Knocking in your bat??
Printed From: Cricket World
Category: Let's Talk Cricket
Forum Name: Coaching
Forum Discription: How to improve your Game
URL: http://www.cricketworld.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1343
Printed Date: 21 May 2013 at 3:26pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.71 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Knocking in your bat??
Posted By: chris E
Subject: Knocking in your bat??
Date Posted: 29 March 2006 at 8:51pm
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What's people's views on factory knocked in bats (pre knocked in)? I have had a few bats like this before and never really noticed too much difference. It's nice to have I guess, but i find the best way of knocking in a bat is in the nets (and avoiding the yorkers!!!!!).
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Replies:
Posted By: Clobber
Date Posted: 29 March 2006 at 9:00pm
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I would always work even a pre-knocked in bat over with a bat mallet
for a while and then ensure only to use old balls in the nets for a
while. That said I didn't knock my current one in with the mallet at
all, as I was advised directly by the person who made it that it
shouldn't be necessary as long I was sensible in the nets. I am currently knocking in a couple of bats for my club though and the process is driving me (and the wife even more so!) mad! |
Posted By: quicky
Date Posted: 29 March 2006 at 9:26pm
| knocking in bats is a pain in the ass, its noisy and plus each strike of the mallet only knocks in a circle with about 3mm diameter so it takes ages. Factory prepared is easyier but i would advise a bit of extra knocking in with a bat mallet or just bounce a ball up and down of the face of the bat. |
Posted By: batman100
Date Posted: 29 March 2006 at 10:25pm
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Questions ?? What is knocking in? What constitutes factory knocked in ? How long should you knock your bat in for ? And with what instrument should you use ? Where on the bat should you knock in ? Does different grades require different knocking in ? Does different willow require different knocking in ? Does soft or hard pressed bats need different knocking in ? And how can you tell if your bat has been knocked in ?
Bill.
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Posted By: chris E
Date Posted: 29 March 2006 at 10:43pm
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I'll give this my views (please agree/disagree) and others with more insight/knowledge please contribute: What is knocking in? Good question, in laymens terms I would say say it's similar to 'running' your new car in, ie. preparing it for the future. What constitutes factory knocked in ? This is where my original post was coming from. I question whether it is worth the £25 they charge. Would be interested to see or hear about it's merits. How long should you knock your bat in for ? I would personally spend about one-two hours solid, working the harder areas of the bat. My missus cant stand it! And with what instrument should you use ? Me, a mallet, although you cant beat a soft ball in the nets (being careful). Where on the bat should you knock in ? I don't bother with anywhere that sounds/feels like it doesnt need doing. I work the mid/top, the edges and importantly the toe. Does different grades require different knocking in ? I would def say the harder pressed bats need more knocking in. As for the grades, it depends on the softness of the wood. Some harder bats are not properly knocked in for a season (or perhaps two) or decent play - this why i stay clear of them and go for the softer bats. Does different willow require different knocking in ? No idea Does soft or hard pressed bats need different knocking in ? Yes, but I would say only to get maximum performance. Ie. a harder bat will be fine after a normal knockin in but won't go as well as a softer bat in the short term. And how can you tell if your bat has been knocked in ? You know it when it pings from all four corners! |
Posted By: batman100
Date Posted: 29 March 2006 at 10:49pm
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Interesting Chris E, i think it would be helpfull if others posted thier views as you have so kindly have done.
Bill |
Posted By: Clobber
Date Posted: 29 March 2006 at 11:38pm
Bill you already know all the answers I suspect 
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Posted By: men3gpnc
Date Posted: 30 March 2006 at 7:21am
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i would put a lot of effort to knock in the edges and toe of my bat, put a clear sheet over it, oild the back and toe, and used it in nets. i always leave the middle untouch as i believe as you gradually use it in nets or game, it will be compacted by the balls itself. i will only knock in the middle a bit if the first knock of the mallet shows a deep dent on the face. the only places which tends to crack more on my bat are the edges and toes and this too is only due to BAD SHOT. you are not suppose to middle the ball here! hahaha i find that i cracked a lot of my bat at the edges and toe when i was younger but has not faces that for the last few year. batting technique? |
Posted By: batman100
Date Posted: 30 March 2006 at 9:32am
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Hi clobber,
Teach a wiseman smothing new,then he is a little wiser Anyway you guys come on and give us your veiws on this very important item! Bill |
Posted By: henjam
Date Posted: 30 March 2006 at 4:52pm
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What is knocking in? i think this is to strengthen the fibres of willow on a bat, and compact them more together, it reduces cracks as your making the willow a bit denser, compacted?(im guessing there) What constitutes factory knocked in ? I think factory knocked in is when they have 'done most of the hard work for you' spent the intial process knocking in the bat, but still requires small knocking and playing in, concentrating on knocking in the toe a and edges, and when you have a first net with it, not to go at the bal hard, just try to find the middle of the bat and check for seam marks regulary etc indicating if it has been knocked in? How long should you knock your bat in for ? If the bat has not been factory knocked in at all, then i reckon 4 hours, if it has i think one hour And with what instrument should you use ? A bat mallet is the easiest way, you can use a old cricket ball in a sock, but i personally think that is useless, and very annoying on the hand! Where on the bat should you knock in ? edges and toe, but i tend give a bat knocking in everywhere, except near the splice, Does different grades require different knocking in ? Yer defiantely i think, the top grades tend to be softer with the overall mix of properties in the willow being better, thats why you can make bigger profile bats out of the top grade willow, so a top grade bat would need more knocking in if you wanted it for durability, the low grades like indian willow etc are much more dense so the willow is compacted more reducing a chance of a dent or crack. Does different willow require different knocking in ? point above Does soft or hard pressed bats need different knocking in ? yer a hard pressed bat like a baronet or hawk made by bernie facer ( you know who im talking about bill) these bats are very hardly pressed, and i did not need to give mine any knocking in at all, the inly problem is, yes it provides good durability, but takes a while for the bat to perform at its best And how can you tell if your bat has been knocked in ? if you have not knocked in the at, you will proabably see seam marks and maybe slight surface cracks.
i reckon that is all wrong! |
Posted By: Monty_Mo
Date Posted: 03 June 2006 at 11:54pm
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hm great post... i decided against knocking in my current bat as i always find my bat breaking mid season Very funny, pob dwn to bad technique.....anyway the bat i currently have is starting to show cracks in the 'sweet spot' sp to speak...this has not affected the shot making capability at all..in fact im sure its made it ping more. the crak is following the grain, i have a anti scruff sheet on and all seems good. as to knocking in i would pre season, and oil it before hand. i tend to concentrate on the middle/bottom sections of the bat. but i always find that the toe cracks and leads to total KO. |
Posted By: crick
Date Posted: 04 June 2006 at 8:51am
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ive been told that alot of supposed 'factory knocking in' from many big companies, is simply where the press the bat an extra time, so that it doesnt dent, or dents less when you first use it! i dont like the idea of this as it could ruin the bat, but im sure most custom made bats that come 'ready knocked in' are actuallly done by hand! ------------- boo ha ha! |
Posted By: Hugo
Date Posted: 04 June 2006 at 9:44am
| yea i heard thats what kookaburra do |
Posted By: Rambo_123UK
Date Posted: 07 June 2006 at 9:38am
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I spent quite a bit of time doing extra knocking in for a pre-knocked in Slazenger V600, then used it in the nets with old balls etc. Then in the 1st game of the season this year after I'd already hit a couple of boundaries I had a go at square-cutting a ball which didn't seem to come off the bat right and ballooned up. I thought I'd edged it but afterwards when I looked at the bat I had hit it slightly high on the middle and there was a noticeable dent in the bat that hadn't been there before. I know Flintoff doesn't knock-in his bats and seems to get more power that way but I can't understand how! ------------- I swing both ways - but only when I'm bowling! |
Posted By: crick
Date Posted: 07 June 2006 at 4:39pm
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i think flintoffs bats will be ready knocked in properly, cuase if it isn't knocked in, alot of the ebergy that the bat gives the ball, is used to give a dent on the bat, this is probably why your ball balooned up, as most the energy went into creating the dent, had that part been properly knocked in, the bat wouldnt have dented and all the energy would have gone into the ball and it would have gone! ------------- boo ha ha! |
Posted By: Top Cat
Date Posted: 07 June 2006 at 4:41pm
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I once used a "pre knocked in"bat and it cracked. ------------- |
Posted By: crick
Date Posted: 07 June 2006 at 5:00pm
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where did it crack? sometimes the fact that it hasnt been oiled could cause it to crack! ------------- boo ha ha! |
Posted By: Top Cat
Date Posted: 07 June 2006 at 6:34pm
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It said on the label it had been oiled it was kookaburra pre prepared.It cracked in the middle,luckily it wasnt my bat. ------------- |
Posted By: Shoaib_UK
Date Posted: 07 June 2006 at 9:52pm
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I have raised this issue before and thought it was dealt with (as Bill
seemed to have had the final say) - will someone please please explain
it to me as it is now causing more confusion than before: How does knocking in improve a bat's performance? Surely if a bat is hardened the ball will not rebound off it as well? And surely if a bat is overpressed then it will not perform as well? So how can a person have a bat that feels dead and then everyone says "it needs more knocking in". How will that improve performance??? Surely a soft bat will perform better? Am I missing something here? ------------- Don't Believe the Hype |
Posted By: Paul Alcock
Date Posted: 08 June 2006 at 3:32pm
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I don't think a pre-prepared bat equals pre knocked in. Think of it as a part knocked in. I recently bought a GN Longbow pre - prep and I emailed GN and got the response that I would still have to do at least 2-3 hours work on it before it's ready. Luckily we've had a couple of games rained off So i sat for a few hours just bashing the mallet off it. Got a game tonite so it will get it's first airing then. And oiling bat allows the fibres in the bat to stay soft and form like an elastic barrier on the bat. A bat will break if it's not been olied due to the fibres in the wood hardening. Thats why you shouldn't ever put a bat in an airing cupboard over the winter or near a heat source as it will dry the bat and make it susceptible to cracking. Anyway a cracking (no pun intended!) article on the laver and wood website: http://www.laverwood.co.nz/html/batcare/knockingin.htm |
Posted By: rohan_d03
Date Posted: 16 June 2006 at 8:15am
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http://www.assports.co.uk/BatCare.doc - http://www.assports.co.uk/BatCare.doc
that tells you everything you need to know about bat care. |
Posted By: rohan_d03
Date Posted: 16 June 2006 at 8:16am
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or go to this http://www.vks.com/cricket_bat_care.htm - http://www.vks.com/cricket_bat_care.htm
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Posted By: slogger72N/O
Date Posted: 21 June 2006 at 5:22pm
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Pre knocked in guarantees nothing I still knock in my bats for a long time, less than I would do if it wasn't pre knocked in, which is good news because its so boring, even with some good music ------------- |
Posted By: rohan_d03
Date Posted: 21 June 2006 at 6:17pm
| Very funny i can only knock my bat in for about 10 mintues at a time because the sound is so annoying |
Posted By: spin wizard
Date Posted: 22 June 2006 at 3:54pm
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About Knocking in the bats , when you knock it in , it strenghtens the grain of the willow and thus giving your bat longer life which means it won't split or crack that easily. It would also hit the ball further and have less shocking on your hands as well. You can tell when a bat is knocked in because when you drop a ball on it , you hardly hear the noise and it feels soft compared to when it is dropped on a bat that isn't knocked in properly that sounds a bit louder and more shocking so the less shocking the less chances of the bat getting crack or split. I know this because I expereenced it allready before with school bats that weren't knocked in by hand that crack in less than a year.
------------- In troubled times, being philosophical helps a great deal, it helps you to remain sane and not do any further damage. |
Posted By: crick
Date Posted: 22 June 2006 at 4:05pm
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another technique you could use to help 'knock' a bat in, is to run the face up and down the edge of a bath, as this is a very weak form of pressing, and helps with the process, but apparently can only be done if there is no antiscuff on the bat! ------------- boo ha ha! |
Posted By: Warne in making
Date Posted: 22 June 2006 at 9:29pm
| Stealing from empire there crick! |
Posted By: still not out
Date Posted: 26 June 2006 at 9:48am
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Well my bat was supposedly 'pre knocked-in' but i oiled it and knocked it in for another 2 hours but it still broke after 4 shots in the nets. grrr ------------- |
Posted By: crick
Date Posted: 26 June 2006 at 10:15am
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well he did post it on a forum, and im just trying to spread the knowledge! ------------- boo ha ha! |
Posted By: rocket
Date Posted: 15 August 2006 at 2:58pm
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i think the best way to knock your bat in is on a bowling machine or if you dont have one get someone to give you throwdowns with old balls ronnie |
Posted By: UKKiwi
Date Posted: 15 August 2006 at 5:36pm
| Yeah I tend to agree with that. Well I found it gaves me the best result when I did it. Obviously you wouldnt want to take your match bat to the nets as it often gets killed in there, but prior to 'match' condition apply a facing then play gentlely against 70mph is a great way to knock in the middle. |
Posted By: JBatLC
Date Posted: 21 August 2006 at 8:44pm
| I normally just spend awhile hitting a cricket ball up and down on differant spots on the bat. Saves time and I've never had any problems. |
Posted By: CWCNCC
Date Posted: 23 August 2006 at 1:37am
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A good trick is to run the bat face along a smooth hard surface eg the edge of bath . If you press down quite firmly this helps to compact the wood fibres and will speed up the process |
Posted By: UKKiwi
Date Posted: 25 August 2006 at 12:38pm
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with water in the bath or without ? hehe |
Posted By: batman100
Date Posted: 25 August 2006 at 1:00pm
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Not such a daft answer,some batmakers in India soak they cletfs in baths or tubs before they press them.
Bill |
Posted By: CWCNCC
Date Posted: 28 August 2006 at 1:15am
| Yeah it sounds silly , I was sceptical at first but it is very effective . |