to get the best out of your bat, you either get use to it before you use it, or you borrow someone else's bat in the faith that they are a bat geek and have done the prep for you (or someone else did it for them).
Inzi use to borrow bats (according to wasim akram) e.g. waqars bat.. and asked him, waqar can i borrow your bat, at the fall of a wicket, so waqar couldn't really say no.
if you get use to your own bat, you will either know it has been prepared or you get it hand knocked in by a professional. i do this and i don't play internationals. and even then you would like to try it out in the nets for a few though downs ( at least ) just to be 100% sure. the real batsman do their homework and look after their kits as much as anything.