The term “knocking-in” is something you might be familiar with if you have been on the cricket scene for any period of time, but what does it actually mean? Most cricket bats are made from a soft fibrous timber such as willow, which has perfect qualities for good performance in a cricketing environment, but first it has to be treated correctly with the knocking-in process to give it the best start in life.
Knocking-in a bat compresses the willow fibres and knits them together so they become tougher and can withstand the hard impact of a cricket ball in play. Knocking-in a cricket bat is essential in improving the performance and extending its lifespan.
How to knock-in a cricket bat
- The first step in knocking in your new cricket bat is to purchase a mallet which is specifically designed to do the job. If a mallet is not available when you need to knock-in your bat, a used cricket ball placed in a sock will also work, but it will not be as easy to use or give such a consistent finish.
You should start by hitting the face of the cricket bat (the front flat part) lightly and work up the intensity of the hits to become harder over time. To judge when the front face of the cricket bat is complete, make sure that the mallet is no longer leaving behind marks when you are hitting it.
- When you have finished knocking-in the face of the bat you can continue on to the next step, which focuses on the sides of the cricket bat.
To knock in the edges of the cricket bat efficiently, try to hit the bat imitating the blows it would receive during an innings. Flick the edges of the cricket bat by positioning the mallet at a 45-degree angle. This will make the edges of the cricket bat compact and rounded.
Make sure you DO NOT directly strike the edges of the cricket bat or directly strike the toe of the cricket bat. Also do not knock-in the splice of the bat or the back of the cricket bat; try to keep the knocking -in limited to where the cricket ball would actually hit the bat in a game scenario.
- When you have completed knocking-in the whole bat, you should practice in the nets with a good quality but old cricket ball and play in defence. Don’t be afraid to practice slip catching and throw downs to test how well your knocking-in of the edges is. After this, move on to regular practice games to try a couple more shots, still with an old, good quality cricket ball before using the bat in an actual match game play.