Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Equipment => Pads => Topic started by: procricket on April 24, 2014, 05:04:43 PM
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As some will know i helped out a good friend this winter with bit and bobs about softs's and since my new role with another I have stepped up my research and knowledge 10 fold (I guess knowing Russell Evans).
So my question is what makes a good pad to you is it the fit ie the top hat how it is angled does it allow for your thigh pads to sit naturally or maybe the type of PU or Canes or Form.
It is the protection??? Do you know the difference between good protection fiber boards insertion and dual forms and how far the vertical bolster sits over the vulnerable area..
Do you really care as long as there cheap.
It would help me greatly in my research and continued learning development to get some thoughts from people who tend to notice quite a bit and tend to know what they like??
You see i know where a fussy bunch in the main on here where pads are turned down for having the wrong colour of piping or length of straps.
Please let me know your thought they are invaluable
Dave
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In order of priority:
Decent fit (wraps around the leg and the top hat isn't too 'floppy')
Knee locator that is in the right place - don't want to re-adjust my pad after every run because of the strange angle.
Straps not too long (really grinds my gears when the straps are miles too long!
Decent protection but doesn't weigh a ton!
Traditional(ish) design
Price
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Fitment. I.e straps not to long, comfyness, and thwre ab8lty to stay where there meant to.
Then weight. Lighter the batter.
Looks and price sonewhere near the end.
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Super light and not wafer thin and certainly no buckle straps. Price ... No more than £75
My current puma pads have no knee locator and I'm ok, had them for 5 years. I have a spare pair of brand new puma 6000 pads and they are just too bulky even though they are super light and I always revert back to my gold old ones.
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Personally prefer the style, looks and quality of puma pads.
John, what 6000's are your spares?
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Yup higher end Puma pads are definitely some of the best ones out there.
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Hi Dave,
As a fellow B3 nut, I've been toing and froing on the B3 pads all winter. I hope the following is useful...
First and foremost, I prefer traditional cane - not sure why but I always feel its more protective than HDF. Could be purely psychological, but I also prefer the look of traditional pads over, say, the Puma offerings.
I then look at quality. I will always buy top end pads and gloves - I need my legs and hands to be fully functional with my job so that's non-negotiable. On that basis, I assume that they will offer adequate protection for local Saturday leagues. I've seen the B3 pads numerous times on visits and they are probably the best quality I've seen and the gloves are incredibly comfortable and soft. Money isn't an issue in terms of equipment - having worked in sport all of my life I know that you get what you pay for. I will happily pay £80 for pads and £60 for gloves.
They clearly need to fit well - the straps can't be too long and I don't want to be adjusting padding between the pad and my shin once they're on.
My final proviso is they need to be a desirable colour. It's proved difficult to get all of the above, when added to the matching gloves criteria (which have to be sausage finger). My preferred colour of choice is light blue - you don't see it in games that often and I think its different, yet still understated.
So based on the above, I ruled out;
Kookaburra (I have the bubble pads for midweek T20 for the retro value, but the 2014 range aren't well made and use poor materials)
Puma (HDF and no sausage fingers)
GM (gloves weren't a great fit)
Gray Nics (everyone's got them, though I do admit the quality is great)
Adidas (segmented gloves, but love the colours)
...many more discounted...
B3 - If I didn't have a new found need to match gloves and pads, I would've gone for the pads, definitely. I dislike the look of the gloves and the neutral colour schemes. I totally understand why they have to be - the sticker choices make it impossible to cater for coloured straps, trim, etc. (my only thought was coloured finger inserts for the gloves, under a clear casing, but that would be very niche and expensive!). In the end the lack of colour did it for me. The quality is obvious but they, to me, don't stand out from the crowd - many of the smaller brands go for black and white and it just doesn't float my boat, although I do have the B3 wk pads and gloves - colour less of an issue there and I've gone for the outstanding quality. Hypocritical I know!
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Personally prefer the style, looks and quality of puma pads.
John, what 6000's are your spares?
https://twitter.com/pythoncricket/status/412339060615942144
These red ones
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Hi Dave,
As a fellow B3 nut, I've been toing and froing on the B3 pads all winter. I hope the following is useful...
First and foremost, I prefer traditional cane - not sure why but I always feel its more protective than HDF. Could be purely psychological, but I also prefer the look of traditional pads over, say, the Puma offerings.
I then look at quality. I will always buy top end pads and gloves - I need my legs and hands to be fully functional with my job so that's non-negotiable. On that basis, I assume that they will offer adequate protection for local Saturday leagues. I've seen the B3 pads numerous times on visits and they are probably the best quality I've seen and the gloves are incredibly comfortable and soft. Money isn't an issue in terms of equipment - having worked in sport all of my life I know that you get what you pay for. I will happily pay £80 for pads and £60 for gloves.
They clearly need to fit well - the straps can't be too long and I don't want to be adjusting padding between the pad and my shin once they're on.
My final proviso is they need to be a desirable colour. It's proved difficult to get all of the above, when added to the matching gloves criteria (which have to be sausage finger). My preferred colour of choice is light blue - you don't see it in games that often and I think its different, yet still understated.
So based on the above, I ruled out;
Kookaburra (I have the bubble pads for midweek T20 for the retro value, but the 2014 range aren't well made and use poor materials)
Puma (HDF and no sausage fingers)
GM (gloves weren't a great fit)
Gray Nics (everyone's got them, though I do admit the quality is great)
Adidas (segmented gloves, but love the colours)
...many more discounted...
B3 - If I didn't have a new found need to match gloves and pads, I would've gone for the pads, definitely. I dislike the look of the gloves and the neutral colour schemes. I totally understand why they have to be - the sticker choices make it impossible to cater for coloured straps, trim, etc. (my only thought was coloured finger inserts for the gloves, under a clear casing, but that would be very niche and expensive!). In the end the lack of colour did it for me. The quality is obvious but they, to me, don't stand out from the crowd - many of the smaller brands go for black and white and it just doesn't float my boat, although I do have the B3 wk pads and gloves - colour less of an issue there and I've gone for the outstanding quality. Hypocritical I know!
No mate this is not about B3 but thanks for the feedback HDF i prefer cane with a good cross section and fiber boards used in all segments of the vertical bolster and knee components like my B3 pads i also like the fact the vertical bolster goes above the bottom of the knee roll and really does negate the vulnerable area for high speed bowling under the knee.
So far thanks for the feedback this is not in conjunction with my B3 work this is just a forum topic and my research which started with bathing my pads years ago.... :o
I do not like wonky pads either like some do with the top hat not sitting in line with the bottom section. Straps i like them mid to short i wear top tight and bottom two just snug not loose. Top hats as long as there not bulky or the knee roll protrudes to much i'm generally happy.
Also big one for me is the size I'm 5ft 8 and like small mens i like smaller fitted pads.
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I like them to be as light as possible, and I don't like them too bulky.
I also like a little touch of individuality about the design, as pads can look a little 'samey'.
My favourite ever pads were the Puma ones with the criss-cross design across the face, Vulcan did them briefly too. I wish I'd never got rid of them, as they don't seem to be around any more.
They were thin, light but protective and looked good too!
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Batting pads are the one piece of kit I just can't get that excited about for some reason. I'm pretty sure I've only had 3 pairs in the last 15 years or so as I just hang on to them until they fall apart.
As such, as long as they feel comfy, aren't massively bulky, are of reasonable quality and price then I'm happy enough.
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My ideal pads would have a combination of HD foam and cane with more cane than foam overall to give the sturdy yet moderately lightweight feel. Medium instep so that they last as well as protect the ankle adequately without dragging. Perhaps wider ankle wings (similar to M&H ) on the leading leg. Knee bolster similar to SG pads rather than rounded (Pin Tucked 3 piece external knee roll) but not too bulked up like the GT pads using foam ( Thank God you can remove them foams ). Round knee bolster is fine if you don't have short legs where it's a struggle to get knee cap to fit into the bolster. The top hat being small with a moderate angle to stop sharp digging on right thigh when playing backfoot. Brushed leather instep doesn't squeak as much. Less padding/ detachable option on the inner leg . If I were to design pads for myself I would wear a Willostix Anaconda pad on the left leg with knee protection similar to SG with wider angle wings from M&H range and GT pads on the left leg with all the detachable padding removed and the squeakiness gone. Detachable strap cushion vs built-in cushion on pad strap is open to debate. I love the idea of asymmetric padding based on the function of each leg when you play without hindering the natural movement.
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Best pads I have ever owned GN 2013 Powerbow due to there lightness.
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Tom's Itias pads were great and a bargain.
I liked the Vulcan ones I had but they lost their pu really quickly ANC looked scruffy and grey.
Have GM originals this year, good protection and fit me well. Plus I like the colour scheme.
Bulky pads? Not for me - GN Legends too thick
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I'm a massive fan of Kookaburra pads, love how the lead leg wraps around more offering more protection and the padded straps help to aid comfort. Softs have to look the pads, I can't be dealing with ugly pads or gloves (although I am a fan of both traditional and puma style pads).
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As most people know, I'm a big fan of the puma style pads. They are immensely protective and very light.
What I find makes a poor pad is too short straps. I always think you want a bit of excess. Maybe manufacturers should make "fatties" and "thinnies" for those with different sized legs...
Sent from my LG-D802 using Tapatalk
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for my level of cricket, here is the priority
1. fit - wrap around the leg especially the top hat
2. protection - preferably removable instep
3. weight - prefer as light as possible (HDF over cane rods to reduce weight as I don't need the added protection)
4. price - if i am buying in India, around Inr 2500
something like the SG Hilite is good enough and the price point is also great (usually get my gear from India).
having said that, i recently got some kit from SM and the pads (Players Pride) are quite light and offer very good protection which makes it slightly bulky as a result. they are also cheaper than the top Indian brands (SG, SS etc). but i feel that they would serve me fine even if i was to face 130 kmph bowling
http://smcricket.com/product-single-view.php?gid=13&cid=33&pid=193 (http://smcricket.com/product-single-view.php?gid=13&cid=33&pid=193)
another pad which has been a favourite of cricketers for many years is the BAS Millennium 2000
http://bas-vampire.com/?h=product&id=60 (http://bas-vampire.com/?h=product&id=60)
something like in the link above but with 2 straps. it has been so popular that they haven't changed it for a long time.
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My ideal pad would be narrow, lightweight, with 2 three inch wide straps slightly longer than what you normally get.
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My favourite style and specification of pad are the Newbery SPS 1 batting pads. I would however also request a slightly shorter pad strap length for the "skinnies" as was previously mentioned!
Traditional, minimum branding with more focus gone into quality of product than quality of emblem for me :)
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2 best pads i've used are B3s current ones at the forum Oval nets,
And the blank pad prototypes I'm using this season with the verticle knee roll M&H style.
Both wrap around the leg much better than other pads i've used, both fit better for my height of 5'9.
They're also lightweight and don't seem to cause so much sweat.
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My favourite style and specification of pad are the Newbery SPS 1 batting pads. I would however also request a slightly shorter pad strap length for the "skinnies" as was previously mentioned!
Traditional, minimum branding with more focus gone into quality of product than quality of emblem for me :)
Minimum branding, traditional style, short straps. Exactly how I like 'em too.
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I'm all about the protection. I used to have some rubbish ones which did the job playing the odd game when I was younger but then when I started playing premier league I soon realised through experience that rolled up newspaper would have done a better job at protecting my shins. I felt every single stitch.
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Has to fit well - long enough for the taller gent, with a decently size knee locator - and have tidy, grippy straps. Other than that, I like a reasonably traditional, reasonably understated look myself!