WILLOW GRADES

What do the English willow grades mean and who grades them?

At Cooper Cricket, we carry 5 grades of English willow and these are graded by our willow supplier. There grades are:

• Players Pro
• Players Grade
• Grade One
• Grade Two
• Butterfly

Once we have received the willow in stock at our Brisbane workshop, we then re-grade them based on how they look and perform. Sometimes what others think is good enough, isn’t in our opinion good enough, so we will mark it down. We are always looking for quality.

 

Players Pro English willow.

• Notes: It must have sensational ping, exceptional grain structure (even, straight grains) and have predominately white willow. There may be a superficial blemish here and there which is purely cosmetic. This willow looks striking.
• Pros: Performs amazingly, looks are the best, makes a nice big bat.
• Cons: Expensive, not long lasting (as it is pressed for performance perform).

 

Players Grade English willow.

• Notes: It must have excellent ping and grain structure (even, straight grains). It will have predominately white willow and there may be a couple of superficial blemishes here and there which is purely cosmetic.
• Pros: Performance amazingly, looks are excellent, makes nice big bats.
• Cons: Expensive, not long lasting (as it is pressed for performance perform).

 

Grade One English willow.

• Notes: It has great ping and grain structure (even straight grains). Has predominately white willow but can be a two tone with red willow down one edge. There will be a superficial blemish here and there which is purely cosmetic.
• Pros: Excellent performance, looks great, makes nice big bats, lasts well.
• Cons: We can’t think of any at the moment!

 

Grade Two English willow.

• Notes: The ping will be great however it will take time to get there. The grain structure will be more open (less grains). It will have a mix of white and red willow and there will be more visual imperfections that are purely cosmetic.
• Pros: Affordable pricing, long lasting.
• Cons: Will take time to get to its best, visible imperfections.

 

Butterfly English willow.

• Notes: Great ping, grain structure can be all over the place. Some bats have lots of grains and others less. Generally, there is some wobble to the grains. Predominately red willow and there is always a butterfly stain or two on the bat. You can position the butterfly stain in the middle of the bat. You can get some great performance, due to it being very hard.
• Pros: Performs very, very well, extremely durable, very affordable pricing.
• Cons: Not the best-looking bat, can be on the heavier side at times.

 

There are many factors that make the right bat for each player, and through conversation we can generally work out what is needed for the level of player pretty quickly. When selecting your next bat, consider the pros and cons for each to find the bat that best complements your goals.