Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Companies => Custom companies => B3 Cricket => Topic started by: SurreySam on March 24, 2021, 03:55:43 PM
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Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y_U_qT71z4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y_U_qT71z4)
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Lockdown has been hard on Paul.
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"2.9... picks up probably 2.8." :D
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Lockdown has been hard on Paul.
Did he always hold a bat halfway down the handle?
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"2.9... picks up probably 2.8." :D
🙈🙈 what's wrong with anyone saying "this bat's a 2.9 and picks up really well reflecting that weight due to the shape/middle/etc"
Does ANYONE have that good a feel to say an ounce either way?!
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Does ANYONE have that good a feel to say an ounce either way?!
Exactly my point?
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"A bat is a very personal thing. I don't see how you can buy one off the internet. It's a touchy-feely thing. If you are standing there at the crease and it diesn't feel right, you have a problem. You are not focusing as you should be."
Graham Gooch in this month's Cricketer.
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Don't get me wrong, I've used B3s for years, lovely bats. But you've got to go to the showroom. No way I'm buying off the web. Same applies for cars. And guitars!
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"A bat is a very personal thing. I don't see how you can buy one off the internet. It's a touchy-feely thing. If you are standing there at the crease and it diesn't feel right, you have a problem. You are not focusing as you should be."
Graham Gooch in this month's Cricketer.
For me, no bat feels right until I have spent the morning session of a test match with a number of grips and a roll of fabric tape playing around with the handle until it feels right. Completely changes the way a bat feels in my experience
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I'm sure you all and Mr Gooch are dead right. Probably now thou, 50 per cent, maybe 75 per cent of amateur cricketers buy on line. Internet companies like Prodirect have expanded massively in a shortish time frame.
I wish there were more cricket specialist shops, but I can't think of many and it's asking too much to stay open just for us when they are uneconomical.
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The biggest problem I have with buying bats online is that there are very few companies out there who provide pictures of the actual bat you’re going to buy. Most websites simply stick a stock picture up there, and quite often it won’t even be the same grade. It’s not a problem for other sports such as tennis, golf or hockey, as these are all machine made to within miniscule tolerances of each other.
That said, out of the ten Sir Ben Stokes GM bats I have, only one was picked out in person. I decided that I liked the shape, then put my faith in GMs snazzy machines and the chap who decides the grade of willow. It worked out fine!
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At least 75%, I reckon.
And seemingly 75% of cricketers at any net session I attend will want to pick up my bat and guess its weight to the exact ounce. I like to tell them "I have no idea", even though I actually do.
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That said, out of the ten Sir Ben Stokes GM bats I have, only one was picked out in person. I decided that I liked the shape, then put my faith in GMs snazzy machines and the chap who decides the grade of willow. It worked out fine!
They all feel exactly the same? Really?
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* Sometimes people who aren't even cricketers want to join in the 'guess the weight' game. :D
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They all feel exactly the same? Really?
No, not all exactly the same. One feels like it has been pressed slightly more firmly, or is a denser cleft than the others, and that was obvious as soon as I had a hit with it, but all are within half an ounce in weight, and there or thereabouts when it comes to their respective balance points. I’m sure other people would feel (or say they could feel) the differences in static weight or balance, but I can’t. I think some chaps get a bit OCD when it comes to bats. I’m OCD about them matching, being entirely sapwood and having 8 to 10 straight grains, but I don’t notice the tiny variations in weight - doesn’t bother me at all.
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Have been a huge fan of b3 from day 1. No other company caters to fussiness like b3.
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I’m OCD about them matching, being entirely sapwood and having 8 to 10 straight grains, but I don’t notice the tiny variations in weight - doesn’t bother me at all.
I'm sure that all sapwood top grade willow, in Ben Stoke grade, will be close to each, even if 1oz differences, feel wise they'll be close to each other,
All sapwood being the lightest willow available, same handle and same shape, I'll definitely agree with SouthpawMark!
Lower grades are a different story
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Have been a huge fan of b3 from day 1. No other company caters to fussiness like b3.
But the complete opposite of just picking up a bat and thinking "yes, this one feels right"?
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But the complete opposite of just picking up a bat and thinking "yes, this one feels right"?
Not everything is meant to be a debate
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But the complete opposite of just picking up a bat and thinking "yes, this one feels right"?
For me it has more to do with having confidence in a bat maker, there's nothing wrong with it.
People sell their bats, even bought in the shops!
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Not everything is meant to be a debate
Or fussed over?
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I think it’s a good video. Straightforward, clear, and well rehearsed.
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Not everything is meant to be a debate
What Gooch says then.
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Has anyone seen the 'live bat reviews' on the Kippax site?
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"A bat is a very personal thing. I don't see how you can buy one off the internet. It's a touchy-feely thing. If you are standing there at the crease and it diesn't feel right, you have a problem. You are not focusing as you should be."
Graham Gooch in this month's Cricketer.
Ah man don't get me started on that whole shtick. As an amateur cricketer from Austria, where there's plenty of skiing, footbat etc shops but not one that really sells cricket planks, I am 100% online order dependent. Be it from tiny stuff like grips, cricket balls to bigger stuff like pads, bats, bags and what not.
So yeah Goochy come off your high horse and see how people playing cricket in places like Austria, Switzerland, Germany and so on HAVE to buy online as we're not always capable of going to our local batmaker and just have em mill out a bat for our specific needs. Those needs being "see ball, hit ball".
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So yeah Goochy come off your high horse and see how people playing cricket in places like Austria, Switzerland, Germany and so on HAVE to buy online as we're not always capable of going to our local batmaker and just have em mill out a bat for our specific needs. Those needs being "see ball, hit ball".
What a ridiculous comment.
Gooch makes a very valid point that buying a cricket bat is a very personal thing and it's almost impossible to buy blind and be 100% happy with it in the same way you would do if you had gone into a shop and tried the actual bat out. EVERY bat is different due to natural variation in the wood/handle, and this can make two identical bats feel quite different, have experienced this plenty of times myself. Yes, you might get close to a certain feel by buying within a specific weight range and shape but it's impossible to know exactly what you're going to get.
Just because your own geographic location makes it hard for you to go to a shop and try out some bats doesn't make Gooch's point invalid, just harder for you to go and try some out.
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Just because your own geographic location makes it hard for you to go to a shop and try out some bats doesn't make Gooch's point invalid, just harder for you to go and try some out.
Makes it impossible in times of global pandemic is the word I'd use. Generelly though my comment is not as ridiculous as you think. More cricketers around the globe lack the chances of "just going to the shops and try the bat" than one might really think. UK, Ind, Pak and so on yeah those can do that. Then you come to Europe or the Americas where you don't even have any choice of local shops. Not even talking about lokal batmakers.
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Not sure the original point Gooch made was that you have to go to a local shop but more that it was preferable if you want to get a bat that you love. Don't think anyone would argue that.
On the other hand, fair point that a lot of people simply do not have this option. I live in a fairly major city and we have one poorly stocked shop that has cricket kit for maybe 7 months of the year. Nearest batmaker AFAIK is about 3 hours drive.
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Comment from batmaker Ian Callen in the same magazine might also cause a stir on here. In response to the question "What about when the batmakers try to move the sweet spot to suit a player's style?":
"The middle is the middle, there's no other place for it. Try and run the sweet spot down the bat and it becomes bottom-heavy, ruins the pick-up. Then the batter has to use lots of grips to balance the bat. You'll get some battters who say that they hit the ball on the up, so they need the middle higher up. You need the middle in the middle. Even in the subcontinent with low bounce, when you watch DRS, how many times does the ball bounce over the stumps?"
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Really enjoyed the video. Good explanations of the shapes and the options available.
Still on the bucket list to get a B3 bat.
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Comment from batmaker Ian Callen in the same magazine might also cause a stir on here. In response to the question "What about when the batmakers try to move the sweet spot to suit a player's style?":
"The middle is the middle, there's no other place for it. Try and run the sweet spot down the bat and it becomes bottom-heavy, ruins the pick-up. Then the batter has to use lots of grips to balance the bat. You'll get some battters who say that they hit the ball on the up, so they need the middle higher up. You need the middle in the middle. Even in the subcontinent with low bounce, when you watch DRS, how many times does the ball bounce over the stumps?"
Sounds like he might get on well with Paul Aldred
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Sounds like he might get on well with Paul Aldred
I actually thought this. ;)
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Not sure the original point Gooch made was that you have to go to a local shop but more that it was preferable if you want to get a bat that you love. Don't think anyone would argue that.
On the other hand, fair point that a lot of people simply do not have this option. I live in a fairly major city and we have one poorly stocked shop that has cricket kit for maybe 7 months of the year. Nearest batmaker AFAIK is about 3 hours drive.
This is probably the problem for a vast majority of people though, I'd wager the only place most people living in anything smaller than a decent sized city can look at and pick up bats is Sports Direct so unless you fancy a 39.99 special, you're going to have to buy online.
I think this thread is a bit privileged in terms of both knowledge and access, in its' statement that you should go to your local batmaker when in reality one of the major online retailers will do exactly the same thing without having to drive hours to a maker
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exactly the same thing without having to drive hours to a maker
I think the point is that it's not exactly the same thing.
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I think the point is that it's not exactly the same thing.
The salient point of my comment was around Knowledge and accessibility
To the average player, going to the maker or buying online achieves the same thing, buying a bat to play with
If I've misread the context of previous comments then I apologise but I think its easy for knowledgeable people to claim the opposite when its simply not practical
Surely this is why retailers such as IJC handpick for their retail, so the average consumer doesn't have to?
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Am I missing something? You can pass on all the information and knowledge you like, but you are still not feeling the bat in your hands.
I wasn't ever denying there are plenty of places that provide an online service. But if you go to your local batmaker, you are there, in person.
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The trouble is that no matter how a bat feels in the hand, you have no guarantee how it will play until you start hitting with it. You could spend a whole day picking up every bat in a shop and wafting them all around, pick your favourite.... then when you finally get to play with it find that you hate the feel off the bat.
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"If only I'd measured the edges and spine height and calculated how far down I wanted the 'middle' to be..."
I give up.
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"If only I'd measured the edges and spine height and calculated how far down I wanted the 'middle' to be..."
I give up.
The one thing I will say for edges and spine height, it definitely gives me more confidence looking at my bat and knowing it's a big lump that can hit a ball much further than I ever will.
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The trouble is that no matter how a bat feels in the hand, you have no guarantee how it will play until you start hitting with it. You could spend a whole day picking up every bat in a shop and wafting them all around, pick your favourite.... then when you finally get to play with it find that you hate the feel off the bat.
Very true. I bought a GM Noir LE a couple of years ago, and thought it was absolutely perfect. Perfect grain, weight, pickup and profile. Felt great with the mallet and ball. Gave it a hit in the nets and within 2 minutes I had decided that I absolutely hated the feel. An hour later it was on eBay!
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A bat so big it can hit the ball futher than a person! Wow!
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The one thing I will say for edges and spine height, it definitely gives me more confidence looking at my bat and knowing it's a big lump that can hit a ball much further than I ever will.
Most of us are the same, and yet we also know(for those who have been playing years) the modern bats are no better for hitting further than the bats with small edges like a Mjolnir from 30 years ago or a Salix Pod from 20 years ago.
Still the idea we are holding something more substantial works for a bit of extra confidence when we walk out to bat.
Bats changing into twice the size has been the biggest change from when I started playing and the most successful marketing idea I can think of....
The whole game is so much in the mind, batting especially.if there's a perceived advantage available, chances are we take it and ignore the reality that it makes no difference.
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I absolutely hated the feel. An hour later it was on eBay!
Must have been a terrible experience .
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Most of us are the same, and yet we also know(for those who have been playing years) the modern bats are no better for hitting further than the bats with small edges like a Mjolnir from 30 years ago or a Salix Pod from 20 years ago.
Still the idea we are holding something more substantial works for a bit of extra confidence when we walk out to bat.
Bats changing into twice the size has been the biggest change from when I started playing and the most successful marketing idea I can think of....
The whole game is so much in the mind, batting especially.if there's a perceived advantage available, chances are we take it and ignore the reality that it makes no difference.
The head batmaker at Gray Nicolls told me size has nothing to do with it. I believe he comes on here sometimes?
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The biggest problem I have with buying bats online is that there are very few companies out there who provide pictures of the actual bat you’re going to buy. Most websites simply stick a stock picture up there, and quite often it won’t even be the same grade. It’s not a problem for other sports such as tennis, golf or hockey, as these are all machine made to within miniscule tolerances of each other.
That said, out of the ten Sir Ben Stokes GM bats I have, only one was picked out in person. I decided that I liked the shape, then put my faith in GMs snazzy machines and the chap who decides the grade of willow. It worked out fine!
Great point! Thats exactly why we do what we do. Buying online can be hard so using sites that show actual bat photos and list specs (and will also send extra pictures and videos if asked) can really help.
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Must have been a terrible experience .
It was. I still wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat when I have nightmares about such a harrowing ordeal.
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Great point! Thats exactly why we do what we do. Buying online can be hard so using sites that show actual bat photos and list specs (and will also send extra pictures and videos if asked) can really help.
I love your website! Just had a look at it for the first time ever, and it’s how EVERY cricket shop should sell their bats.
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I love your website! Just had a look at it for the first time ever, and it’s how EVERY cricket shop should sell their bats.
I'm not sure you're the right person for him to be taking notice of? Given that you've already made your mind up what you're buying?
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I'm not sure you're the right person for him to be taking notice of? Given that you've already made your mind up what you're buying?
Lols.
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The head batmaker at Gray Nicolls told me size has nothing to do with it. I believe he comes on here sometimes?
But anyone who has played cricket can tell you that a huge part of playing well is in your own head. If a certain bat gives you confidence, crack on.
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But anyone who has played cricket can tell you that a huge part of playing well is in your own head. If a certain bat gives you confidence, crack on.
Spot on! Cricket is more mental than anything.
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Very true. I bought a GM Noir LE a couple of years ago, and thought it was absolutely perfect. Perfect grain, weight, pickup and profile. Felt great with the mallet and ball. Gave it a hit in the nets and within 2 minutes I had decided that I absolutely hated the feel. An hour later it was on eBay!
I believe you on this, but did you find out why you hated it?
If I may have a guess, it wasn't full sapwood bat
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It must be great to be able to gain confidence from something you know isn't true.
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I believe you on this, but did you find out why you hated it?
If I may have a guess, it wasn't full sapwood bat
Could it not have been that he hadn't used it for long enough?
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Could it not have been that he hadn't used it for long enough?
Unlikely 😀 amount of bats he has.
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It must be great to be able to gain confidence from something you know isn't true.
Not every part of your mental approach is entirely rational. Look at how many players in all varieties of sports have a "lucky" piece of equipment.
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I believe you on this, but did you find out why you hated it?
If I may have a guess, it wasn't full sapwood bat
There was a tiny bit of heartwood on the inside edge. It performed ok, but I didn’t like the firm feel of it.
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There was a tiny bit of heartwood on the inside edge. It performed ok, but I didn’t like the firm feel of it.
Fair enough mate 👍😀😀
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There was a tiny bit of heartwood on the inside edge. It performed ok, but I didn’t like the firm feel of it.
Maybe it was the balls?
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Comment from batmaker Ian Callen in the same magazine might also cause a stir on here. In response to the question "What about when the batmakers try to move the sweet spot to suit a player's style?":
"The middle is the middle, there's no other place for it. Try and run the sweet spot down the bat and it becomes bottom-heavy, ruins the pick-up. Then the batter has to use lots of grips to balance the bat. You'll get some battters who say that they hit the ball on the up, so they need the middle higher up. You need the middle in the middle. Even in the subcontinent with low bounce, when you watch DRS, how many times does the ball bounce over the stumps?"
What a crock of.....