Tips for buying a perfect size cricket bat.
Tips for buying a perfect size cricket bat.
Choosing a perfect cricket bat for oneself is a very important decision that a player should make in the initial stage itself.
With all the different brands and types of bats out there, this choice can be a little overwhelming.
A correct bat with all the components that go well with your batting style and format plays a very important role along with your skills in enhancing your performance in the game.
Now let's go over a few things which you must keep in your mind while choosing the perfect cricket bat for yourself.
Bat Size -
This refers to the crucial decision of choosing a bat that matches your height. It is always recommended to see a guide table first so that you have a fair idea about the length of your bat. If you are an adult, go for a full-size bat, a size 6 will be ideal for you and if you are young, you can go till size 4 and 5.
Although, the guide table may not be an ideal standardisation for everyone. A simple trick which could help you is- Keep your bat straight beside your leg and check if it reaches your pant's side pocket i.e. a little below your waist. If yes then it is an appropriate length of your bat.
The sizes vary depending on the size of the blade and the size of the handle as well. The basic variation between the long blade and long handle is where the extra 2.2 cm fits in.
Weight -
The weight of a bat totally depends on you - your physique, batting style and position are the points to consider at the time of buying a bat.
Although, heavier bats are remarkably durable and make a better impact on the ball. The increased weight, however, can be a tough task for some players, make them lose control on the bat and difficult to swing promptly to hit the ball right.
On the other hand, lighter bats are relatively easy to handle as it requires less strength and is faster than heavier bats. However, it deteriorates faster as it is not that strong.
Batting styles -
Your specific batting style should be analyzed when choosing a bat.
Front foot batters - Players who tend to play off front-foot often end up buying the medium positioning bat where the sweet spot is in the middle. It is a great recommendation for general batters and off front foot players.
Hook shots/cuts - More of a back-foot player? A medium-high or high bat is for you. Here, the sweet spot is upwards making your shots smooth and powerful.
Drivers - If you mostly hit straight and hard drives, then a low bat should be your opinion. Here, the sweet spot is a bit lower than the handle making it easier to hit drives with the low spot.
Sweet spot - Primarily the place where most wood is added at the back of the blade.
The willow used -
The willow or wood that goes into the carving of a bat is an important consideration too. There are two types of willow, Kashmir willow and English willow. (Explained in the previous blog)
English willow bats are dominant to Kashmir willow bats. These are softer in nature and are lighter as compared to the other. This makes the English willow bats less heavy. If you are a beginner then a Kashmir willow bat is recommended for you and later with boosting your skills, you can switch to the English willow.
Blade - Long or short.
For those who favour traditional handle length may incline towards the long blade as it provides some extra length for a comfortable position.
Coming next are the short blades. The bats with a short blade are just another innovative way to give an advantage at the crease. These are designed to give maximum sweet spots making it an ideal profile for limited overs.
Grains -
These are the elongated lines across the blade of the bat which reveal the age of the willow. The higher the number of grains, the aged is the willow and better is the performance, but lesser is its durability. Lesser grains reflect tougher wood and longer life. Grains ranges from 5-12 most of the times and bat between 6-8 grains is a good bat to play with.
Handle-
It is said that the handle absorbs the shock of a thrown ball hitting the swinging bat and the right handle must-
- Provide the proper grip for your style and array of shots
- Absorb Maximum shock.
Short handle - Players with the height ranging between 5'5" to 6' would choose a short handle. This is a usual size bat used by senior cricketers as well.
Long handle - Players over the 6' height choose this bat and these are not very common. In these bats, only the handle's length is increased and the length of the blade remains the same.
Also, those who prefer not to adjust the position of their hands to accommodate a handle would choose the ordinary short handle bat.
And those who certainly prefer to adjust the position of their hands would choose the long handle bat.
So, these are the major factors that you should keep in mind while buying a cricket bat.
Choosing a perfect cricket bat for oneself is a very important decision that a player should make in the initial stage itself.
With all the different brands and types of bats out there, this choice can be a little overwhelming.
A correct bat with all the components that go well with your batting style and format plays a very important role along with your skills in enhancing your performance in the game.
Now let's go over a few things which you must keep in your mind while choosing the perfect cricket bat for yourself.
Bat Size -
This refers to the crucial decision of choosing a bat that matches your height. It is always recommended to see a guide table first so that you have a fair idea about the length of your bat. If you are an adult, go for a full-size bat, a size 6 will be ideal for you and if you are young, you can go till size 4 and 5.
Although, the guide table may not be an ideal standardisation for everyone. A simple trick which could help you is- Keep your bat straight beside your leg and check if it reaches your pant's side pocket i.e. a little below your waist. If yes then it is an appropriate length of your bat.
The sizes vary depending on the size of the blade and the size of the handle as well. The basic variation between the long blade and long handle is where the extra 2.2 cm fits in.
Weight -
The weight of a bat totally depends on you - your physique, batting style and position are the points to consider at the time of buying a bat.
Although, heavier bats are remarkably durable and make a better impact on the ball. The increased weight, however, can be a tough task for some players, make them lose control on the bat and difficult to swing promptly to hit the ball right.
On the other hand, lighter bats are relatively easy to handle as it requires less strength and is faster than heavier bats. However, it deteriorates faster as it is not that strong.
Batting styles -
Your specific batting style should be analyzed when choosing a bat.
Front foot batters - Players who tend to play off front-foot often end up buying the medium positioning bat where the sweet spot is in the middle. It is a great recommendation for general batters and off front foot players.
Hook shots/cuts - More of a back-foot player? A medium-high or high bat is for you. Here, the sweet spot is upwards making your shots smooth and powerful.
Drivers - If you mostly hit straight and hard drives, then a low bat should be your opinion. Here, the sweet spot is a bit lower than the handle making it easier to hit drives with the low spot.
Sweet spot - Primarily the place where most wood is added at the back of the blade.
The willow used -
The willow or wood that goes into the carving of a bat is an important consideration too. There are two types of willow, Kashmir willow and English willow. (Explained in the previous blog)
English willow bats are dominant to Kashmir willow bats. These are softer in nature and are lighter as compared to the other. This makes the English willow bats less heavy. If you are a beginner then a Kashmir willow bat is recommended for you and later with boosting your skills, you can switch to the English willow.
Blade - Long or short.
For those who favour traditional handle length may incline towards the long blade as it provides some extra length for a comfortable position.
Coming next are the short blades. The bats with a short blade are just another innovative way to give an advantage at the crease. These are designed to give maximum sweet spots making it an ideal profile for limited overs.
Grains -
These are the elongated lines across the blade of the bat which reveal the age of the willow. The higher the number of grains, the aged is the willow and better is the performance, but lesser is its durability. Lesser grains reflect tougher wood and longer life. Grains ranges from 5-12 most of the times and bat between 6-8 grains is a good bat to play with.
Handle-
It is said that the handle absorbs the shock of a thrown ball hitting the swinging bat and the right handle must-
- Provide the proper grip for your style and array of shots
- Absorb Maximum shock.
Short handle - Players with the height ranging between 5'5" to 6' would choose a short handle. This is a usual size bat used by senior cricketers as well.
Long handle - Players over the 6' height choose this bat and these are not very common. In these bats, only the handle's length is increased and the length of the blade remains the same.
Also, those who prefer not to adjust the position of their hands to accommodate a handle would choose the ordinary short handle bat.
And those who certainly prefer to adjust the position of their hands would choose the long handle bat.
So, these are the major factors that you should keep in mind while buying a cricket bat.