Personally for me it’s all about the sound the ball makes when it comes off the bat almost a silent sound and the ball feels cushioned to the boundary is when I feel a bat is really played in having stuck with the same bat for all games last season think personally it does take at least half a season to really get a bat opened up fully along with getting really used to it’s weight and balance etc. I now use nets to prepare the 3/4 bats I am planning on making the seasons match bat and at the end of winter nets go with the 1 that feels the best all round