Don't Rate The New Bats Today.
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Bats 20 years ago just lasted that much longer and I still have mine after 30 years and there is nothing wrong with it.
A few years ago I went looking for a cricket bat for my son and noticed that there is huge differences out there today in the various bats. The problem is they have changed so much from when I played as they are no longer made from one piece of Willow, but it is more than one piece of wood today and pressed under high pressure.and dried. I am sure there are various chemicals that are used to strengthen them, but they are not as strong.
Using pressed wood and other material they are able to make the bats much lighter and is the opposite of what I was used to. I always looked for the heaviest bat I could get my hands on as it made the ball travel that much further. I hated light bats as they just never had the same impact when hitting a ball.
I digressed a little there but anyway when I was shopping for my son I noticed a huge difference in quality. There is Kashmir Willow and English Willow and the prices vary accordingly. A bit like buying a cheap car and an expensive car with the same manufacturer, but quality varies massively.Maybe the Kashmir Willow grows that much quicker and isn't as strong.
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Great photograph showing exactly how weak the bats are today. Fairly common sight if you watch cricket on television nowadays.
I found it misleading as kids see a brand that they want whilst watching a player and think they can do the same. There is a big difference from what they are using and what you are buying in the stores. Only selected sports stores will have what they have and you will pay an arm and a leg for it. I found out that the hard way as if is a certain brand it doesn't mean anything as they are made in different factories using totally different quality wood. The sports store you buy it from governs the quality of bat they sell. A professional player will be given 4 or 5 bats for the season and as soon as a crack appears he will discard it.
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A modern bat isn't cheap and this is not a goof advert for someone looking to buy a new bat. I can remember a batsmen going through two bats in the space of half an hour in one game.
I bought my son a decent bat and it literally lasted moths and considering it is only used a few times a week and not every day he would need a few bats for the season and this isn't cheap. I eventually gave him my old bat and needless to say was better than what he was using and the rest of his team wanted to borrow it as well.
An old bat made out of a solid piece of Willow can be reconditioned and made to look like new for very little cost. A new bat though because of the sandwiched wood and wood pulp can hardly be repaired properly and maybe they sell more bats because of this today. I think it could just be a ploy to get more sales and make more profits as how much money can you make from something that lasts 5 seasons against one that lasts a season or half a season.
I don't care what they say about technology and so called power hitting bats as if you have something that is decent why change it. I agree maybe for the smaller guys a lighter bat is better, but I know I would have broken the bats today on a regular basis. The power is all in the head as if you time a ball correctly it will travel anyway and if you don't it will still travel with a heavy bat hitting it.
These new bats sound exactly like that to me! :D
All about the profits and more sales. They made them so well years back they really lasted. I had a crack on mine when I first bought it as it was hidden behind a sticker and they did a custom one for me at no charge.
Those look more like the paddles that I used to get whooped with when I was bad at home :) It is amazing how much science and technology goes into all of these things. We have had a really bad problem with invasive insects killing the Ash trees over here. It has had a huge impact on the way they make bats. They used to be predominately Ash, but now they have had to look at other woods because the quantity of Ash trees is diminishing.
I just hope you got a nice bat for your son @cryptoandcoffee
He is using my old bat now as he prefers it.
I think light bat is important as players do play for a longer time, so they can handle it much easier as against heavy bat. But one fact is that stroke-play is also an important factor. I have not personally experienced but what I have read, i am saying that.
Duncan Fearnley you don’t see those anymore, classic!
Here’s my first bat also coming up on 30 years old and still being used in the garden
The major discolouration on the front came about due to American boarder control officers viewing my bat with great suspicion and covering it in stickers. as a child I insisted that we take it on holiday to Hawaii - you can’t go on a beach and not play cricket!
On the back are signatures of some of the South Australian players and coaches that I spent a summer training camp with including Brad Wigney. At the bottom is Gus Loggie’s the former West Indian Test player
It was by no means an expensive bat but it was built to last and I’ve stuck with Gray Nichols ever since
Pretty cool. I have my Magnum still. The first one had a crack by the splice and I sent it back to the factory. They then asked me what I would like as they then custom made one for me. Thought it was great and never had a problem with it. Still wanted the Gray Nicholls Calypso though with the slanted shoulders on the bat.
Yeah I remember the calypso. My dream bat as a kid was always the Kookaburra Bubble. I believe they’ve started to make them again.....
I also liked the Kookaburra Bubble along with the SS Jumbo. Why did they move away from these as they were iconic and ahead of anything around at the time.
Cricket is my favorite game. Everything is changing day by day.So, bat will never change I don't think it.
Thanks for your nice informational post.
I suppose the same could be said of almost all sports gear. Would you agree, @cryptoandcoffee?
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I agree, some things are just not made the same anymore, despite all the advances we have made. It's nice that you share an activity with your son like that. That's so great! SteemPeak
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