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[peplow]

bingo, thats your answer then, you werent 100%, you think you can get not only a better bat but one for less too, think you've answered your own question mate!

[imogzyboy]

haha i love this forum so much! the advice is brilliant and its probably just saved me making a huge mistake cheers peplow

[ianbuchanan]

I've only ever used one 'Pro' bat, which was a Gray Nicolls which was used by John Simpson (Middlesex), and it was horrible! It may have just been me, but it was so light and the middle was quite high up I couldn't get it off the square!

[Sherpa75]

i have a couple of Newbery "pro" bats, one i received through the post from Neil Lenham yesterday.  the first was a unselected bat originally made for someone during the world cup, the other was made for me .. i'm no pro,  but the term pro simply relates to the type of cleft and the way it's pressed.  i can without doubt say that my bat is the same shape and weight as the ones that Jayawardena uses, was it made for him? no.  but it's no SPS either, it's not got great grains, it's not oversized, but it has a middle that goes like a 2'15, it's only 2'9 double gripped, faced and toed, and i'd much rather have this than one that has a name attached to it but doesn't suit my play.  that said, i have picked up professional batsmens' bats before, and what mine has in common is how they pick up, but even then, not even Tim Keeley can promise you how a bat will develop a middle, he can only promise the balance, and this is more easily achieved with certain clefts that are put aside for priority usage

[Cover_Drive]

Before I would really get excited over 'Pro' bats but after seeing some I have changed my views.

I do agree with most people who are saying pickup is better but I find pickup to different from person to person, for example what I like and feel is good might not be your liking so that is upto an individual.

Some of the pro bats I have seen and have don't look anything special, I mean grain wise they are not pleasing.

BUT one thing is that they do perform well, the middle goes extremely well and bat will perform well.

But I don't know I sometime believe an off shelf bat will have more or less same performance at some point of there life if we use it for good couple of seasons.

So I would advise you to feel the bat, if you like the feel then move on to second test which is testing the ping etc.

Good luck!

[kaustav]

i have a couple of Newbery "pro" bats, one i received through the post from Neil Lenham yesterday.  the first was a unselected bat originally made for someone during the world cup, the other was made for me .. i'm no pro,  but the term pro simply relates to the type of cleft and the way it's pressed.  i can without doubt say that my bat is the same shape and weight as the ones that Jayawardena uses, was it made for him? no.  but it's no SPS either, it's not got great grains, it's not oversized, but it has a middle that goes like a 2'15, it's only 2'9 double gripped, faced and toed, and i'd much rather have this than one that has a name attached to it but doesn't suit my play.  that said, i have picked up professional batsmens' bats before, and what mine has in common is how they pick up, but even then, not even Tim Keeley can promise you how a bat will develop a middle, he can only promise the balance, and this is more easily achieved with certain clefts that are put aside for priority usage

Some pictures mate? I am sure we will be quite delighted to see those. Off topic: Sherpa is such a Nepali name; you in Nepal mate?

[kaustav]

Before I would really get excited over 'Pro' bats but after seeing some I have changed my views.

I do agree with most people who are saying pickup is better but I find pickup to different from person to person, for example what I like and feel is good might not be your liking so that is upto an individual.

Some of the pro bats I have seen and have don't look anything special, I mean grain wise they are not pleasing.

BUT one thing is that they do perform well, the middle goes extremely well and bat will perform well.

But I don't know I sometime believe an off shelf bat will have more or less same performance at some point of there life if we use it for good couple of seasons.

So I would advise you to feel the bat, if you like the feel then move on to second test which is testing the ping etc.

Good luck!

As usual CD is my favorite poster anywhere 

[Cover_Drive]

As usual CD is my favorite poster anywhere 

I haven't forgotten that Laver Pro deal, will try to do it today as it is last day for exams

[kaustav]

Ace that bro!!

[Tom]

i have a couple of Newbery "pro" bats, one i received through the post from Neil Lenham yesterday.  the first was a unselected bat originally made for someone during the world cup, the other was made for me .. i'm no pro,  but the term pro simply relates to the type of cleft and the way it's pressed.  i can without doubt say that my bat is the same shape and weight as the ones that Jayawardena uses, was it made for him? no.  but it's no SPS either, it's not got great grains, it's not oversized, but it has a middle that goes like a 2'15, it's only 2'9 double gripped, faced and toed, and i'd much rather have this than one that has a name attached to it but doesn't suit my play.  that said, i have picked up professional batsmens' bats before, and what mine has in common is how they pick up, but even then, not even Tim Keeley can promise you how a bat will develop a middle, he can only promise the balance, and this is more easily achieved with certain clefts that are put aside for priority usage

Tim does pretty much guarantee a middle on his pro bats. It used to be 8 bats go in the machine to get 2 which were deemed good enough for the pro. Which is why there's a lot of rejects and 'made fors' floating around.

[tim2000s]

i have a couple of Newbery "pro" bats, one i received through the post from Neil Lenham yesterday.  the first was a unselected bat originally made for someone during the world cup, the other was made for me .. i'm no pro,  but the term pro simply relates to the type of cleft and the way it's pressed.  i can without doubt say that my bat is the same shape and weight as the ones that Jayawardena uses, was it made for him? no.  but it's no SPS either, it's not got great grains, it's not oversized, but it has a middle that goes like a 2'15, it's only 2'9 double gripped, faced and toed, and i'd much rather have this than one that has a name attached to it but doesn't suit my play.  that said, i have picked up professional batsmens' bats before, and what mine has in common is how they pick up, but even then, not even Tim Keeley can promise you how a bat will develop a middle, he can only promise the balance, and this is more easily achieved with certain clefts that are put aside for priority usage

Balance is determined by the shape of the bat, not by the cleft. Two different clefts shaped the same way are likely to have very similar balance, assuming willow density is similar. The middle, as Tom says, is a different kettle of fish...

[Buzz]

Which is why there's a lot of rejects and 'made fors' floating around.

humm maybe a reject for some, quite good enough for the rest of us!!

[Tom]

humm maybe a reject for some, quite good enough for the rest of us!!

Very true, Tim has very high standards though and seems to take great pride in making bats for some of the best players in the world. Which is why he's rather picky. Even the rejects are good enough for most, quite a few ended up in the hands of County players. Perhaps similar to what Kookaburra have done here with Carberry's.

[kaustav]

At the risk of being a little nebulous: how important is the 'pressing' factor to this middle? And if it is the all important or the most important factor, does the 'pro'ness of a bat ultimately come down to the pressing?

[Alvaro]

oh god.
always this question...!