Cases like this are why i always tried to strongly discourage parents from buying bats at this time of year, whether as Christmas presents or otherwise. If he's an exceptionally tall lad, then when we've gotten through winter and he hasn't used it yet (winter nets aside, where you shouldn't be using a new/match bat unless you have no alternative) he might possibly have outgrown it, as there are sizes above short handle, long blade and long handle. These are rarities but they are options for taller people. So a custom bat as a 13 year olds first bat is probably not the best option. Particularly a 'blind' present experience like this, where what you've agreed and ordered is totally different to what is received (those of us who've been around long enough are probably making an educated guess on the batmaker, but looking through your old posts I suspect we are wide of the mark)
At this time of year the best option is a gift voucher, not as exciting to open on Christmas day I know, but if he already knows he's getting a bat because he went to be 'fitted' for one then the surprise of unwrapping it is somewhat lost. This voucher can be redeemed once any pre season growth spurts are out the way.
I ran a retail shop, sure we offered custom bats from trusted batmakers but most of what we sold was off the shelf from a myriad of choice. I always tried to refuse for as long as possible to allow a child getting their first SH bat to even see the heavier bats. I wanted them to wave as many of the lighter bats around as possible. I always performed a
quick test* that to me was a failsafe to show if a bat was too heavy. Those who've seen it in person will agree it is pretty effective.
Obviously brand pull was a thing, and at the time New Balance was all the rage with youngsters, but didn't offer loads of super light bats; a recipe for disaster. Thankfully most parents listened even if their child didn't, but there were always a few who blanked all the advice I could provide, and ultimately if they continue to insist they want something, then you kind of have to sell it to them or they will just go and get it elsewhere. Not saying this is wheat happened with you, but more of a general observation on this very important stage in any cricketers life; their first SH bat.
Most parents have an expectation like yourself that the bat will last a number of years, perhaps because it is more expensive than a junior equivalent, perhaps because they can't outgrow it (not quite true, see above) or perhaps because that's just the expectation of modern sports equipment. I would always try to advise the parent got a relatively cheap bat at the correct weight. It might be that as the child grows/changes physically as they get older, perhaps their playing style will change? Perhaps they will get stronger, or maybe shoot up height wise but won't fill out, so become 'weaker' ? - the point being that during the teenage years their needs from their equipment are likely to change quite often and sometimes by quite a lot. This is before you factor in the inevitable teenage trait of following fads/fashion and also probably not having much of an idea of what sort of equipment actually suits their game. You will have a lot of other equipment to buy in the coming years that will regularly become worn out, or outgrown, or both (shoes, helmets, gloves, pads, whites) - it's is likely that a bat will be no different.
The child who treats their bat with respect is one in a million in my experience. Most bats i see used by teenagers get launched around the changing room, back garden or practice nets, left in puddles (yes really!) left out in the rain, or just the plain old classic; 'I lost it' - I'm just trying to condition you to the idea that it is very unlikely he will be using the same bat by the age of 15, and that's if it suited his exact needs as they are right now and those needs don't change.
Some questions, which might prompt a better buying experience next time.
Was he wearing his batting gloves when swinging bats around? Nobody picked a bat up at Vitas Cricket without wearing batting gloves, which can weigh around 10 ounces in adult sizes. When you combine this with waggling a bat around that had roughly 3 or 4 ounces of binding, grip and stickers still to be added, we are talking about a serious amount of missing weight that is totally skewing the buying experience.
My number one pet peeve from video reviewers of the last decade was waggling a bat around with no gloves on and saying how great it felt; super pickup! Really? Must have felt like a wand when you wore your batting gloves then? Videos are just sales guff, primarily there to sell the actual bat in the video rather than sing the pros/cons of that range/model. I never got involved in that part of the market. Buy a bat by handling as many as you can in a shop or similar. As you get a feel for what you like then of course go to a batmaker you can trust and ask for what you want. I don't think I'll ever buy a piece of willow from anyone but Matt at H4L for example, as I've found what i like and trust him to provide it.
Is he likely to grow/change physique? As the answer with most teenagers is usually yes then the aforementioned advice on not overspending and committing to years of use from the same equipment is prudent. I once had a 13/14 year old walk in the door with his parents in April, he had size 8 feet and was on the cusp of a 5/6 junior bat. Purchased what was right at the time and out the door they went, parents and kid happy. By August he was a size 11 shoe and he was walking out the door with a short handle, I think they kept him in a grow bag in the greenhouse.
Does he *really* know what he wants? You'll find that most people in his cricketing life will try and impose their own views upon him, meaning kids quite often form a quite strange concoction of various opinions about what might suit their game. His adult team captain, junior club coach, county coach, private coach, school coach, you, the shop/batmaker trying to sell him something, all of them will be telling him something different about what he should be looking for in a bat. And that's before we consider what he sees on tv, or before he starts comparing his viewpoint with the ones his mates have formed from a similar melting pot of opinions. If all his mates think differently to him, will he second guess himself?
I do like Dean Headley but he did used to frustrate me. As Cricket Master at a local school, he would actively tell parents that he wouldn't pick kids in teams unless they were using a bat that was at least a size too small, because he wanted to guarantee they were using a light bat. A stream of parents would come into the shop every year with the same story, some after I'd already sold them a bat that was 'too big' - even after they spent literally hours being sized up, got a bat they are happy with, and even used it for a few buckets of balls on our in house bowling machine, loved it, parents happy, kid happy. The following week they are back because a former England player (who must therefore know what he is talking about......
) has convinced them it is too big.
Personally I preferred to sell them a bat that was a suitable weight rather than something that was obviously far too small. Eventually we came to an understanding when I deliberately (with a like minded parents permission) produced a disgustingly heavy size 6 for a particularly lanky teenager who Deano had sent in because his harrow was 'too big and too heavy, go and get a size 6 boy' (to me he was on the cusp of harrow/SH, a perfect candidate for the academy/small mens/womens size that some brands offer) - If a former England international can be so wrong, and have such a strong influence then there is every chance that less prominent people could be doing the same.
* The test1. Have the kid hold the bat in their stance and face a wall around 10 yards or so away (distance not overly important as long as it isn't right in front of their nose, as we want them to focus on something far away)
2. Ensure the way they are holding the bat is comfortable, but it must be 'up' - i.e. the toe facing back towards slips/keeper, similar to the image below
3. Ask them to imagine that a bowler is at the top of his run up, preparing to run in at them from the wall they are facing, stand behind them in roughly the place where a keeper would be when stood up to the stumps, and make it clear to them to focus on the bowler
4. As you remind them again to focus on the bowler, grab the toe of the bat and take on a little bit of responsibility for holding it up, allow them to feel that they are still holding the bat, but it is clear that you've reduced the feel of the weight at the toe end. At the same time ask them to take their bottom hand off the bat (the right hand for a right hander) and continue to focus on the bowler. In a perfect world, it should feel like the bat 'sinks' a little as the weight settles between your hand holding the toe up, and their top hand on the handle
5. As they are now holding the bat in their stance with their top hand, almost ready to do a classic little one handed drive to a half volley type drill to work the top arm, take a little bit more weight from them and ask them to keep focusing on the bowler who should now be running in.
6. Release the bat from your grip and allow it to drop (or not as the case may be)
7. If the toe of the bat plummets to the ground, it's definitely too heavy. If they are struggling to hold it up (shaking arm, looking back at the bat rather than concentrating on the bowler, shifting their weight, etc) then try a couple of taps down on the toe of the bat to see if you can get it to drop. The signs mentioned just now suggest it is almost certainly too heavy, but a couple of taps might tip things over the edge and confirm it for you. If they remain steady and hold the bat comfortably in a fairly typical position, even after a couple of taps, then it is likely the bat is OK from a weight/pickup perspective.
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