Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Equipment => Bats => Topic started by: SOULMAN1012 on August 04, 2013, 10:22:14 AM
-
I have seen a couple of topics on here over recent months about heartwood and should it be on G1 bats etc. just want hing the test match this morning and the highlights from yesterday.
Currently both Broad and Prior who are at the wicket have a good half of there bats. And also pieterson and Cook and some good covering of heartwood. So it would appear that heartwood has no impact on the performance of a bat as test match pro's and arguably two of the best batsmen in the world in cook and pieterson have it on there bats. And also that maybe a G1 bat needs to have a little heartwood.
Just to clear up when I refer to G1 I am talking about top grade willow from bat makers. Any views??
-
I prefer a fully consistent face of normal wood, although my Bradbury Heritage has a tiny hint down the side, i think it adds to the character to be honest
-
Love a good bit of heartwood
Prior's is on the inside edge, I always thought it was best to have it on the outside edge though
-
I don't like hardwood, i just personally think it looks ugly.
Though i would not be against a little on the outside edge
-
I don't like hardwood, i just personally think it looks ugly.
Though i would not be against a little on the outside edge
Yeah but no but yeah but no but... :D
-
I dont mind it at all, my current match bat is half, half and goes like a rocket.
-
Well do the pros care whetehr the bat has heartwood or not? They are more concerned with performance and pick-up and then they get them for free.
If I have to pay £300-£400 for a bat then I want it to be perfect in all aspects.
I would not mind some heartwood if I am paying way less than £300 or getting a bat for free.
-
There was one bat I made in 1998 when Sri Lanka toured England that had about 9 grains across the face, mostly heartwood, with a slight butterfly stain. The weight was about 2lbs 7ozs in a classic profile with a super-short handle with a thin oval base. This was made up for Sanath Jayasuriya who used it the next day in a one off test match against England at The Oval and got a double ton with it breaking it in the process!!!
I think that's a good time to move onto the next question area - the Carbocane handles
I don't mind it .
If it was good enough for Jayasuriaya to score 200 in a test match , I'm pretty sure It's gonna be ok for me.
-
I dtn mind it, in fact my current match bat is 33% heartwood and I picked the cleft. Goes like a gun
-
The fact that you see heartwood in test matches confirms a g1+ bat can have heartwood if it is combined with straight grains which are evenly spaced
It is possible to do bats without any heartwood but some people like it so companies produce bats with them
Me personally, I'm not a fan but that's because I don't like the way it looks
-
I think that there's no doubt that heartwood can be on the best performance based bats otherwise why would international players agree to using them, even if they're free? At the elite level they're not going to just say yes to anything to use in matches - even if it doesn't cost them. Having said that I do agree with yvk3103 that when it is the general public paying their money for these bats they're well within their rights to want everything to "look perfect" with no heartwood. My personal opinion is that I don't like heartwood and would take a bat with none over one with even a little on the outside edge 99 times out of 100. Having said that though it is all personal preference!
-
I love heartwood!
What is it that makes you love it though, am I missing something?! :(
-
The issue with heartwood shows the issue with bat choice in general.
People are more concerned with a bats looks than performance,
Should always be "function over form" IMO
-
Dont care....lol, as long as the bat performs, and it picks up well, Im set. However, having said that, If I see a bat with lovely clean grains and no heartwood, I am more inclined to pick it up and look, and possibly buy.
-
How do you get a performance grade bat without it being fully knocked in so the bat maker is sure it has good performance?
I have a bat which is made like all the rest, but it looks sub standard with a few pin knots on the face. Could I say it's performance willow without knocking it in? Well I decided its not a great looking bat and not one I would sell with my stickers on and sell for £150 maximum. I started knocking it in, better than the £225 knocked in bat I have but I'd be wrong to sell it as a performance willow.
I think this performance will thing is nonsense unless bats are supplied knocked in before you buy them. For me knocking in is part of falling in love with your piece of willow. It's a time to tell her that you love her and she is your only true love and that as well as being a looker she needs to be a right goer to.
-
How do you get a performance grade bat without it being fully knocked in so the bat maker is sure it has good performance?
I have a bat which is made like all the rest, but it looks sub standard with a few pin knots on the face. Could I say it's performance willow without knocking it in? Well I decided its not a great looking bat and not one I would sell with my stickers on and sell for £150 maximum. I started knocking it in, better than the £225 knocked in bat I have but I'd be wrong to sell it as a performance willow.
I think this performance will thing is nonsense unless bats are supplied knocked in before you buy them. For me knocking in is part of falling in love with your piece of willow. It's a time to tell her that you love her and she is your only true love and that as well as being a looker she needs to be a right goer to.
How bloody true mate too many people rate bats on initial tap rubbish.
as i have previously alluded to 90 per cent of bats are the same no matter grains and wood.
Heartwood 3 years ago was the rage now it seen just as wood like fashion things change.
A BAT IS A BAT no matter what it looks like grains and wood just get the one that picks up well and has the wood in the right area ie coverage..
The players bats i have seen have not been the best looking like the reserve willow at a bat place i go to it about weight to wood ratio.
Nobody can tell if a bat is going to be a belter until it been fully knocked in and used quite a bit or been battered by a bowling machine..
Mr Garrett i will be in touch
-
The heartwood question has long been settled IMHO. Several reputable batmakers have said it has no negative impact on performance. MANY pros have heartwood on their bats. However, there is a catch for the common Joe who pays for his bats and can't afford to toss them away ever so often. Heartwood needs more maintenance in the form of frequent light oiling, because it is more brittle and cracks more readily compared to sapwood. Also, it tends to be slightly denser/heavier. Other than that, there's no real reason to shun heartwood.
Also, about not being able to tell whether a bat is a performer until it has been fully knocked in, I think that is only half true. You can indeed tell some bats will be real performers even before they have been knocked in. You can often tell these with the initial mallet test or ball bounce test. What is more difficult is picking bats that appear to be duds at first, but once knocked/played in can turn into guns. I think that is what Dave and Garrett are referring to. Not sure whether it is possible to *consistently* tell these apart from a right plank. Might require a keen ear and lots of experience to get there?
Btw, where is Norbs when we need him :D
-
Yeah it does'nt affect performance but heartwood does'nt make a bat look pretty !
-
Yeah it does'nt affect performance but heartwood does'nt make a bat look pretty !
Going to disagree here, heartwood looks lovely on a bat in my opinion