Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Equipment => Bats => Topic started by: Yorkershire on August 16, 2019, 05:02:37 PM
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Okay, I have made the controversial decision of not buying another bat and continue using my 2 bats for next season:
- GM Noir 808 - loving this and just amazing value at this price point - I'm sure some brands may have sneaked this into G1 territory.
- Dare I say it... a used pro bat from a 'Bat Medic in Bristol' - but only bought because the shape is very similar to my Noir and was pretty reasonably priced - I still prefer the GM but a friend and my brother who have borrowed it were really impressed.
The GM is my main bat as I started the season with it and use the other bat for 20 20 and spare.
I've often found bats for me often come into their own after a season's use, no explanation for this but just from past experience. But I've found myself selling bats and buying new ones and not persisting with the same bat into the second season.
Loving my GM and I really think it's getting better with use and think it will be flying next season...
Love to hear if people have had similar experiences?
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Absolutely! Both my BB and SS bats have only gotten better over time. And the GM Neon 808 i purchased in feb is turning into a real beast after being my exclusive net bat for so long
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It is a generalisation but I would certainly say that most of my bats are better in their second season than in their first. It seems old fashioned now to play a bat in but I still think it gets the best out of a bat
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Bat prep and peaking is a long process that requires patience and multiple seasons. Even the great bats made by master batmakers take their time to peak. We clubbies simply don't spend as much time as pros do in the nets.
Use your old bat and prepare news ones for the future. I have two match bats and couple of bats being kncoked in nets for the future. It is good fun to get these bats ready. :D
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Yup, and buying new bats and wanting to use them I think doesn't give current bats time to play in... I don't play enough cricket for a bat to peak in the first season...
Maybe I do need to buy my bat for 2021 season now and play it over the next season or so in the nets.... could be great strategic thinking! ;)
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I can honestly say for me that my bats that make it into my keep selection including this season like you a Noir always get better at the end of the season or the next season. I play about 10 league games a season and have used the same match bat all season which is my Noir and now I would say it’s started to peak now.
I have started over the last two years to prep next seasons match bat in nets this season so Iv been using a Keeley approx 1 every 2 weeks for an hour which means I have a match bat that’s had some really good prep work.
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What does everyone think about the effects of Bola machines on bats? I've heard quite a few people say that extended use will damage the bat, but it's a great way to put a few hours on a new stick. Of course nothing beats time at the crease but for those of use who only make fleeting trips to the middle, is there any 'science' to the assertion that Bola machines are bad for bats because it seems like a great way to get them well played in.
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What does everyone think about the effects of Bola machines on bats? I've heard quite a few people say that extended use will damage the bat, but it's a great way to put a few hours on a new stick. Of course nothing beats time at the crease but for those of use who only make fleeting trips to the middle, is there any 'science' to the assertion that Bola machines are bad for bats because it seems like a great way to get them well played in.
Definitely seems to cause delamination with extended use.
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Is that because of the balls or because you are grooving a shot and hitting the same part of the bat repeatedly?
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Is that because of the balls or because you are grooving a shot and hitting the same part of the bat repeatedly?
Pretty sure it’s to do with the balls, never seen it when doing just throw downs or even using cricket balls on a machine.
Either way I tend to use an old bat for bowling machine work unless I have one that’s still needing knocked/played in.
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What does everyone think about the effects of Bola machines on bats? I've heard quite a few people say that extended use will damage the bat, but it's a great way to put a few hours on a new stick. Of course nothing beats time at the crease but for those of use who only make fleeting trips to the middle, is there any 'science' to the assertion that Bola machines are bad for bats because it seems like a great way to get them well played in.
Never had an issue and it’s how I prep all my bats mainly, of course some gentle bowling when the bats new against decent old league balls but a Bola has never caused any of my bats any issue at all and I reckon they face about 500 or so before they become a match bat
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Many moons ago, I posted about Bola balls damaging bats and faced a wave of skepticism and disbelief. :D Tip came from the Laver team.
I avoid Bola (Pro or hard red balls) because of consistency of the spot and hardness of the balls themselves. Bola JR balls are safe and I use them a lot. I normally don't have net bowlers as quick as a Bola machine. Funnily enough, we recently did an experiment with a baseball speed gun to clock bowling speeds of human bowlers and they were on the low side.
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Never had an issue and it’s how I prep all my bats mainly, of course some gentle bowling when the bats new against decent old league balls but a Bola has never caused any of my bats any issue at all and I reckon they face about 500 or so before they become a match bat
I don’t think your taking about any real damage from hitting 500 balls (as I said I like it to knock bats in), but I do think the guys I know who use the machine constantly give me a lot more delaminates bats to repair than those who don’t. We’re taking maybe 100+ balls a week.
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I don’t think your taking about any real damage from hitting 500 balls (as I said I like it to knock bats in), but I do think the guys I know who use the machine constantly give me a lot more delaminates bats to repair than those who don’t. We’re taking maybe 100+ balls a week.
If you hit a cricket ball 100+ times a week than eventually a bat will delaminate. I understand the risk with a Bola machine is the continued repeat and hitting the same part of the bat but I don’t feel they are any worse than a cricket ball for damaging your bat over pro-longer period of time. I have 1 bat that must have faced 10,000+ balls both Bola and normal and apart from the odd bit of damage it’s almost perfect still .
The factor to consider is what type of player you are, I don’t “whack” a ball and rely totally on timing and placement to score runs, if you swing from the hip a bit more than there is a higher chance of causing some damage to a bat via Bola or other balls. Just my view
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You could be right, it may not be the balls themselves.
It might be that you get 100 hittable balls on 10 minutes rather than 30-40 in nets. Or that often people stand there hitting drive after drive out of the same spot. Either way I avoid using my match/best bats on the machine after they’re run in.
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Whilst I'm not so sure, to me the Bola balls seem to hit the bat heavier than a cricket ball: this may just be that they are more spongey - i.e. they deform upon impact whereas a cricket ball doesn't... but I recently had to put my Woodstock into the bag due to that one going (knew that was coming - it started going like an absolute train, just about gunning off through for a single from the softest of pushes), so picked out my old Newbury: wasn't a bad stick but was never worthy of the SPS grade (they sent it free when I managed to break the one I selected. Nowhere near as good)...
Had a long net on Thursday, not really facing anything too fast (75-80): broken bat. Split on the same line in two places.
So, I would say that machine balls definitely do seem to do some damage to the willow: as opposed to being hit by the timber, I think they slap the bat, thus causing the bat to absorb more of the impact as opposed to redirecting. That would be my theory... and it seems like a reasonable excuse to buy a new bat... :D
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Back on track re bats peaking... bola on a different topic ;)
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I suppose my question is can you move your bat up the bell curve of performance more quickly by using a Bola without damaging the bat. I feel like the answer is that a reasonable amount of Bola use isn't harmful but beyond 1000 balls is probably inadvisable.
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Whilst I'm not so sure, to me the Bola balls seem to hit the bat heavier than a cricket ball: this may just be that they are more spongey - i.e. they deform upon impact whereas a cricket ball doesn't... but I recently had to put my Woodstock into the bag due to that one going (knew that was coming - it started going like an absolute train, just about gunning off through for a single from the softest of pushes), so picked out my old Newbury: wasn't a bad stick but was never worthy of the SPS grade (they sent it free when I managed to break the one I selected. Nowhere near as good)...
Had a long net on Thursday, not really facing anything too fast (75-80): broken bat. Split on the same line in two places.
So, I would say that machine balls definitely do seem to do some damage to the willow: as opposed to being hit by the timber, I think they slap the bat, thus causing the bat to absorb more of the impact as opposed to redirecting. That would be my theory... and it seems like a reasonable excuse to buy a new bat... :D
Could they hit the bat harder because I'm guessing you don't face anyone actually bowling at 75-80 too often? Especially if on a quicker indoor surface.
The idea that BOLA balls cause significantly more damage than cricket balls is a daft one imo. Facing way more balls than you would against human bowlers, at faster speeds, and more consistently hitting the same spot on the bat is obviously going to lead to quicker delamination though.
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Ive use the gray nicolls ball machine balls. They're fine with bats, possibly better than normal cricket balls as there isn't a seam. If you're smashing 80mph balls off the toe then you'll likely cause some damage I'm sure.
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The only issue with Bola balls in my view is that as a Club player you can face a far higher volume of them than you can ever find net bowlers to bowl at you so your bats will naturally suffer more wear and tear.
Personally I think Bola balls are better for your bats than cricket balls. The Bola ball is softer so flattens in impact therefore spreading the force over a larger area whereas a cricket ball is harder so the force Impacts on the bat in a smaller area
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Based on experience rather than fact, but do worry that the different composition of bola balls caused delamination. Don’t know enough about impact physics or causes of delamination to really speculate why.
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Based on experience rather than fact, but do worry that the different composition of bola balls caused delamination. Don’t know enough about impact physics or causes of delamination to really speculate why.
I've used bowling machine 4 or 5 days a week for 1.5hours for two years around 75mph, didn't delaminate. I did have a AS Sports bat delaminate while knocking in recently... Which is crazy. Other bat's were GN and NB so could be brand related
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Given the amount of cricket most of us play, it does definitely take a season for us to open a bat.
If we all count number of balls we hit on the bat every week (a guess), that helps. For example, if I go to team nets, batting is for 15 minutes and in those 15 minutes, you get to face 36-42 balls (6-7 overs) out of which half are the ones which are either bouncers, wides, or something which you leave. The remaining half which is 18-21 which is which you hit the middle or off centre. So, in 18-21 balls, you can't really open a bat.
You need to hit at least 500 balls in the middle to have bat opened up.
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Good responses...
Looks like I will be sticking with my bats for next season and looking for a bat for the year after this end of season sales...
I really wish I had been disciplined and kept some of my bats rather than swapping and changing!
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Given the amount of cricket most of us play, it does definitely take a season for us to open a bat.
If we all count number of balls we hit on the bat every week (a guess), that helps. For example, if I go to team nets, batting is for 15 minutes and in those 15 minutes, you get to face 36-42 balls (6-7 overs) out of which half are the ones which are either bouncers, wides, or something which you leave. The remaining half which is 18-21 which is which you hit the middle or off centre. So, in 18-21 balls, you can't really open a bat.
You need to hit at least 500 balls in the middle to have bat opened up.
Well said. I face the same situation here too.
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Good responses...
Looks like I will be sticking with my bats for next season and looking for a bat for the year after this end of season sales...
I really wish I had been disciplined and kept some of my bats rather than swapping and changing!
Honestly, the best bats buys are the ones which are in For Sale section here, they are best buys because they are 25% or so off the price and have been played in as well.
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Good responses...
Looks like I will be sticking with my bats for next season and looking for a bat for the year after this end of season sales...
I really wish I had been disciplined and kept some of my bats rather than swapping and changing!
Exactly what I’ll be doing mate, I have 6 bats at the moment all of which I would be happy to use in a match but I’ll stick with the two Iv used all year. During the winter I reckon I will move on two maybe 3 and replace with 1 or 2 new models once I see what’s out and released, they will get net sessions with the view to being a match bat in the 2021 season. That’s how Iv rotated my bats the last 3 years and so far never had an issue
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Good news, I think that really puts it into perspective.
On a good week in summer I'd probably bat for 20 minutes total at training and then about 3 minutes in a game so it should be some time around 2050 that all of my bats will be played in. Or I'll just use them against the machines for a few hours each (200 balls per hour) and that will get them to a point where my mis timed swipes may actually make it off the square.
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Oh wow didn’t think you need to start preparing a bat 2 years in advance before using it in a game. I personally use a mallet for about 30 odd mins, maybe net with it once to get the confidence going and it’s ready for games.
I’ve found bats to almost always feel/ping better in a game than in practice.
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I’ve found bats to almost always feel/ping better in a game than in practice.
Newer harder balls come off bat better
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Oh wow didn’t think you need to start preparing a bat 2 years in advance before using it in a game. I personally use a mallet for about 30 odd mins, maybe net with it once to get the confidence going and it’s ready for games.
I’ve found bats to almost always feel/ping better in a game than in practice.
I think phrasing it '2 years' is little misleading, more about getting enough net sessions/prep time before the season in which you use the bat. As said, many of us don't play enough or net enough to really play in the bat, I think that was the point.
Even if I buy a bat end of this season, I won't really start playing it in until winter nets or next year. I will be looking to use it in 2021 season. It may even become my second bat if my GM is pinging, with a view to using next.
Have had some great bats that I think I let go too early.
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I think phrasing it '2 years' is little misleading, more about getting enough net sessions/prep time before the season in which you use the bat. As said, many of us don't play enough or net enough to really play in the bat, I think that was the point.
Even if I buy a bat end of this season, I won't really start playing it in until winter nets or next year. I will be looking to use it in 2021 season. It may even become my second bat if my GM is pinging, with a view to using next.
Have had some great bats that I think I let go too early.
My question really would be - approx. how many balls is the bat expected to hit before it peaks, irrespective of how many seasons it took to get to that number. 1K / 5K / 10 K? Some approximations might help deciding when to really make one useful in a match..
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Depends on the pressing. Some Aldreds ive had have come out in about 700 balls to peak. But my teammates Salix just about opened up this year and hes probably faced 2000 balls with it.
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Surely there's lots of factors here. The pressing, the willow itself, the type of ball (hard/soft), the type of batsmen/shots played and finally what constitutes 'peaking' or 'opening' up. My BB was good from the start and is still good, can't say I've felt a big change in two seasons use (and a lot of netting).
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My question really would be - approx. how many balls is the bat expected to hit before it peaks, irrespective of how many seasons it took to get to that number. 1K / 5K / 10 K? Some approximations might help deciding when to really make one useful in a match..
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Birthday bats arrived this morning :D
6 are match ready with the balance moved on to greener pastures.
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I've had 2 years of my B3 DB3. It initially felt very hard pressed - the ball went ok, but it didn't really ping. I used through winter nets and into the season. Around July it really started to open up and flicks started going for 6, forward defences for 4 etc. I avoided using it in winter nets and its been great all summer. I intend to keep playing with it until it breaks.
My other B3, that I bought last winter as cover, is not quite there yet I used it in nets last winter and in a few games in July just to try it out - hit a few 6s but it clearly doesn't fly as well as the DB3. If I use it over this winter, I expect it to be ready for summer - and then I'll have a choice of excellent bats.