Same story, not enough time to review, so here's some pictures! Will update with a review when I have time, but here's a background story. Bought thinking it was a 2.10 from eBay, when I got it, it turned out to be 3lb 1.7oz. That's probably the largest margin of error I've ever heard of in a description! Not a miracle pick up, (ie. feels like 2.10) but when I saw 2.14 on the handle, it felt about right.
Enjoy the pics!
EDIT:
Right, about time I updated this. I decided to keep this after picking it up a few more times, as I found that it actually feels lighter than originally thought. I would have guessed around the 2.12-2.13 mark, which is actually a pretty damn good pick up! (My friend guessed 2.11, and he uses a 2.9-2.10) I've always found that the way Laver balance their bats is second to none, not even Salix come close. It just responds ridiculously everywhere, as you would expect from a bat this big, and the oval handle feels a little fuller than the ones I'm used to. (Laver tend to make really thin handles, I'm not too sure why) Will be interesting to try use it in a net or a match. I don't really rely on ultra fast bat speed, and tend to check all my shots as opposed to playing with expansive follow throughs, so it may very well suit my style of play. (Apparently my hands are reasonably quick when playing off the pads though, which often saves me as I get into bad positions) Just means I won't have to middle the ball as often, which is something I don't do my anyways!
Now the negatives, I know there has been a big fuss about finishing recently, so figured I'd make a comment on that. I won't judge the finishing in terms of the sanding, etc, due to the age of the bat, but I'll talk about the aesthetics. It seems like the spine isn't quite centred from a glance, but the actual reason for this is because one side is slightly more sloped than the other. (Bit of an optical illusion) This is due to the edge profiles not really matching at all, with one flatter and smaller and another more curved. This is a hand crafted and finished bat, so there will be some mistakes in matching the edge profiles. For a such a coveted bat though, you'd not expect the inconsistency to be too obvious though.
The willow is a lovely looking piece of timber, but the blemishes are a real let down. It is not much better than the Reserves I've had in terms of looks. Both these aspects don't affect the functionality of the bat, but just doesn't quite reflect well on the overall finished product.
The other, much bigger negative is the weight. The customer had requested a 2.14, and it weighed a beastly 3.2 when it arrived here! 4 ounces is a massive error, imagine going from a 2.8 to a 2.12! The pick up and balance is excellent, yes, but you are still lifting a good 100g more than normal, which is nearly a tenth heavier than requested. In a game of margins, that tenth is amplified when making adjustments to shots.
In terms of this review, I guess you can say it's from a pretty biased source, as I do love my Laver bats. All in all, an excellent bat, but just not quite what was asked for. In terms of the function of the bat, I'm sure it will serve nicely, but is just too heavy for most folk to use!
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Topic: L&W Signature (Read 5537 times)