Found this article thought it might be helpful so sharing with you guys
Is a grade 1 bat always better than a grade 2 which is better than a grade 3 etc?
The simple and to some surprising answer is NO. We are talking approximations, the physical appearance between a low end grade 1 and high end grade 2 bat can be very similar and it is hard to tell which one will be best. The willow is only the starting raw material - the skill of the bat maker makes a huge difference to how a cleft of wood performs. Some clefts that look to be lower grade perform better than those that look better, performance also changes over time. Most clefts tend to get a bit better with age as they settle into their job, then as they get too old they tend to dry out, start to crack and loose the springyness that creates a good bat - this is normal and expected - no bat lasts forever. Some blades also perform better in different areas, most bats will perform if you time the ball out of the middle, thats how they are designed, some however give better rebound higher up the blade, or lower down the blade or can be more forgiving and responsive to edges and mistimed shots - this can be a result of the profile or just the natural variation of the wood.
So in summary, by buying a higher grade bat you expect and would normally get a better performing bat (from within a manufacturers range), but not always and this does not constitute a fault, this is down to natural variation. Higher grade bats cost more to buy and grading is done on appearance by most systems. The skill of the bat maker is just as important as the appearance of the wood, each maker has their own skills, their own equipment and methods of pressing the bats to create what they believe is the optimal product. The real skill comes in the retailer and the purchaser matching those specifics to the player, and thats how you will get the best bat for you.
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Topic: Couple of questions/statements on bats, willow etc (Read 11016 times)