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[mini998]

Can it harm the ping of the bat when used against hard rubber/plastic balls?

Cheers

[Ciaran]

I use it, for two reasons one I get used to the weight of it and the feel. Also a lot of people use the bowling machine to knock in a cricket bat.

[Buzz]

Yes I use my bats against a bowling machine.

If you worry about when you can and can't use your bat, you will never use it at all.

Personally I think the bowling machine is also a great way to help knock in a bat.

[morgzy10]

Morning!
After a LONG absence im back! older and wiser (i think)

I think its a perfect way to knock it in and adjust yourself to a new piece of willow.

Why change your bat for it? Because when you get out to the middle your match bat will feel strange compared to a net bat

[piethepker]

I personally do, as they said before me it's a great way to knock in a bat, it's also a great way to get a feel for a bat.

Nope, it can't harm the ping of the bat.

[tim2000s]

Frankly, the only way you are going to damage a bat in the nets is by playing against the concrete balls that aren't made properly or by not knocking your bat in first. Using bowling machine balls will simply create unusual patterns on the face/edge* of your bat...


*Delete as appropriate...

[Laver & Wood]

This is a question we get a lot and the answer is not simple.

A lot of people think that it is the bowling machine balls themselves that damage a bat and this is certainly not true.

The main issue with using bats against bowling machines is that the bowling is being focussed at a very specific point on the pitch.  This means that you are likely to be playing the same shot every ball and therefore using the same part of the bat every time.  When you couple this with the fact that you are likely to be facing a ball every five seconds or so (as opposed to every 30 seconds or more in a match) it gives the willow no time to recover at all.

One of the main reasons for using English Willow for cricket bats is the 'springy-ness' and recovery properties of the timber.  This recovery is not allowed to happen whilst using bowling machines in the usual manner (repetitive practice of the same shots).

We discuss lifetimes of bats in terms of runs and every shot you play against the bowling machine counts just as much as every shot you play out in the middle.

This is why we fully recommend having a net bat that feels as similar as possible to your match bat as it prolongs the life significantly.  It also gives you a back-up bat in case something bad happens to your main blade!

Hope that makes sense!

Cheers, Andy

[tim2000s]

The main issue with using bats against bowling machines is that the bowling is being focussed at a very specific point on the pitch.  This means that you are likely to be playing the same shot every ball and therefore using the same part of the bat every time.  When you couple this with the fact that you are likely to be facing a ball every five seconds or so (as opposed to every 30 seconds or more in a match) it gives the willow no time to recover at all.

A good point Andy, but you make the assumption that one is hitting the ball every time

[piethepker]

Andy, would the same problem as you say with the bowling machine also apply to throw downs?

[Laver & Wood]

Andy, would the same problem as you say with the bowling machine also apply to throw downs?

To a degree yes but throwdowns (for the aim of practising specific shots) should be at a much lower velocity and will therefore have nowhere near the impact of a bowling machine at 110kmph or more.

Higher velocity throwdowns will vary much more and you are therefore likely to be playing different shots and using different parts of the bat.

This is all from my experience of course

[piethepker]

Ah, Thanks a lot!