How do you choose your bats?
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thedon

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How do you choose your bats?
« on: January 01, 2012, 12:13:33 PM »
Right, the scenario is this. Season has just finished and the sales are on. You walk into asad's shop and its just like petes pictures...bats everywhere! 

How do you go about picking out that gem of a bat?

Whats the first point of call?  Pickup up/feel?  Grains?   Shape? Brand?

Should the mallet test be done 1st or last, and what should you expect from the test? 

How do you do your mallet test, what signs are you looking out for and how do you know the bat will ultimately perform?

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Joe

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Re: How do you choose your bats?
« Reply #1 on: January 01, 2012, 12:18:28 PM »
I will go into a shop and collect every bat in my price range. I will then feel them all and make note on a piece of paper how good the pick up is. Then I'll mallet them all and note down how good on the mallet. This'll be translated to a score out of 10 for the mallet and 20 for the pickup as I find it more important. I'll add the scores of every bat up and whichever one is highest I'll buy. In the past I've gone in with a price limit on £200 and came out with a kashmir Puma bat as it felt nicest and responded the best.
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PedalsMcgrew

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Re: How do you choose your bats?
« Reply #2 on: January 01, 2012, 12:21:58 PM »
Look for a profile I like (thin edges, high spine) look for some nice bits of wood then tap them up using my patented method! There are manufacturers I steer clear of though... ;)
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roco

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Re: How do you choose your bats?
« Reply #3 on: January 01, 2012, 12:24:07 PM »
Look for right weight range then shape then tap up look for dull sound and good rebound

Negotiate hard
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Dan W

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Re: How do you choose your bats?
« Reply #4 on: January 01, 2012, 12:26:43 PM »
In rough order...

Manufacturer/Brand reputation/'culture' (i.e. bespoke podshaver not mass churner)
Shape (Must be bottom heavy)
Weight/Size/Density (Bigger the better at 2'11 or under)
Pickup (always a tough one with lower middled bats)
Handle (prefer thinner and oval)
Grains (tbh prefer 7-12 for durability, and straight-uns for vanity!)

Mallet test at point of purchase means little to me. There's a whole lot of variables that affect eventual ping/rebound, aswell as the fact that by choosing a bespoke (and reputation focussed) company the guys in charge know more about the performance of the willow than I do
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100 not out

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Re: How do you choose your bats?
« Reply #5 on: January 01, 2012, 12:27:32 PM »
pick and feel is paramount
then rebound
lastly looks.

just hope you find an ugly one that picks up and plays well, then you can go home with some change in your pocket.
 
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Buzz

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Re: How do you choose your bats?
« Reply #6 on: January 01, 2012, 12:27:58 PM »
I choose bats by their nice shiny stickers... ;)
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Re: How do you choose your bats?
« Reply #7 on: January 01, 2012, 12:37:37 PM »
i choose mine by having whatever roco has knocked in for me
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roco

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Re: How do you choose your bats?
« Reply #8 on: January 01, 2012, 12:38:19 PM »
It seems that way lately
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FattusCattus

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Re: How do you choose your bats?
« Reply #9 on: January 01, 2012, 12:47:40 PM »
Budget (Low)
Pickup (Featherlight)
Rebound (Equivalent to +A1 Test ping)


...then I wake up, and we're back to budget again!


Seriously though, I normally bore the (No Swearing Please) of Asad until he loses the will to live and goes for a pee. Then I re-sticker something from his 'special cupboard' as an AS Tone, pay my money and run away.
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tbarnfield99

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Re: How do you choose your bats?
« Reply #10 on: January 01, 2012, 12:55:05 PM »
I used to try and not look at any of the prices and then just went off feel. Firstly just pick them up and see if I like it, then test rebound, then grain structure...

Then put the bats back down after I see the price.
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yvk3103

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Re: How do you choose your bats?
« Reply #11 on: January 01, 2012, 01:16:38 PM »
Decide on the profile/middle position that suits my playing style.

Get the top end bats matching the profile / middle position and test them for ping and pick-up

Gradually moving down grades till I find bats as good as or very near to what I like in any of the top end ones.

Takes 1-2 hrs, but then I know I have picked possibly the best bat in my price range (and cant blame the bat or the batmakeer for not scoring runs :) )
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