Cricket bat handles and profiles

Round, oval and semi-oval handles

These labels describe the handle's shape under the grip. Try it in your batting gloves with the grip thickness you intend to use. Ask where the oval section sits, because descriptions vary.

Your batting hand alone does not determine the right shape. Record how your present handle feels before asking a maker to change it.

Low, mid and high middles

The middle or swell describes where the blade carries much of its shape. Different profiles distribute that wood differently. Gray-Nicolls, for example, distinguishes the middles of its Stratos, Ventus and Classic ranges.

Tell the maker where you usually contact the ball and what your pitches are like. A slow pitch is not enough information on its own to prescribe a low middle.

Blade length is another choice

GM offers L540 and L555 blades. The maker explains that the shorter blade can provide a more compact shape and lighter pickup. Do not assume that the size name describes every dimension.

Bring a useful comparison

• Current bat make, model and size.
• Its weight with your normal grip fitted.
• What feels comfortable about the handle.
• Where you tend to contact the ball.
• What you would change about the pickup.