Woke up stupid early today wanting to finally settle the bat debate for myself. Heard so much chatter online about CEAT kits having the “best” bats, but like always, needed to feel it myself. Grabbed my notebook and headed to the field. Goal was simple: hit balls with different CEAT bat models and see what actually worked for my game.
Getting The Gear Ready
First thing was digging out my CEAT kit bag. Found it buried under some old pads. Pulled out all the bats they throw in these bundles – English Willow, Kashmir Willow, couple knockoffs honestly. Lined ’em up on the pitch like soldiers. Propped my phone up nearby to film my shots, figured I needed proof besides just my scribbles. Dug some tennis balls out of my bag too, good enough for testing swing feel.
Taking The First Swings
Started with the English Willow bat they hype up. Looked pretty, nice stickers. First few taps… felt light, yeah? Easy to swing. Tried driving a few. Surprise surprise, it sucked for me. Ball didn’t really fly off the wood. Felt kinda dead, like hitting with a plank. Expected that sweet spot to sing, but nah. Was it just me? Grabbed another ball. Still nothing. Made a big X in my book for drives.
Switched to the Kashmir Willow one next. This one felt chunkier right away. Pick-up felt heavier swinging it around. Took a hesitant swing… WHACK. Ball actually jumped off! Not elegant, but it went. Tried a few more defensive shots – held up better than the English one. Didn’t feel super controlled, like I was muscling it, but at least it connected.
Feeling The Pain Points
My shoulders started complaining around now. Dusk was coming fast, those stupid mosquitoes buzzing like crazy. Ignored it. Tried the third bat, one of those generic ones with CEAT stamped on it. Forget it. Felt like cheap plywood. Barely held together. Gave it five half-hearted swings, wrote “trash” in my notes, tossed it aside. Whole thing felt kinda pointless for a minute.
Went back to the Kashmiri one. Focused on hitting straight drives now that I knew it packed a punch. Still felt clumsy. Then I remembered that other bat in the kit – heavier, slightly thicker edge. Gave that a try. Different beast. Needed more effort to lift, sure. But timing it right? Boom. Ball travelled further, felt solid off the meat. Tried some late cuts… surprisingly crisp. Didn’t need to force it. My forearms weren’t screaming either.
Putting It All Together
Stood there sweating, comparing notes. Filmed swings helped tons – saw the difference in how the bats reacted. What clicked for me:
- That lightweight English Willow? Nice to look at, felt like a toy. Zero power transfer for how I swing.
- Standard Kashmir Willow? Brute force. Gets the job done hitting hard, but feels like work. Messy control.
- The heavier, chunkier Kashmir Willow? Needed muscle but rewarded timing. Felt solid, not flimsy. Did what I asked.
So, “best” depends 100% on your game. If you swing like a lumberjack chasing power, maybe the standard Kashmir works. But if you want control without sacrificing thump for drives? That heavier Kashmir bat in the CEAT kit? Honestly surprised me. Actually felt like playing cricket, not wrestling the stick. Whole thing was messy, sweaty, bug bites everywhere… but worth it to shut down the internet hype with my own hits.
