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[Seniorplayer]

Brian Lara summed it up for me  was using  a a 2lb 11ounce bat and was nothiing special came to Warks and was advised to drop to a 2lb 8 ounce did so and scored a record number of runs in a county match and a test match

[Righthand]

Anything from 2.8-2.14 really. All depending on the feel. I will say that I am uncomfortable using a lighter bat- lets say a 2.8. Maybe its just a mental thing but I feel my timing and my technique is much much better using 2.11 and above.

[CrickFreak]

I think weight depends a lot on your batting style. Someone who gets runs by getting under the ball generally uses heavy bat than average. But that makes playing shots square of the wicket harder for obvious reasons. Even SRT didnt look very comfortable playing a conventional square cut because of the heavy bat.
Another factor is what you have been using since you started playing. I think with adequate practice you can get used to any weight you desire to use.
SRT used heavy bat since school days which resulted in strong "batting muscles", better balance and made him pick the length early. Another example is a skinny Root can bat with 2.10+ bat against 140 kph.

Bottomline is use what suits your batting style. Practice will help you get used to the weight which is generally where amateurs lack.

[jamielsn15]

All about feel for me as well. Stopped weighing bats before buying some years ago. I've mostly used 2.8-2.10 but my highest scores have been with a bat thats 2.12. That said i dont really have the pull or cut in my locker...

[edge]

As much as feel is the most important thing, and I'm sure plenty of people would give me stick for this, my preferred weight is very precise - about 2.10.5-2.11 (pre oil, scuff, second grip etc.) Very accurate picking them out too I think? If I go lighter than that I don't like it, feels like I'm batting with a twig and the power is gone. Can go heavier but even a little bit over and I don't hit the ball as hard, fine for front foot driving type shots but have to force it too much when playing more aggressively which kills the shot. Pretty sure this is due to my batting style (all about the break of the wrists through the ball) and the fact I like a mid-low bat. Don't get the modern trend for 2.13 bats that pick up like 2.10, for me you're just wasting wood higher up the blade to get the pickup lighter. Do think I'd prefer to use a slightly heavy bat than a slightly light one though.

What weight bat should you use? Simple - the heaviest bat that you're completely comfortable swinging. Heavier = better value for your shots, but if it's restricting your swing or what shots you can play then that's clearly not going to help your batting. Whether that means 2.7 or 2.15 for you is for you to judge.

[LateBloomer]

I prefer a lightish bat 2.7 - 2.9. I feel this allows me control to play all my shots. Much heavier and I struggle with my horizontal bat shots particularly if I stay at the crease a while.  Used to use a heavier bat for t20 league but dont even bother with that now

[Contrails]

Feel is everything. You could get a 2.08 bat that feels like a 2.10 or a 2.10 that feels like a 2.08. I initially thought that I needed the lightest possible bat because I tend to use my wrists more.  But things changed when I borrowed a 2.12. The pickup was sublime. I started timing better as I realised I didn't have to swing as hard as before because of the extra power.  The only downside was I got tired easily and I had some wrist pain (I am still recovering from a broken wrist).  My current bat is 2.09. 

[InternalTraining]

My preferred weight is 2-12. I arrived at this weight after trial-and-error over many matches and seasons. I used to play with lighter bats but they didn't work for me. I used a heavy 2-13 bat in nets one season and just fell in love with it. I ultimately landed at 2-12. I open, and I can cut/pull at that weight and driving is effortless.

[adb club cricketer]

I use 2-8 and always go for dead weight of 2-8 and if pick is good, it is a bonus, if pickup is bad, I try to reduce weight little more by removing stickers, toe guard, using lighter grip etc. I found that good pickup for heavier bats only matters/useful for straight bat shots, but for horizontal bat shots, dead weight always comes into play no matter how good the pickup is (This last statement should be a new post in itself to discuss further I think). I would think the suggestion should always be "use the heaviest you can" and not "use lightest you can" as if you can wield a heavier bat, you will definitely get more output from your shots, all else being same. Also, use heaviest bat you can only means the heaviest bat with which you can play all shots freely for the bowling speeds you play in your league. Doesn't mean just what you can lift and do a few shadow practice shots and feel ok..

Lastly why do i use 2-8? - my thin arms cant wield anything more than that.. if i had strong arms, i would definitely use the likes of GN 50+ at 2-15..

[KW9221]

I use both lighter and heavier bat but it depends on the game situation. I use lighter bat because I am a wrist player. I just time the ball and don't try to overpower the bowler in the beginning but once I settle down and need to go big, I use heavier bat for more power.

[tom line]

I use light bats around 2lb 8 purely as I'm not the strongest and wristy so hand speed and being able to flick my wrists on the ball is everything. However if I pick up a heavier bat I can use anything really as long as it feels light, so if I pick up a 3lb bat and get used to that weight in my hands, I can then use anything below 3lb easily enough short term

[tenz84]

Brian Lara summed it up for me  was using  a a 2lb 11ounce bat and was nothiing special came to Warks and was advised to drop to a 2lb 8 ounce did so and scored a record number of runs in a county match and a test match

277 runs at the SCG suggest he was far from nothing special before going to Warks....