So last season my batting was total crap, honestly. Felt like swinging a tree trunk half the time. Kept blaming my timing or footwork until coach pointed at my bat and just laughed. “Mate, that thing’s deader than roadkill,” he says. Ouch. Right then I decided enough was enough – time to actually figure out bats.
The Stupid Money I Wasted First
Went full idiot mode right off the bat. Pun intended. Saw flashy ads online, bought whatever looked cool. Big names everyone talks about.
- Tried that Brand X “Power Hitter.” Thing vibrated like crazy every time I even touched the ball. Hands went numb by the third over. Gave me blisters too. Total joke.
- Switched to Brand Y “Featherlite.” Okay, yeah, super light. Felt like waving a twig. Absolutely zero power behind it. Got clean bowled twice ’cause I couldn’t even feel the ball hitting it!
- Last attempt before giving up: Premium Brand Z. Spent way too much cash. Looked gorgeous. Sounded nice in the nets. Then game day? Cracked clean in half facing a medium pacer. My wallet cried.
Stumbling Onto the MRF Thing
Was sulking in the locker room after snapping Brand Z. Our veteran opener walked past. “Still smashing bats, kid?” he grins. Saw the mess on the floor. Nodded at his own bat – plain willow, simple stickers. “This old girl? MRF. Got it when I was your age.”
My turn: “Is it even…good?” He just slapped the face. That solid, deep “thonk” sound hit different right away. Felt sturdy in my hands when he passed it over. Shockingly balanced. Like heavy where it should be to smack the ball, light enough to move quick. Weird.
Putting It To Proper Test
Borrowed it for nets next week. Kept expectations low. Honestly felt weird – not flashy, not ultra-light. First few balls? Just middled them. No crazy vibrations. Felt solid. Predictable. Started playing shots I usually botched:
- Drives off the back foot? Suddenly smooth.
- Pulls? Actually rocketing towards the boundary.
- Even edged a few – didn’t feel like my wrists were breaking.
Surprise kicker? Held up against our fastest bowler testing its limits. No cracks. No dead spots. Took it out for a real game the next weekend.
Why It Actually Wins In The Middle
Game day pressure. Different beast. But this time… confidence was weirdly high stepping in.
- Heavy ball? No problem. The bat absorbed the impact instead of shattering my fingers. Felt planted.
- Timing felt easier. Something about the pickup. Seemed to just connect cleaner, more often.
- Forgave my mistakes. Slight mis-hit? Didn’t just die – still trickled away for runs. Big edge? Didn’t sting like hell.
- Power came natural. Didn’t have to muscle it. Just swung through clean and it flew.
Scored my first fifty in ages. Felt like cheating. Seriously. Should’ve switched years ago. Coach saw the scorebook after. “Told you. Good willow finds runs.” Yeah, well, took me busting three expensive sticks to listen.
Still got that borrowed MRF? Nah. Got my own now. Stays simple. Hits hard. Lasts. Maybe I just got lucky finding this pick… or maybe the pros knew something all along.
