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[Gurujames]

I generally do two coats of oil and on some of my bats it raises the weight by 0.2 oz while on others by 0.1 oz. I do observe that the bat feels slightly different after oiling and the pickup right out of the packaging (before oiling) is always better..However, I still oil it every time as this is something that cant be avoided...

Not everyone has the luxury to go to the shop and select the bat based upon feel. There are many who have to rely on online purchases and more often than not, with online purchases, you dont get the bat that feels the way you want..

I agree. What I don't agree with is the claim that removing 0.2 or 0.3 of an ounce makes any discernible difference. If it does I can see people request a 2lb9.6oz bat and then complaining when they get one that is 2lb9.8oz.
I learnt at the weekend that Jonathan trott has a bat gauge to ensure all his bats are mm perfect in terms of profile. That smacks of obsessiveness too. .

I was joking about the oiling.

[jblowe]

Not everyone has the luxury to go to the shop and select the bat based upon feel. There are many who have to rely on online purchases and more often than not, with online purchases, you dont get the bat that feels the way you want..

Agreed.  purchase 9 bats over the winter and all were purchase without feeling the pick up. All have been given away or sold.

[brokenbat]

Mike hussey used to carry a digital scale and obsessively weigh his bats. His brother did not.

No correct or incorrect approach- just whatever works for you. If you do feel small differences in weight (like me) then I would suggest removing toe guard first (easiest), stickers second, and binding as a last resort (this one could actually make the bat feel heavier) 

[Seniorplayer]

Mike hussey used to carry a digital scale and obsessively weigh his bats. His brother did not.

No correct or incorrect approach- just whatever works for you. If you do feel small differences in weight (like me) then I would suggest removing toe guard first (easiest), stickers second, and binding as a last resort (this one could actually make the bat feel heavier)

Yes the thicker / heavier the handle the better the pickup

[brokenbat]

I'm sure you could lose 5g's with a few seconds and some sandpaper if you really notice such small differences...

I've tried that - sanding takes a lot longer, plus, why reduce the wood in the bat, when removing the toe guard and stickers can be done relatively easily? On an SS LE bat, removing the stickers (1.25 oz) and the toe guard (0.25 oz) ended up reducing the weight by 1.5 oz. Thats going from 2lb 9.5 to 2lb 8 - everyone on the planet would notice that, so in my view it is well worth a try and I would encourage the original poster on  this thread to do so.

[sarg]

I was confident the stickers on the SS Viper I reviewed were helping to balance the bat. Sometimes removing the stickers can have other unexpected consequences.

https://youtu.be/T9p-iAiGde0   (comment at 5 min)

I still believe that buying the bat that suits you, rather than the stickers that you like is more important. 1.5 oz is a lot of wood to sacrifice that could be extending the middle or balancing the bat.

[WalkingWicket37]

@DorsetDan you forgot cutting loose threads off of inners and fluff sticking to the velcro on your gloves! 

[WalkingWicket37]

The altitude you're playing affects it too, can't forget the importance of that!

[Seniorplayer]

It was tongue in cheek following this comment, I wasn't being serious.

I guess the answer to the OP is the same as Vitas's- depends on brand. If the stickers weigh a boat load then maybe the overall dead weight will be quite a bit less of course. Does it change the feel of the bat, who knows, could even be detrimental as above

I would still maintain a human is not calibrated well enough to be able to detect a 5g difference at the toe So if the stickers are thinner and the guard isn't too porky then I would say the difference is in the mind IMO.

Do you weigh your gloves when you get a new pair of even the same brand and model to check they aren't going to throw you out of balance compared to the old? The same grip from the same batch can vary in weight significantly, do you weigh several before choosing the right one? Does a bit of mud on the toe on a soggy wicket ruin pickup? How much does sweat add to the weight of the gloves? Do you have a well calibrated scale for judging all this or are you basing it on crappy kitchen scales? This is still tongue in cheek but if you really want to worry about fine margins then there becomes a lot to worry about

Just to add some sort of balance, if a placebo has a positive effect for you then that is still a positive effect at the end of the day and worth it

   Removing toe guards stickers etc                                                                                                                                                                                      The difference isn't  in the mind it's in the bat a bat that doesn't feel right to the user   is not a good bat.

[inzaghi316]

wow this topic is grt...I play with any bat weighing between 2.10 to 3.1lbs...never really bothered me.
Only thing that I need is a thick handle..

[Seniorplayer]

My gn 50 plus has no binding and feels great

GN first did this around 20 years ago can't remember the model of the bat the hands had a lovely feel on the handle