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[Jacobmcc123]

How likely is it that the butterfly bat will perform as well if not better than the players grade bat?

[WalkingWicket37]

Very likely

Grading is done on looks, performance is down to craftsmanship, pressing and preparation

[Jacobmcc123]

Very likely

Grading is done on looks, performance is down to craftsmanship, pressing and preparation

Apparently the butterfly stain actually enhances performance because it goes harder off that part of the wood, if we forget about aesthetics, Paul might be onto a winner with these bats then?

[Seniorplayer]

Having owned both players and butterfly bats players  is better yes it is all about pressing and preparation but butterfly willow is harder and heavier and down forget butterfly willow is the lowest grade there is a playersi cleft is a far superior piece of willow.

[Gurujames]

the general feeling is that butterfly grade/lower grade willow may take a bit more knocking in before you get the best performance from it. However, The grade of willow has no bearing on the performance of the bat. The performance is down to the pressing. My Aldred Butterfly performs brilliantly and no less well than Grade 1 bats I have had. Grade 1 is for people who like a 'beautiful' looking bat.

[InternalTraining]

How likely is it that the butterfly bat will perform as well if not better than the players grade bat?

I have two butterfly stain bats and neither of them perform at a players grade level, far from it. They are good bats and feel very hard so I use them for nets and Bola machines. Either the bats haven't opened up or they just plain suck. This myth of "player grade" equivalence has developed over last couple of years but it seems like a hit-of-miss thing.

[InternalTraining]

the general feeling is that butterfly grade/lower grade willow may take a bit more knocking in before you get the best performance from it. However, The grade of willow has no bearing on the performance of the bat. The performance is down to the pressing. My Aldred Butterfly performs brilliantly and no less well than Grade 1 bats I have had. Grade 1 is for people who like a 'beautiful' looking bat.

I have an Aldred Butterfly 1 as well but it has not opened up. I netted with it in pre-season in hopes that it will perform brilliantly and it never happened. It's a beautiful bat, great balance and feel but it doesn't ping like my player's grade bats.

[Aldred Cricket Bats]

Sometimes handles can stay stiff be it a low grade or top grade, flex the handle a bit and see if that helps the bat feel more responsive.

[edge]

Remember that 'players grade' is not even a real thing, and that grading has no definitive effect on performance - a top grade one piece of willow does not necessarily mean a gun bat, just as a munting piece of willow doesn't mean a plank. Can butterfly bats perform as well as top grade willow? Yes. Enough referencing of people's personal bats has been done, but I choose my butterfly as my match bat. Why? Because it outperforms the (also excellent) grade ones I have. Do all butterflies perform like that? Of course not. Will a butterfly from Paul Aldred be an excellent bat? In my experience, definitely yes.

Bat performance is all subjective anyway so use what you want