This thread is all a bit odd.
A quality bat is a quality bat. If you don't like the handle shape or the shape if the bat that is one thing, but most of this seems to be subjective based on myths, rumours and a dislike of some bats branding.
If you pick up a bat and it feels good in the hands and bounce a ball on it and it has a good middle nothing else matters.
Yes quality of handle and the pressing is vital bit most of the rest can be changed...
Yes, we see it all the time. A customer arrives to buy a bat, i ask a few questions and suggest a few bats accordingly. I'll start to pick out some bats from brand x and they'll go 'oh no i had one of them and it broke/was a plank.' Sometimes it's even 'my friend had one and didn't like it'
OK then we'll send back all this stock from a market leading international business with decades of experience in the industry because your mate couldn't use one at some point in the past.... Was it a Kashmir from sports direct? Was it his dads 20 year old hand me down stored in a damp shed? Is your mate **** at cricket? Lots of variables.
Most brands are capable of making very good bats, they are all capable of making not so good bats. This is where i feel hand selecting a bat is reasonably important, though not exactly a hill to die on, GM being a good example of bats i'm quite happy to be sent without having an input on what we will be getting. For hand selecting to actually work i do feel the person choosing them has to know what they are talking about, and some level of cricket ability also helps. I wouldn't buy my golf clubs anywhere but a PGA Pro Shop for example.
I usually qualify my statement about choosing the bats myself when talking to a customer with 'of course, you have to trust my judgement when it comes to choosing bats i feel are the best' - just because a bat is hand picked doesn't automatically make it good, or 'better'
Author
Topic: Does any brand name put you off? (Read 17403 times)