Why do we care so much about the grading on a bat?
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Author Topic: Why do we care so much about the grading on a bat?  (Read 23363 times)

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Aldred Cricket Bats

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Re: Why do we care so much about the grading on a bat?
« Reply #90 on: November 03, 2014, 03:53:38 PM »

Well if you need to know the truth about many aspects I am here
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The Palmist

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Re: Why do we care so much about the grading on a bat?
« Reply #91 on: November 03, 2014, 04:14:49 PM »

Whilst were here and talking BS some need to stop saying made in the UK whilst there at it.....

aren't they made in South Africa?
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procricket

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Re: Why do we care so much about the grading on a bat?
« Reply #92 on: November 03, 2014, 05:28:51 PM »

Bs as in bull (No Swearing Please) mate not the brand.

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dilscoop

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Re: Why do we care so much about the grading on a bat?
« Reply #93 on: November 03, 2014, 06:29:03 PM »

we should grade bats on performance not looks !!!
IMO
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Tom

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Re: Why do we care so much about the grading on a bat?
« Reply #94 on: November 03, 2014, 09:27:11 PM »

we should grade bats on performance not looks !!!
IMO
And how would you propose doing that?
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Bats_Entertainment

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Re: Why do we care so much about the grading on a bat?
« Reply #95 on: November 03, 2014, 09:45:06 PM »

And how would you propose doing that?

A very good question, and quite possibly the whole point of this forum.  ;)
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alee

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Re: Why do we care so much about the grading on a bat?
« Reply #96 on: November 03, 2014, 09:53:30 PM »


Basically it boils down to predicting how the bat will play later in its life and looks/grading may come into such consideration. Especially when buying online i suppose. One may be a bit more picky than usual.






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Gurujames

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Re: Why do we care so much about the grading on a bat?
« Reply #97 on: November 03, 2014, 10:03:17 PM »

A bat is like a girlfriend. You rub it with oil, take it out once a week and, if you are not careful, spend too much money on it. therefore, You want it to look good and perform well. My 25 yr old SS Turbo Grand Prix, which is still going strong, has both good looks and performance. The reason it has lasted so long (nearing 10,000 runs) is because I have treated it well. Would I have lavished as much love on it if it looked like a dog? I doubt it.
Is it a good bat because it has 8 straight and evenly spaced grains - no, Is my Salix grade 1 a good bat for the same reason? No. They are good bats because they have been made by people who know what they are doing. Will I look after them better because I appreciate the quality of the willow and craftsmanship? Yes.
« Last Edit: November 03, 2014, 10:12:33 PM by Gurujames »
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Bats_Entertainment

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Re: Why do we care so much about the grading on a bat?
« Reply #98 on: November 03, 2014, 11:43:03 PM »

My 25 yr old SS Turbo Grand Prix, which is still going strong,

I saw one of these in Southend this year...
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Jaffa

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Re: Why do we care so much about the grading on a bat?
« Reply #99 on: November 04, 2014, 12:41:54 AM »

While looking at a 'Pro' grade bat with knots on the face but not in the playing area I was told as long as the knots were not 'enclosed' (black?), the area was not dead and would not effect the performance of the bat.

Can anyone shed some light on this?
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The Palmist

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Re: Why do we care so much about the grading on a bat?
« Reply #100 on: November 04, 2014, 10:34:08 AM »

While looking at a 'Pro' grade bat with knots on the face but not in the playing area I was told as long as the knots were not 'enclosed' (black?), the area was not dead and would not effect the performance of the bat.

Can anyone shed some light on this?

I think the bats with knots etc. in so called right places just happened to be good performing bats. Then again I am not a willow scientist. Personally I would go for a blemish free bat as most of the good performing bats I have seen have been good looking as well.
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Bat and Ball Cricket

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Re: Why do we care so much about the grading on a bat?
« Reply #101 on: November 15, 2014, 09:31:06 AM »

I personally care about grading because I fear makers/retailers are 99.9% of the time, just looking to make the most they can. If that means making a ugly bat a grade 1/2 and saying it's based on 'performance', or saying 'ah, but there are not guidelines so we can do what we want', then to me they are just saying 'pay up or shut up'.


While people then turn around saying 'ah, so just go somewhere else then, market forces blah blah'... does that really work?? no.. You know as well as I do that all that happens is people just keep raising the prices and boom.. suddenly we the consumer are paying more and more and there is nothing you can do about it.

That's why I get annoyed when I see bats that don't seem value for money BUT it is a personal opinion and I suspect most people don't care and merely care about telling people 'I payed £300 for this, it must be better than yours'.
Each to their own, but this is what retailers thrive off as these are the customers to target and cash in.

(not saying it's any one retailers fault, just the way our western economies are now. All about the profit and not about actually providing genuine competition. we all want to earn 100k a year for doing feck all and that's what business leaders are aiming for.. max profit for as little work as possible.)

Couldn't agree with you more mate!!!

One of the issues we forget to discuss, especially when talking about large brands, are the reason for the prices.
Unfortunately it isn't the quality of the timber that determines the price you pay, its the number of big stars that are 'sponsored' by them.
The profit the big companies make of the run of the mill players, goes straight into the pocket of the big stars.

For the record, i believe that if you're paying top price, we should be talking perfectly straight grains, perfect balance, perfect ping/performance. If these don't exist in a particular season, then they shouldn't 'bump up' the grade 2 and pass it off as top grade.
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Vitas Cricket

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Re: Why do we care so much about the grading on a bat?
« Reply #102 on: December 04, 2014, 11:15:55 PM »

Stumbled across a nice analogy today while browsing the fruit and veg aisle at the supermarket. I was looking at some lemons for the lemon drizzle cake my GF is making for our forum event on Saturday.

I watched someone pick up some 'premium' lemons, all of which looked absolutely perfect, her husband looked at the price and went 'how much?! for bloody lemons?!'
He chucked a packet of budget lemons at her, all of which had some discolouration, were oddly shaped and when i had a look after they had left, felt a little soft, almost 'on the turn.' She looked at him in shock and said 'i don't want those ugly lemons!'

'What do you need them for?'
'I'm making lemon meringue pie.'
'Well what do you need a perfect looking lemon for if it is going straight into a cake?'
'I just do, OK.'
'Fine, get what you want.'

Aside from the mundane quality of eavesdropping material compared to what i normally get out of my trips to the supermarket, it raised a nice comparison to cricket.

There are cheaper lemons and cricket bats, both of which come with various imperfections, but ultimately they both get the job done. There are also higher grade lemons and cricket bats, and most of the time they look fantastic, but there is no guarantee they will perform or taste any better. There are people out there who will always go for the better looking item (for the higher price) often without much more reason than just because they like the appearance.

ProCricketer1982

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Re: Why do we care so much about the grading on a bat?
« Reply #103 on: December 04, 2014, 11:40:54 PM »

Having now got my hands on a pro bat... You can see how poor the 300 quid ones really are in comparison.
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InternalTraining

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Re: Why do we care so much about the grading on a bat?
« Reply #104 on: December 05, 2014, 05:37:25 AM »

I want top performance. I don't care about how the bat looks. If it's an ugly Betty of a bat but it goes like a cannon, then I want it.

Stumbled across a nice analogy today while browsing the fruit and veg aisle at the supermarket. I was looking at some lemons for the lemon drizzle cake my GF is making for our forum event on Saturday.

I watched someone pick up some 'premium' lemons, all of which looked absolutely perfect, her husband looked at the price and went 'how much?! for bloody lemons?!'
He chucked a packet of budget lemons at her, all of which had some discolouration, were oddly shaped and when i had a look after they had left, felt a little soft, almost 'on the turn.' She looked at him in shock and said 'i don't want those ugly lemons!'

'What do you need them for?'
'I'm making lemon meringue pie.'
'Well what do you need a perfect looking lemon for if it is going straight into a cake?'
'I just do, OK.'
'Fine, get what you want.'

Aside from the mundane quality of eavesdropping material compared to what i normally get out of my trips to the supermarket, it raised a nice comparison to cricket.

There are cheaper lemons and cricket bats, both of which come with various imperfections, but ultimately they both get the job done. There are also higher grade lemons and cricket bats, and most of the time they look fantastic, but there is no guarantee they will perform or taste any better. There are people out there who will always go for the better looking item (for the higher price) often without much more reason than just because they like the appearance.
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