Bat Preparation

At WHACK Sports, we understand that our customers are excited to use their  new bat straight away. So, get your new bat knocked-in professionally and have it ready to play immediately.

WHACK knocking-in service comprehensively knocks-in your bat and no further manual knocking is required after this service. However, the bat must be used in the nets against old balls for 3-4 net sessions before being used in the game against a hard/newer ball. 

All English Willow Bats require preparation (knocking-in and oiling) before it can be used against a hard cricket ball. All bats come pre-pressed from the factory. Pressing gives a degree of conditioning and compresses the bat by 4 to 5 mm before it is sent to retailers. However, bats still need more knocking-in for grains & fibres to compress & strengthen.

Knocking-in a bat is a very essential and vital process to ensure its longevity and get the best performance. Cricket Bats are expensive items and it is important to take good care of it. Knocking-in process reduces the chances of a crack in your bat by 80%. Therefore, it is highly recommended to knock in a bat before it is used. This process maximizes performance of the bat.

Knocking-in process can be done by hand using a wooden mallet. Typically, this process requires about 18-20 hours of knocking. If not done right, this may affect the performance and the life of your bat.

To save the time and energy of our customers, WHACK Sports uses a fully automated machine to knock in the bats. The bat will be ready to use in 45 minutes.

Our knocking machine is designed with modern day technology with option to preset the desired number of knocks. It knocks in the bat thoroughly. The moving rollers ensure that it covers the toe, edges and the blade. We give 15,000 knocks to every new bat and no further knocking is required after that.

  • Knocking-in service is FREE for English Willow Bats purchased from WHACK Sports
  • Pre-owned bats can be knocked for a cost of $50.

Once your bat has had the complete bat preparation service you should consider having an extratec fitted to get maintenance free use and longevity out of your bat. 

If you live in Brisbane area we can knock-in your bat within an hour, or alternatively you can ship us your bat for a knocking-in turnaround time of 1 day. Please note return postage cost and delivery times may vary based on your delivery area.

Check out the link below to see how a bat is prepared on our fully automated machine;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGkQ3pXhuqs&t=5s

If you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to contact us