 from last year just didn't get a thing out of it seemed to ping nicely off the mallet and in the nets but never went anywhere.
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: kaz on July 16, 2013, 04:05:49 AM
Couple of anomalies. Probably not the worst I've owned but these are the ones that let me down the most.
MG2 carbon handled. Sounded horrible. Didn't get along with the handle at all.
SS Matrix. Great off the mallet. Used in nets and it went nowhere. Never really "pinged" off the bat.
L&W Heritage. Plank.
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: Marc28 on July 16, 2013, 04:39:12 AM
Seem a trend as well regarding Laver's on here, is this due to them taking a while to open up,
Views?????
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: tim2000s on July 16, 2013, 05:56:01 AM
Seem a trend as well regarding Laver's on here, is this due to them taking a while to open up,
Views?????
It may be, or it may be that, as with all brands, some aren't as good as others, and with a high concentration of Lavers in the forum you see more that haven't lived up to the expectations of unbelievable ping.
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: potzy248 on July 16, 2013, 06:03:16 AM
Ive never had a bad Laver. Thats all I use.
I had a GM Icon original. Absolute plank, then broke at the bottom of the splice.
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: tim2000s on July 16, 2013, 06:10:56 AM
I think you can only really define a bat as a plank if more than three people have used it and agreed it to be so, one of which must be a top order batsman. Otherwise, it may simply be that you can't find the middle...
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: smokem on July 16, 2013, 06:24:55 AM
My first L&W Private Bin, I had trouble getting on with. It was awesome when I found the middle but not so good when I didn't. I gave it several matches and lots of net sessions to open up. I even gave it more mallet work even though it was pre-knocked. But in the end, the sweetspot was just too small for me to find regularly.

The replacement PB is a more classic profile with smaller edges but almost no concaving. It has been an absolute belter from day 1.
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: Marc28 on July 16, 2013, 06:33:30 AM
It may be, or it may be that, as with all brands, some aren't as good as others, and with a high concentration of Lavers in the forum you see more that haven't lived up to the expectations of unbelievable ping.

Or is this due to most bats being pressed to lightly now a days, so they only last a season or maybe less than that. As i'm hoping to not buy a bat for next year due to having 3 good ones now.
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: tim2000s on July 16, 2013, 06:49:22 AM
Or, as smokem makes the point, it may be that people simply buy the wrong bat for themselves...
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: Kulli on July 16, 2013, 07:23:38 AM
I had a BAS that felt great against Bowling machine balls, but felt absolutely horrendous with cricket balls  >:(

I had a bat like that too, was one of the ones Keiron from Bulldog was selling 50gbp, the first of many bats I've bought since joining here.
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: Number4 on July 16, 2013, 07:54:39 AM
I have been lucky enough not to have too many bad bats but one that comes to mind was a hawk when I was young. It was no better than a fence paling but I couldn't say anything cause it was my first ever bat and my sister bought it for me as my parents couldn't afford to buy me one at the time. Not UK Hawk by the way. A little company here in Oz many years ago
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: Gcricket on July 16, 2013, 07:56:26 AM
I bought a gray nics powerbow, cracked quickly and never used it in match or nets!!
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: Dan W on July 16, 2013, 10:09:33 AM
I had a Harrow Dynadrive (when I was a nipper), for which the shape just didn't work for that size - it was hard work for anythign off the middle. I've had a go of the SH ones and they go like rockets, but it never workes well in a Harrow size IMO.
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: bruggers100 on July 16, 2013, 11:35:03 AM
My all time classic bad pick was a Duncan Fearnley 405. I was blinded by the association with Mr Hick !  A truly classic example of a plank. It's at my parents at the moment, I might pick it up and give it a little TLC to see if it is still as bad as I remember. 

 
Title: Re: "Bad Bats"
Post by: SOULMAN1012 on July 16, 2013, 06:58:49 PM
A second team batsmen bought his Boom Boom Arrogance to net yesterday and that was a complete plank, sounded awful when he batted with it but wouldn't listen when we said it was a plank, myself and 3 of our 1st team top order tried it and all agreed fire wood at best.