How To Knock In Your Cricket Bat Properly
An exciting part of a cricket fan’s life is undoubtedly purchasing a new bat! However, a damaged bat can cause a lot of headaches if not prepared correctly for action, along with the cost of repair.
Early signs of underpreparation rather than poor quality indicate that the cricket bat has been underprepared:
– Crack in the face or toe of the bat after hitting a ball
– Dents on the surface of the bat caused by seams
– Your bat does not have parallel grains
You’ll have a high-performing blade if you take the steps necessary to make sure your bat is in top condition.
Follow the three steps outlined below.
1.Oiling your bat
It is recommended that all bats be oiled before use. In order to reduce cracking and splitting of the blade, the bat blade should be oiled in order to maintain moisture. But do not oil the blade too much.
Blade edges, toe, face, and back should be lightly oiled. Coat your bat once or twice more once it has dried.
Key Tips:
–Use a Lindseed Oil worth about a dime.
– Run your thumbnail along the blade of the bat to see if it needs more oil. If your thumbnail has a tiny speck of oil, then it is beautifully oiled. It requires a light coat if there is none.
– Do not apply oil to the stickers or the splice.
– You can have the bat oiled by the bat provider.
2. You can “knock the bat in” with a mallet
The entire face and edges of your bat should be knocked in using a ball or wooden mallet. You might find that the edges of the bat are quite fragile when you first buy it, and if you don’t knock the ball in properly, it may make indentations.
It should take approximately six hours to knock your bat with a mallet. This can be shortened to four hours if Extratec has been applied. Even though it may seem like a long time, strong preparation over a week or so is worth the effort.
key Tips:
As part of your 1-2 week preparation, knock in your bat for 30 minutes to an hour every day.
-A bat should have edges and a full face.
– Don’t hit the bat too hard at the beginning. Make sure the knocks are firm, but not hard.
– While you do it, listen to your favorite music or whatever else you enjoy to pass the time!
3.Batting in the nets
Spend some time in the nets hitting slow bowling with an old, quality cricket ball. You can also use short catches to prepare your bat by hitting them to your teammates or friends.
A bat is “warmed up” during this process so that it is ready for action. It is similar to stretching a tennis ball.
Key Tips:
– Play defensively.
– Do not bowl fast.
– If the bat has seam marks, spend at least another hour knocking it in as described in step two.
By following these three steps, you will have a well-prepared cricket bat!
