Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Equipment => Bats => Bat Making => Topic started by: six and out on March 15, 2023, 04:15:24 PM
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This question came about from the WG Willow thread where there was a post saying that Gary Sandford played a high standard of cricket. Also about Aldred playing for Derbyshire.
I also know that Rob Pack played Minor Counties and is a very good SLA.
So got me thinking about that question.... Do you have to be a good cricketer, to be a good batmaker? Or does it just help? Etc....
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Absolutely not most of the best don’t play cricket
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I don't think there's a link, no. Not aware that the Keeleys ever played a very high level, for example.
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No.
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Imo, it will make a difference, if it's a batsman.
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No not at all.
Kember as far as I know only played social club cricket as did Keeley I believe.
Don’t think Alex at GN, any of the GM lads or the UK kook bat maker (name escapes me now) ever played anything at top level.
Iv played some Prem level league cricket as have no doubt many others so depends if you call that good but again no link to being a good bat maker. Being a good engineer doesn’t make you a good driver for example
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Do you have to be good in the sack to make a good bed?
Deary me
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Tim Keeley doesn't play cricket to my knowledge.
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no link between being good with wood & being a good wood & leather :)
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Do you have to be good in the sack to make a good bed?
Deary me
What happens if you're **** at both? Is there a correlation? Asking for a friend.
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What happens if you're **** at both? Is there a correlation? Asking for a friend.
Hard work beats talent alone
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This is interesting. They might not have been a good cricketer or played at a high level personally, but surely they need to have a good understanding of the art of batting itself to be able to design and make good bats?
This reminds me of a discussion I had in the past where a friend was questioning Harsha Bhogle's credentials and what gives him the right to pass expert comments about the game.
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It's not going to hurt to be a half decent player or have a good understanding of the game, but fundamentally the skills involved in batmaking are so far removed from the skills involved in batting that there's really no relevance at all.
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I always preferred ordering from the non-cricketers. There are some ex-player/coach batmakers out there, who seem to think that that alone makes them an expert on what a cricket bat should be. There's almost an arrogance which means they have little time to listen to the needs or wants of the customer, nor just plain old physics.
At least when you order from a Tim Keeley or Kember you know he's built that reputation on the quality of their bats and wood knowledge alone, as opposed to just being the best player in their league that people listen to.
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This is interesting. They might not have been a good cricketer or played at a high level personally, but surely they need to have a good understanding of the art of batting itself to be able to design and make good bats?
This reminds me of a discussion I had in the past where a friend was questioning Harsha Bhogle's credentials and what gives him the right to pass expert comments about the game.
Does the art of batting have any correlation to batmaking whatsoever? I would argue very little
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Just because you have a big slong doesn’t mean you have or want to be a porn star
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This does beg the question..What qualities do you need to be a good batmaker? A good understanding of physics involved in a bat hitting a ball? A good eye for quality willow?
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Willow has nothing to do with it or you wouldn’t buy from small makers as they only get limited amounts of quality but do tend to make up for it by having more taking more time to press a cleft individually.
Pressing what right for the cleft
Handle quality
And an understanding of balancing a bat when shaping.
Funny when people used to mention certain makers being great at this and that but what they didn’t get is the said bat maker half the time in a big operation doesn’t press the bat.
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Sorry to bump an old thread, but came across this during a doomscroll, and reminded me of this thread:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxveHC3oooT/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
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Good to see someone believes that a couple of years as a below par sportsman followed by two decades importing wine gives you a better perspective on a skilled craft than those who have built a reputation over decades doing it
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Good to see someone believes that a couple of years as a below par sportsman followed by two decades importing wine gives you a better perspective on a skilled craft than those who have built a reputation over decades doing it
If he can sort out a bulk discount on wine I'll tell him he's better than Keeley all day long :D
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Quite a strange outlook to have when it comes to batmaking IMO.
The cleanest batmaker apron I've ever seen!
Should we be interviewing the batmaker about their play-cricket stats before allowing them to make us a bat?
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Quite a strange outlook to have when it comes to batmaking IMO.
The cleanest batmaker apron I've ever seen!
Should we be interviewing the batmaker about their play-cricket stats before allowing them to make us a bat?
I think the last time we brought up someone's cricket stats and pointed out how their average was lower than England's RPO despite being an opener, we never saw him again on the forum. 😂
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If you like Paul Aldred you will like this guy if not you won’t as he is basically a mini Aldred
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Wonder who supplies him with the willow?!?
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If you like Paul Aldred you will like this guy if not you won’t as he is basically a mini Aldred
Hope not be nice to see version of what Aldred should/could have been :D
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Short of the answer is no ... lots world class bat makers have never played ...
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Everyone's entitled to their opinion I suppose, but I don't think it's a great look basically saying unless you've been a 'top level' player, you don't really understand bats and won't be as good at making them.
Think the bats are from Aldred part mades, so will be good sticks no doubt. Although I did once see a video from Aldred saying he got rid of his heavy willow and willow he didn't want via part mades. So anytime searching for 40mm at 2lbs 8oz might struggle. Not that anyone on CBF would request that obviously! 😆
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Everyone's entitled to their opinion I suppose, but I don't think it's a great look basically saying unless you've been a 'top level' player, you don't really understand bats and won't be as good at making them.
Think the bats are from Aldred part mades, so will be good sticks no doubt. Although I did once see a video from Aldred saying he got rid of his heavy willow and willow he didn't want via part mades. So anytime searching for 40mm at 2lbs 8oz might struggle. Not that anyone on CBF would request that obviously! 😆
Sounds like he and PA share the same opinion that because they played professional cricket they are better than anyone else. He also certainly does get his will from Aldred think he has even mentioned it on some of his posts. Also always on about scale weight vs pick up and the other post’s identical by and large to PA
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That reminds me, I need to pick up one of those 3lb 6oz bats that feel 2'9 😂
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If he can sort out a bulk discount on wine I'll tell him he's better than Keeley all day long :D
A move into selling bats probably suggests that the wine business isn't doing as well as it could be
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Didn’t know the guy existed until chads post, but to be fair to him, if you were a bat maker with a past as a FC cricketer you’d be a bit daft not to try and play on it to some degree or other, doesn’t necessarily mean you believe it.
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A move into selling bats probably suggests that the wine business isn't doing as well as it could be
If he's moved into cricket to be living the high life he's got the wrong sector :D
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Didn’t know the guy existed until chads post, but to be fair to him, if you were a bat maker with a past as a FC cricketer you’d be a bit daft not to try and play on it to some degree or other, doesn’t necessarily mean you believe it.
Agree, but I think the point is you don't have to do that while at the same time essentially saying others can't possibly understand bats as well as you do. Bit much imo, especially considering how long some have been in the game.
As an old colleague used to say, you don't have to scratch other peoples furniture to make yours look better 🤔
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Should we be interviewing the batmaker about their play-cricket stats before allowing them to make us a bat?
I best stay away from any drawknife :D
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The only thing I would add to the conversation is that I was a half decent player and no one would want me to make them a bat.
Being a pod shaver has zero to do with whether you can use the thing.
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Its a tough market to operate in I assume and a person will use anything that gives him an edge over the competition. Isnt this pretty much the same as when people buy bats based on what superstars use, assuming that the superstars are the best judge of who makes a great bat?
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The totally daft thing is that a lot of what makes a bat feel right in someone's hands is personal preference, so the level of cricket played is much less relevant than whether you like the way a batmaker shapes their handles or how they balance pickup. It's possibly even a hindrance when you consider that the traits a serious pro will look for in a bat are often going to be unhelpful when stuck in the hands of a village biffer facing 45mph on a club deck.