Right folks, first net. My testing involved taking 2 bats into the net, starting with my present 2'8 G2. The nets at Headingley are pretty quick and timing the ball isn't a problem, most of the time you're late on it!. With the slightly poor background, picking up the ball can be tricky to start with.
Anyway starting with my normal G2, things went pretty well with most balls being timed fairly well. I decided I wasn't learning much and whipped out the Gel. The difference was almost immediate, I received a low wide full toss which shouldn't of been timed but came off pretty well. A couple of more middled thumps convinced me that the extra wood/laminate make up did make a difference compared to a similar priced bat. Wasn't all plain sailing,poor footwork and the terrible background (or good yorker if you're the bowler) resulted in my stumps being rattled, just going to prove it takes more than a bat to score runs!. Having switched back to the G2 and then back to the laminate, definitely felt more power and a bigger middle in the laminate.
A fellow player had a few throw downs at the end of nets with the bat and he was getting pretty excited by it - comparing it to a rubber catching bat in it's responsiveness. Early days but I'd say for a similar priced bat or grade, the well made laminate will win most times. I couldn't say if that would be the case with a quality G1 stick but then again you'd be paying double the money...
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Topic: CA Gel First Look (Read 6081 times)