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Not at all important - only balance counts in how the bat feels

Both weight and pick up are equally important in how the bat feels to me

Weight is more important than balance in how the bat feels to me

[tim2000s]

Following on from the discussion on the topic of the Affinity Carbine, I thought I'd raise the question again of Balance versus Weight.

I'm strongly of the opinion that a bat that weighs 10% or more heavier than something you are used to will have a detrimental effect on your batting (having tried to do this) unless you practice with it a lot, due to a number of factors. There is a school of thought that says one that weighs 10% more but is balanced such that it feels like it weighs the same when you pick it up will not affect your batting.

What are your thoughts and experiences related to this. I'm strongly in the camp that weight matters (but not necessarily a single ounce) and that big jumps (i.e. 10% or more cannot be countered by the bat being well balanced. Where do you sit?

[Manormanic]

10% is a lot when you think about basic weight - a person normally using a 2lb 8oz bat would be moving up to a 2lb 12oz for example.

Suspect - though this might just be because its what I've done - that people moving down in weight can manage it rather better than people moving up.

[tim2000s]

That's a fair point. I think I mean it in relation to receiving a bat from a maker that is heavier than you have requested, or being told that the pick up is equivalent to something "lighter", rather than going the other way.

[King pair]

I completely agree, the pick up for me isn't really an issue, I use a 2.7 and I could pick a 2.10 bat up all day and it wouldn't hurt my wrists or arms. I think that when you have that extra 10% of weight or whatever it may be, the bat feels completely different when coming through the shot because it is heavier and I often lose my shape because of trying to compensate for this. I find that I lose my balance because the extra weight im not used to is pulling me. it may sound silly to some but I used 1 bat pretty much all of this season and that was including nets, then when I broke mine and had to use a mates 2.9 it was completely different even though it picked up well.

[imran75]

Ok, so what about moving from a bat that weighs 2'10 but picks up like a 2'8 to one which weighs 2'10 but picks up them same or heavier than it weighs? I'm sure that would make a huge difference to someone's game. I'd say weight and pick up are equally important.

[Alvaro]

Wouldn't the effect be cumulative? It may well feel like your normal weight to begin with, but over the course of an innings become less usable.

[tim2000s]

My experience is that you find that you are actually late on shots from the start as your muscles are used to functioning with something that has less mass and therefore apply a certain amount of force unconsciously. This is why you have to get used to it. From then on, you'd also see a cumulative fatigue that was greater than you are used to.

[smilley792]

an extreme version. but.

an opener at our club had a 2.11 gm hero, which broke, and he had no time to replace it. only bat he deemed suitable for use was our skippers trott profile b3. it weighs 3.1!!! but has a tremedous pick up do to the profile.


after 15overs you could see he was actually struggle with his back lift. , and form 20vers on his only shot became a defense shot, when he was finally bowled.
he came off looking very tired, and complained that his arms had given up on him.


now it wasnt scientific, but we put it donw to the extra wait over the innings gradually tiring him down!
as his new bat is 2.12, and hes not had the issue since.


pick up helps for a few balls, but overall weight will tire you out eventually if two heavy.

[uknsaunders]

I have used a 3'4 bat and gone down to 2'7, with weights inbetween. My thoughts are that while pickup is important weight is probably more important over a period of time. With 2'12+ bats I found myself hitting with no backswing later in my innings. Simply the weight had tired my arms out and they couldn't lift the bat fully after a period of time. I was also late on shots, particularly indoors on quicker surfaces or against decent pace. I'm not weakling but I'm happy around the 2'7-2'10 mark. The variability is just under 10% of the total weight and is hugely dependent on pickup. I have a 2'9 that picks up like a dream and a 2'7 that has a lower middle. They both feel similar in the hands and that's what you want.

The test I use, is to play a cut shot without having to bring the right hand into the shot until the last second. If the right hand supports the cross bat shot significantly then the weight is too much to control. I also like the pickup index we sometimes use on here, to me it's the closest we have come to putting a number on pickup v weight.

[WalkingWicket37]

I'll be able to give an answer of sorts after a couple of winter net sessions. Usually use 2lb11-2lb13, my new net bat is 2lb15 and a quarter! Will see how that goes 

[Seniorplayer]

My unscientific answer is the 10 percent increase in your  normal  bat weight would enable the ball to be hit  further if the bat is swung at the same speed as your normal bat weight and there is no loss of timing but if a slower swing is used due to increase in bat weight it will not.
Therefore your normal lighter bat would hit the ball further due to your bat speed being faster.

[smokem]

I used one of Chad's bats in the nets once. I believe it was a Bulldog with a slightly lowered Amplus profile at about 2lb 11oz - so still a high middle bat. Normally, I'd use a 2lb 8-9oz with a mid profile.

The pickup on the Bulldog was fantastic, fairly similar to my 2lb 9oz Laver. But in the end, I did start to tire due to the higher static weight. So yes, I believe dead weight is very important, so I am very pedantic about weight when I buy a bat (99% done online).

[trypewriter]

I think the dead weight is very important and for me over rules pick up as a consideration. If I played classic straight shots it might be less of an issue, but being, at best, agricultural, well, draw your own conclusions!

[Buzz]

This is interesting...
I have ticked the "Weight is more important than balance in how the bat feels to me" box.

My experience is that I can use bats of different weights - but I have struggled with light bats and I can use bats up to about 2lbs 12 successfully. The problem I have is that I get elbow problems when I use a heavier bat.

I really struggle with, say, a 2lbs 8 bat as my timing is off and I don't feel like I have anything in my hands.

The concept that a bat "picks up lighter" I genuinely get, but the reality is that this so rarely actually happens (and is monumentally overused on this forum) that it has become irrelevant.

The one really noticeable occasion was when I tried a massive GM bat of Pete's - it was about 3lbs+ and when I picked it up, I thought I could use it no problem.
The reality was that I could just about hit a forward defensive shot (which went like a rocket) but was horribly late on everything else...

My view is that as everyone is different. Every bat will pick up differently for a different person - especially as different people hold the bat in different places on the handle too.

10% weight is a lot too.

For me, weight is more important than balance, but a beautifully balanced bat is helpful and can be used to accentuate your better shots, but is less important.

[cleanbowled]

10% is a fair amount, on a lightweight 2lb 8 bat that is another 4 ounces. On a 3lb bat, that becomes very nearly 5 ounces. Pick up is definitely important and will help alleviate things to some extent. But we are talking more like a couple of ounces at best. I can't see pickup being able to compensate for 4 to 5 ounces.