Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Equipment => Bats => Bat Care => Topic started by: InternalTraining on January 09, 2015, 09:28:26 PM
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Folks,
I am going to stay true to my oath of not buying any bats in 2015. Since I won't be buying supposedly "better" bats, I have to explore what is available (in terms of performance) in my existing bats. Now, I use a light weight mallet which has cracked many of my brand new bats (maybe I am hitting too hard) when knocking my bats. I find it discouraging.
Questions:
1. Would a heavier mallet - something like Lignum Vitae - with a bigger head help with knocking and getting the most out of my bats' performance?
2. How do you know that a bat is ready and it has reached its peak potential?
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Just as it's about to break :)
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Folks,
I am going to stay true to my oath of not buying any bats in 2015. Since I won't be buying supposedly "better" bats, I have to explore what is available (in terms of performance) in my existing bats. Now, I use a light weight mallet which has cracked many of my brand new bats (maybe I am hitting too hard) when knocking my bats. I find it discouraging.
Questions:
1. Would a heavier mallet - something like Lignum Vitae - with a bigger head help with knocking and getting the most out of my bats' performance?
2. How do you know that a bat is ready and it has reached its peak potential?
I knocked lots off bats in with light mallets and I find you get to a point that the bat just sounds right and with no more indentations on it I never cracked a bat I had the grains open up but never cracked a bat with a mallet so witch way do the cracks go
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Cracks are horizontal.
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Are they lifting at all by the cracks
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They are. I had to sand them down and then glue them with crazy glue or superglue. Then, I sanded the dried off glue, oiled the crack, and then pounded with a mallet.
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When no indentations appear during the knocking in is when the process is complete as it can be with a mallet as the bat fibres will have hardened compressed and knitted also the sound off the mallet will be different. A good test of the improved ping after knocking in is when you drive the ball. All good quality bats should crack ( not split ) at some stage but when the blade does start to crack is mainly due to the pressing i was also told by a batmaker when a bat cracks quickly following correct pressing it is an indication of top quality willow..
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Sounds like you are knocking in the bats ok as sounds like the grains are opening up witch is a good thing :)
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^ ok. Would an LV mallet get more out of a bat in terms of performance than a lightweight one?
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^ ok. Would an LV mallet get more out of a bat in terms of performance than a lightweight one?
Personally I find it gets you to that point quicker with less time and effort.
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e4sby, does it dramatically reduce the time spent?
I managed to do my SS Yuvi to a point I'm happy to use it in a net session* in just under 2 hours with a light mallet (I did go at it like a bat out of hell though!)
*i can give it a fair wack with no more indentations appearing.
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I've only knocked my b3 beast in with one and I was very very impressed with the results. When I used it in a match the bat seemed to be at a stage where the ball just flew off the blade. This was probably also due by the size and quality of the bat
Realistically I bet I didn't knock in much longer than an hour or so
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^ ok. Would an LV mallet get more out of a bat in terms of performance than a lightweight one?
No.
It simply requires less effort and less time to knock a bat in when compared to a normal mallet.
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I've only knocked my b3 beast in with one and I was very very impressed with the results. When I used it in a match the bat seemed to be at a stage where the ball just flew off the blade. This was probably also due by the size and quality of the bat
Realistically I bet I didn't knock in much longer than an hour or so
I am wondering if this is both function of weight and the size i.e. surface of the mallet that is impacting the surface. I suspect, when I hit hard, the face of the mallet is is turning upon impact creating a crator on the surface resulting in a break. If I were to use a bigger size mallet (regardless of the weight), it will be create a bigger surface depression.
So, the new tack I have taken is instead of hitting extremely hard, I am hitting in a larger area (with less force) creating a wider dent but shallower. The bat face where knocked looks evenly depressed.
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No.
It simply requires less effort and less time to knock a bat in when compared to a normal mallet.
USD 90 plus shipping for an LV mallet. This thing ain't cheap. My light weight mallet cost USD 15.
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USD 90 plus shipping for an LV mallet. This thing ain't cheap. My light weight mallet cost USD 15.
Not cheap, but as with many things in cricket, you get what you pay for ultimately. Mine has been fantastic since i got it about 7-8 months ago. I am fully confident it will last a lifetime.
LV is a rare and expensive raw material, the number of craftsman around who still work with it (it blunts machinery very readily as it is one of the hardest and densest woods in existence) is very small, meaning an upward pressure on price is inevitable.
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^ I hear ya.
What about bats that are hard pressed? I have a couple and my light weigh mallet is not creating a dent on the face. Would LV work there? Have you used your LV to knock hard pressed bats?
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As far as I know cheaper (and less effective than LV but better than regular) mallet is the Puma/M&H 9/10 pounds mallet
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There are 2 types of lignum vitae. Palo Santo, which is lighter in colour (usually cream sapwood and greeny heartwood) and lower in density, a Guaiacum Officinale, which is darker (cremay sapwood again but usually brown or darker heartwood) and denser.
G. Officianle is known as true Lignum Vitae, and is what is used for crown green bowls. However, it is on a CITES watch list, which means that any G Officinale trees cannot be cut down without good reason, therefore true lignum vitae on the market is limited to what has either been cut downpreviously, what has already been made from the wood, or the small amount of trees that arre approved for felling each year
Palo Santo is much easier to get hold of, but there are other woods available that are denser and harder
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^ I hear ya.
What about bats that are hard pressed? I have a couple and my light weigh mallet is not creating a dent on the face. Would LV work there? Have you used your LV to knock hard pressed bats?
Check on ebay.com or ebay.ca and you'll find lots of heavy hardwood mallets for reasonable price...doesn't have to LV, i recently got a japanese hardwood mallet for 45USD and its really good...although i had to sand it so make square edges round.
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How long did it take to sand the square edges? Also, what kind of sandpaper did you use?
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How long did it take to sand the square edges? Also, what kind of sandpaper did you use?
Just used one of those small power sander with medium grit paper...maybe 20 mins!! will try to post a pic once I am able to shovel my way to the garage...