PICK THE PERFECT CRICKET BAT IN 6 STEPS

Cricket bats should benefit your individual playing style, so before purchasing a cricket bat you should consider how you play the game, your specific requirements, the level at which you play, the correct size and set yourself a budget. This is outlined in more detail below. 

1, The Sweet Spot

The sweet spot is the middle of the bat, also known as the performance zone or where the bat pings. Ping describes the rebound after impact on the face of a cricket bat. A bat with good ping will offer greater control and power when hitting a cricket ball. You can determine the quality of a cricket bat's ping with a Chase Cricket bat mallet by striking the face of a bat with a mallet, you can feel and see the bat's quality in the rebound of the mallet. You can also hear the quality of the blade in the sound that the English willow makes when struck.

This spot is where you aim to hit the cricket ball when playing every shot. The sweet spot is positioned to increase the value of your stroke play. If you play off the front-foot the sweet spot should be positioned mid-to-low. If you prefer to play off the back-foot, you may require a cricket bat that has a sweet spot placed mid-to-high.

Chase Cricket Bats | The Sweet Spot

Mid-to-Low – Platinum | FLC | Volante | Vortex

Mid-to-High - Finback

2, A Suitable Weight

You should not purchase a cricket bat that is too heavy or too light, as ultimately this could affect how well you play. This is important for both adult and junior cricketers. You should put much more focus on the pickup of a bat rather than weight. You should be able to pick up a bat, play a few shots and the bat should feel great in your hands.

Cricket players can fall into the trap of believing that the biggest bat will always make you hit the ball further, however if you aren’t strong enough to play your shots correctly then this will only be detrimental to your game. If you select a cricket bat that is too light, this may have a negative impact on your game as you could be hindering your performance.

3, Perfect Pickup

Cricketers all differ regarding their strength and physique therefore what each individual cricket player requires will differ. The most important thing is to choose a bat that feels right for you. 

We always recommend coming to our workshop and picking up a wide range of bats to see which feels best in your hands. If this is not possible you can contact our team of bat experts. If you describe to them exactly what you need, they will be able to advise either by phone, email or WhatsApp and help select the right bat for you. The advantage of buying a Chase cricket bat is that we make a huge range of weights, with variations within these weights, so you can fully focus on the pick-up that feels right. Most people are unable to differentiate between bats, which vary very slightly in weight.

Cricketers have been known to ask for a cricket bat with a massive profile but at a very low weight. These bats are not common as a large profile normally means a heavy weight, which many players struggle to wield.

If you select a lighter bat, then most likely the thickness of the profile and edge, will be smaller, or the middle higher, but this is not an issue and should not affect the performance of your cricket bat.

4, Performance

Chase Cricket manufactures cricket bats in four grades of English willow. Grade 1 Limited Edition (Platinum), Grade 1 Premium (FLC) and our Grade 1 (R11) cricket bats tends to be the best performing willow with 8-15 grains and extremely few or no blemishes on the face of the bat. Our lower priced cricket bats tend to be made with grade 3 or grade 4 English willow with 4-5 grains and more imperfections on the cricket bat face.

Cricket bats are graded by both the performance and aesthetics of the English willow. These grades set a general rule of how your new cricket bat will perform however you must be aware that performance varies from bat to bat.

Cricket bats that have been manufactured using the higher grades of willow will (after knocking in) perform immediately. Cricket bats handcrafted using lower grades of English willow may take longer to reach their optimum performance level. However, in some cases you may purchase a bat with many visual imperfections that performs well at your first net session.

5, Size

Adult cricket bats are full sized and classified depending on length. There is Super Short Handle (SSH), Short Handle (SH), Long Handle (LH), Long Blade (LB) or Long Bat (LG). The bat width is the same whether it's a short or long handle variation cricket bat.

Cricket bats are suitable for a height rate as follows; 5’5” for SSH bats, 5’7” for SH and 6’+ for either a LH, LB or LG. Ideally the player will measure their height and use our size guide before selecting the appropriate bat.

The size guide is an approximate guide to inform cricket players of the correct size bat in line with their height. Players can also be measured at our cricket bat workshop in Hampshire, with no appointment being necessary.

6, Budget

This is a consideration for many cricket players (and their families!) It is a good idea to set your budget in advance. Here at Chase cricket our handcrafted cricket bats start from as little as £116 so we're sure you’ll find a bat perfect for both your playing style and budget.

Require more support? 

It can sometimes be difficult for a new cricketer to determine which shape or grade of cricket bat is best for them. Our bat specialists can help you in this process. If you would like guidance on selecting your next cricket bat, please get in touch or head down to our cricket bat factory. Our staff are extremely knowledgeable and will be happy to answer any questions you may have.