How To Knock In Your Cricket Bat Properly

When people talk about cricket bat online, you'll often hear the term "knocking-in," which refers to preparing your cricket bat for use.

Purchasing a new cricket bat is one of the most exciting moments for any cricket fan!  But if you don't prepare the tour bat properly, it could lead to an expensive repair with terrible results.

Before you can use a cricket bat in a game, it has to be made ready by pressing the willow wood on the striking surface. This process takes up to 20,000 hits with a mallet to properly compress the wood, but it is essential to ensure your bat is ready for the cricket game.

Learn How To Knock Properly

cricket knock

The following signs indicate your cricket bat is not properly prepared:

  • Crack in the face or toe of the bat after hitting a ball with a bat
  • The bat surface has been indented by seam marks.
  • The grain pattern of your bat is not aligned.

If you take the necessary steps to prepare your bat before a game, instead of trying to get it repaired during the game, you are more likely to have an amazing performance.

Here are 3 steps to follow.

1. Oiling Your Bat

cricket bat

All bats should be coated with oil before use. The purpose of coating the bat is to ensure there is moisture in the blade, which reduces risk of damage. However, avoid over-oiling the blade.

Use a saturating oil coat on the edges, toe, face and back of the blade. Leave your bat to dry before reapplying a thin layer one or two more times.

Key Tips:

  • Apply about a 10 cent coin worth of Linseed Oil.
  • To test if your bat needs more oil, run a thumbnail up its blade. If you see a small spot of the bat's oil on your thumbnail, it is well-oiled. If there is no oil visible on your thumb, then it should be coated with another thin layer of liquid.
  • Don't use oil on the stickers or splice.
  • Bat providers can apply oil for the bat if you would like.

    2. Knock in” a cricket bat by using a mallet


     CRICKET BAT KNOCK

    You should use a ball or wooden mallet to knock in the entire face and edges of your bat. One of the edges of a bat might be fragile when you first purchase it, and the ball could make indentations if not knocked into it properly.

    It would take about six hours to knock the correct distance from a bat with a mallet. If you apply Extratec to the wood before knocking, this time can be four hours. It may feel like an eternity, but strong prep work over a week will make it worth it.

    Key Tips:

    • Knock on your bat for 30-60 minutes each day during the one to two weeks leading up to the final game.
    • Edges and a full face of the bat are important.
    • Don’t hit your bat too hard in the early stages. Firm, but not hard, hits will work best at first.
    • Enjoying music or another activity while you wait may make your waiting time go by more quickly.

    3. Training In The Nets

    cricket net

    To prepare your bat for a worthwhile game of cricket, practice hitting slow bowling in the nets in Australia. You also can improve your batting skills by hitting short catches to other teammates or friends.

    This process gets the bat ready for playing with a few extra swings.

    Key Tips:

    • Perform defensive moves.
    • Try to avoid fast bowling.
    • If you find the bat is still unfinished, and has visible seams on the surface, you should spend another hour knocking it in.

     

     

     

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