Topic: Off the Shelf bats (Read 8220 times)

LDifa · « **Reply #30 on:** September 24, 2012, 08:29:02 PM »

I used to be very loyal to GM, and the Icon is ace, but it is a long way behind my Laver and Wood Special Reserve.

Custom all the time for me now.

Alvaro · « **Reply #31 on:** September 24, 2012, 08:33:02 PM »

I think that you can get some great off the shelf bats for a better price than some smaller companies if you put the leg work in.
Gray Nicolls 4/5 stars can be great. The best bat at my club uses a Powerbow Strike that he's got 4 centuries with. �90. That's a pretty good return. It seems that Colesy has been getting mega runs with that Icon 606.

Not every custom bat is going to be a super bat. Even a bespoke bat maker can stuff up the pressing or something. Often the customer service from retailers is better too, just depends where you go. Provenance is not always everything.

Tom · « **Reply #32 on:** September 24, 2012, 08:34:27 PM »

One advantage from buying through a retailer is they're the first level at sorting the wheat from the chaff. If a top-end retailer has issues with breakages or quality from one brand, they won't invest in the brand and stock them.

Whereas when you buy from a no-name company, you don't have that to go on.

countycricketplayer · « **Reply #33 on:** September 24, 2012, 08:55:17 PM »

i would recommend gm because they have all their bats suited to a type of player/play

Blenheim Cricket · « **Reply #34 on:** September 24, 2012, 10:22:51 PM »

The thing is with custom bats (and I will be careful what I say here because we do a fair few customs) is that most players (especially young players) don't really know what they like anyway - and that's the value of picking a stock shape or a bat off the shelf...you're really maximising your chance of being satisfied!

Manormanic · « **Reply #35 on:** September 25, 2012, 07:21:48 AM »

Quote from: Blenheim Cricket on September 24, 2012, 10:22:51 PM

The thing is with custom bats (and I will be careful what I say here because we do a fair few customs) is that most players (especially young players) don't really know what they like anyway - and that's the value of picking a stock shape or a bat off the shelf...you're really maximising your chance of being satisfied!

Really? how is the chances of a satisfactory bat anyhigher picking a stock shape over one you've chosen yourself?

petehosk · « **Reply #36 on:** September 25, 2012, 09:07:06 AM »

It would be fun to go into a retailer and try all the bats, then choose the one which feels most confortable for me and taps up nicely! But for me, going to a custom maker, choosing a cleft and the maker ensuring that it is a very responsive one, then having it shaped, balanced and finished (checking the feel of it at several stages) - and ensuring that everything is perfect for me, whilst I watch and have a cuppa with some cake and biscuits is the absolute best feeling there is! Makes you feel all warm and cozy!

In my experience you get some lovely retail bats - one of the best I had was an Adidas. Also had nice GN and GM and others! But have experienced many poor retail 'off the shelf' bats too!
But I have only ever experienced 1 poor custom bat, and that was due to poor pressing...and that was also an absolute 1-off bad one! So in my somewhat wide experience of trying bats, I feel that most of the custom bats do offer something very special.
Also as people have said, you just need to find a decent bat that suits your game better?

Blenheim Cricket · « **Reply #37 on:** September 25, 2012, 12:29:36 PM »

Quote from: Manormanic on September 25, 2012, 07:21:48 AM

Really? how is the chances of a satisfactory bat anyhigher picking a stock shape over one you've chosen yourself?

Stock shape is (theoretically at least) a popular shape according to the masses...its like prefab homes - they build a stock shape which they know works. Sure building one yourself might ultimately result in a more satisfactory result, but if you speak to any developer they'll tell you that they learnt and improved loads over the course of designing and choosing their first few homes

Tom · « **Reply #38 on:** September 25, 2012, 12:36:42 PM »

Tbh most custom bats aren't totally custom, they're based on a stock shape and tweaked slightly (usually in terms of weight) to your liking.

procricket · « **Reply #39 on:** September 25, 2012, 12:44:11 PM »

Can not grumble there

Tom would you class the b3 custom custom made

Blenheim Cricket · « **Reply #40 on:** September 25, 2012, 12:52:39 PM »

Quote from: Tom on September 25, 2012, 12:36:42 PM

Tbh most custom bats aren't totally custom, they're based on a stock shape and tweaked slightly (usually in terms of weight) to your liking.

Of course that is true of most 'custom' goods - not just cricket bats. Take something like Nike ID, you're just tweaking the colours to one of their stock colours...perhaps personalised would be a better term

tim2000s · « **Reply #41 on:** September 25, 2012, 01:50:41 PM »

Quote from: procricket on September 25, 2012, 12:44:11 PM

Can not grumble there

Tom would you class the b3 custom custom made

The B3 custom made, where you select from 4 profiles, 5 edges and 5 spine shapes gives you one of 100 shapes, so while you have the freedom to select your shape, it is a predetermined stock shape made with your choice of handle, grip colour and sticker shade. If anything, it is less custom than one where you go and visit a bat maker and get a bat made based on a stock shape as it is very hard to adjust the handle and balance specifically for you.

PedalsMcgrew · « **Reply #42 on:** September 25, 2012, 02:16:52 PM »

I perceive a custom bat as one made to my specifications, if I want a bat that looks like a stock shape I'll ask for one, if I want something completely different then I will ask for that! If I go to a batmaker worth his salt he shouldn't have too many issues providing either...far too often I see companies offering 'custom' bats for sale which are, as Tom alludes to, merely tweaks of their standard shapes. This is fair if that's what the customer wants but when every single 'custom' you see from that manufacturer is absolutely identical you do start to wonder whether they have quite grasped the whole 'custom bat' thing!

tim2000s · « **Reply #43 on:** September 25, 2012, 02:27:47 PM »

Quote from: PedalsMcgrew on September 25, 2012, 02:16:52 PM

I perceive a custom bat as one made to my specifications, if I want a bat that looks like a stock shape I'll ask for one, if I want something completely different then I will ask for that! If I go to a batmaker worth his salt he shouldn't have too many issues providing either...far too often I see companies offering 'custom' bats for sale which are, as Tom alludes to, merely tweaks of their standard shapes. This is fair if that's what the customer wants but when every single 'custom' you see from that manufacturer is absolutely identical you do start to wonder whether they have quite grasped the whole 'custom bat' thing!

Hmmm, when you go to the batmaker do you tell him exactly where you want the curves to be, how the convcaving should be placed on the blade, exactly how the toe shape should merge into spine?

PedalsMcgrew · « **Reply #44 on:** September 25, 2012, 02:37:51 PM »

Yes, but then I tend to use batmaker who enables me to do that and, as is often the case, who will tell me if I am asking for something that doesn't work. To me that is what getting a custom bat is all about, that interaction with the maker. If you remove that interaction then, to me, it's not a custom bat.

Author Topic: Off the Shelf bats (Read 8220 times)

LDifa

Re: Off the Shelf bats

Alvaro

Re: Off the Shelf bats

Tom

Re: Off the Shelf bats

countycricketplayer

Re: Off the Shelf bats

Blenheim Cricket

Re: Off the Shelf bats

Manormanic

Re: Off the Shelf bats

petehosk

Re: Off the Shelf bats

Blenheim Cricket

Re: Off the Shelf bats

Tom

Re: Off the Shelf bats

procricket

Re: Off the Shelf bats

Blenheim Cricket

Re: Off the Shelf bats

tim2000s

Re: Off the Shelf bats

PedalsMcgrew

Re: Off the Shelf bats

tim2000s

Re: Off the Shelf bats

PedalsMcgrew

Re: Off the Shelf bats