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[King pair]

Just got a new bat, and done quite abit knocking in (4-5 hours) and it just seems very hard still. I've prepared alot of bats for me and mates when they couldn't be bothered, and I've never known one this hard. Anyone have any tips on how to soften it up or is it just patience?

[Chad]

Just got a new bat, and done quite abit knocking in (4-5 hours) and it just seems very hard still. I've prepared alot of bats for me and mates when they couldn't be bothered, and I've never known one this hard. Anyone have any tips on how to soften it up or is it just patience?

Just patience, and play it in! What brand of bat is it out of interest?

[King pair]

Just patience, and play it in! What brand of bat is it out of interest?

SAF mechten. It's beautiful, and the middle feels beautiful. It's 2.9 picks up no heavier than the 2.6 I used last year. It's amazing. But I used it yesterday and it just seemed abit hard that's all. Anyone had a bat knocked in on machine? Would this speed things up at all?

[patriotscreen]

Isn't it good if it feels hard? Surely it means you dont have to knock it in as much!

[King pair]

No mate you want it to soften up. Especially from what it is now. It ring hard might make it durable but once it softens up it'll be more  responsive

[Chad]

No mate you want it to soften up. Especially from what it is now. It ring hard might make it durable but once it softens up it'll be more  responsive

It will just take time to break in. I think that if the response is good at its state right now, then once you break it in, it will be an absolute weapon. I wouldn't knock it in for much longer, just spend lots of time with throw downs and the bowling machine.

Got any pics of the bat?

[Buzz]

when you knock a bat in you are making the face harder, not softer..

[Cys1]

Agree with you there Buzz, surely you are just compressing the willow on the surface even more? It would be up to the elasticity in the willow below the compressed area to provide the "spring" effect that provides performance? Not sure if I'm right here. Would love to have somebody explain what opening up really means in terms of the effect on willow!

[ammo]

I think he means it hasn't opened up..

[RossViper]

This may sound silly,  but try talking to it this may help open it up and get it to feel softer.  Bats are made of wood and trees are plants,  and people talk to plants a lot,  so I bet this would work.  :-)


Good luck!

[Cys1]

F that doen't work, singing to it at the full moon might! Brings about change for werewolves and such, might just work on the bat as well. Should be a real Beast then!

[procricket]

Right depends on how it been pressed.
Also depends on the knocking in process as well I know many who knock in but I have seen them all they do is pat the thing.
Knocking in can take a varying degree of time all depends on the pressing.


The only worry is overdressing where to much pressure under the top layer has been compressed resulting in a duff bat but I doubt that but you never know.

Over pressed for me is the only killer of a quality new bat but give the bat some time mate because sometimes people get a bat singing off a mallet does not mean it will from a ball from ball one

I knocking in 2 bats currently one has been pressed harder and I getting more feedback as expected and the softer on is marking but I can feel the softer one getting better with my finished press/knocking in.

Don't be impatient mate keep knocking it in bud you know soon enough on the quality or not

[tim2000s]

How "hard" is it? When you smash it with a mallet, does it leave a dent? Do you get seam imprints from balls?

If the answer to either of these is yes, then it isn't yet knocked in. If the answer to both is no, then it may be over pressed.