Proper maintenance extends your bat's life and keeps it performing at its best. There are no perfect rules, just principles. Understand why you're doing what you're doing.
Moisture Balance
Wood is alive. It breathes.
- Too dry (sun, hot car, trunk): The bat becomes brittle. Edging a ball can crack it.
- Too humid: The bat absorbs moisture, gets heavier, and the ping drops. It'll feel dead.
What to do: Store in a stable, room-temperature environment. Not baking, not damp.
Knocking-In
How to do it right:
- Start with a mallet, work the face and edges
- Tap in the nets with an old ball
- Hit a few shots, the bat tells you when it's ready
- If it still dents easily, keep going
There's no fixed number of hours. Feel it out.
We offer free machine knocking as a head start on bats ₹10,000 and above. But don't skip the manual work, and don't overdo it. Over-knocking compresses the willow and kills performance.
Oiling
- Too much: The willow gets soggy and soft.
- Too little: It dries out and cracks.
When to oil:
- If the bat feels dry, a light coat of raw linseed oil brings it back
- Before storing, apply a thin coat, wait 1–2 hours, wipe clean
- Use only raw linseed oil, never processed or boiled
Never oil the splice or handle: glue holds the handle in. The stickers protect it. Leave them on.
Quick Do's and Don'ts
Do:
- Knock-in properly
- Oil regularly (but lightly)
- Use toe guard and anti-scuff protection
- Store in a stable environment
Don't:
- Hit wet balls
- Over-oil the bat
- Store in heat or direct sunlight
- Ignore cracks, small ones grow
Seasonal Care
Before the season: Check for cracks, apply a light oil coat, replace worn grips.
During the season: Wipe down after use. Re-oil every 4–6 weeks if the bat feels dry.
Before storing: Apply a thin coat of oil, wait 1–2 hours, wipe clean. Store somewhere cool and dry.
Pro Tips
- The sweet spot develops best with patient knocking-in. Over-malleting compresses the willow too much, dulling the ping and response.
- Bat stickers protect the splice, leave them on
- If the bat still dents easily after knocking, keep going
- Raw linseed oil only, never processed or boiled