HOW TO FINDING YOUR PERFECT CRICKET BAT

Type of wood: English willow v kashmir.

Like the name suggests English Willow has been grown in England for many years in large plantations because the weather conditions, rain and temperature are right. It cannot be replicated anywhere else though it has been tried.
Kashmir Willow is grown in India and Pakistan where the weather conditions aren't as ripe and the bats tend to be a bit harder and heavier. These bats are generally much cheaper but English Willow is the way to go.

Weight, width and thickness: The modern thinking is the thicker the better but it's not generally the case. A good factor to look out for is the grains, if you look closely at the dark lines down the middle the best bats are the ones with these lines close together in an even straight line.
If you have seven lines you probably have a good one and I wouldn't go for anything less than five as it would take longer to break in and get ready.
In terms of weight, the professionals use between 2'9 and 2'11 which is average or slightly heavier. Guys that aren't hitting the gym should be around 2'8 and 2'9 while the young men and teens should aim for around 2'6 to 2'7.

Handle: height v length.Everyone under six foot should be using a short handle cricket bat which is British talk for regular. Long handles are very uncommon and you will usually find the blade on the willow is longer. Anyone over six foot would be looking for a longer blade.

Carbon v wood:

The best is the traditional 12 piece wooden handle. They did experiment a couple of years ago with the carbon handles and features but it was outlawed. It was very good but overall a fail.

Bat to suit style: All brands have head bat makers who develop different types of shapes for different styles and conditions.
A company doesn't just develop their bats to suit a specific market such as a big hitter or driver. Instead they make three different types of bats including the low, medium and high which refers to the position of the sweet spot or middle.
They usually release one of each type of bat and each brand has its own unique features on top of that.
Low: Generally an Indian shape bat because the pitches in India don't bounce much and a lot of straight shots and drives are played so the sweet spot is low on the face.
Medium: A mix between the bats, it suits the younger guys and allrounders that love to hit drives and looking for a lower sweet spot.
High: This is a traditional Australian bat where the sweet spot is further up towards the hands. It is easier to pick up and to use for shots like the pull and cut. This is necessary on the bouncy wickets here.