How to Choose the Right Weight for a Tennis Cricket BatThe number on the scale is the least useful thing about it
Two bats can weigh exactly the same and feel completely different in your hands. Until you understand why, no amount of comparing gram figures will help you pick the right one.
Weight vs pickup: not the same thing
This is the whole article in one idea, so it goes first.
Mass sitting far from your hands takes more effort to swing than the same mass sitting close to them. A weight at the end of a long lever is harder to move than the identical weight near the pivot — which is why a bat with willow concentrated near the toe feels heavy, and a bat with the same total weight carried higher up feels light.
That is the balance point, and it matters more than the number on the scale.
Which means asking “how heavy is it?” tells you much less than you think. A 1090g bat with a shoulder scoop will come through the line faster than a 1050g bat with all its willow left low and central. The lighter bat on paper is the slower bat in your hands.
Why weight is a consequence, not a setting
Worth being straight about how this works, because some sellers present bat weight as a dropdown menu.
On a hard tennis bat, weight is the result of the shaping. A bat with willow scooped out of the back weighs less and balances higher. A bat with a full spine and nothing removed weighs more and balances lower. You cannot have a heavy bat with a fast pickup by asking for one — you get it by choosing a geometry that puts the mass in the right place.
So our five bats sit in three weight bands, and each band follows directly from what is on the back of the blade:
| Band | Shaping | Bats |
|---|---|---|
| 980–1090g | Scooped, no spine — willow removed, nothing kept behind the middle | Sixer, Monster, Gold |
| 1030–1140g | Scoop and spine — willow removed from one place, kept in another | AK-47 Fighter |
| 1050–1190g | Full spine, no scoop — nothing removed at all | Killer |
Which is genuinely useful, because it means you choose the weight by choosing how you want the bat to behave rather than by picking a number and hoping.
The five bands, lightest to heaviest
All five are ₹3,499 and all five use the same Player Grade Kashmir willow. There is no price ladder, so you can choose purely on feel.
Sixer — 980–1090g
Multi-scoop incl. shoulder · Fastest pickup · ₹3,499
Multiple scoops including one at the shoulder — the highest point willow can be removed from, and therefore the most effective place to cut. Lightest band and the fastest pickup we make.
Suits: Quick hands, late adjustment, placement over force. Indoor and matting cricket where the ball skids.
Monster — 980–1090g
Single scoop, no spine · Light pickup · ₹3,499
A single scoop with the spine removed entirely, and the widest edges in the range at 45–50mm. Mass out where a cross-bat shot connects rather than depth behind the middle.
Suits: Square-of-the-wicket hitters who want width in the blade and a light pickup.
Gold Edition — 980–1090g
Single scoop, no spine · Light pickup · ₹3,499
Specification-identical to the Monster in every measurable respect, including the weight band. The difference is the black finish, and we would rather say that plainly than invent a performance claim for it.
Suits: Anyone who wants the Monster's weight and geometry in black. Same price.
AK-47 Fighter — 1030–1140g
Scoop + 60–63mm spine · Medium pickup · ₹3,499
The only bat we make with a scoop and a full spine together. The spine keeps mass behind the middle; the scoop removes willow elsewhere to lift the balance point. Heavier than the scooped bats, but it does not feel it.
Suits: Players who want mass behind the ball without the pickup penalty. Our best seller, and the safe answer if you are unsure.
Killer — 1050–1190g
Full spine, no scoop · Heaviest pickup · ₹3,499
Nothing removed from the back at all. Every gram stays in and sits behind the middle, which makes it the heaviest bat we make and the one with most mass at the contact point.
Suits: Strong players who generate power through mass, and anyone who has found tennis bats too light to hit through the line.
Where does your power come from?
Forget the numbers for a moment and answer this instead.
Through mass and momentum
You are strong, you commit to the shot early, and you hit through the line with the weight of the bat doing the work. More mass behind the ball means more distance — provided you can still swing it properly at the end of a long innings.
Go heavier. The Killer at 1050–1190g.
Through hand speed
You generate pace with the wrists and forearms, play the ball late, and rely on timing rather than force. A bat you can whip through the line beats a bat you have to heave.
Go lighter. The Sixer at 980–1090g.
Both, or you are not sure
Take the middle. The AK-47 Fighter at 1030–1140g keeps a full spine behind the middle and scoops willow from elsewhere, so it carries more mass than the light bats without feeling like it does. It is our best seller for exactly that reason.
How to test whether a bat is too heavy
The common test — can you hold it out at arm's length — measures the wrong thing. Nobody bats with a straight arm held still.
Play five shadow drives at full speed. Then five pulls. Then five late cuts, playing the ball as late as you can. Watch for three things:
- Do your hands drop through the shot, or can you hold the line?
- Is the bat pulling you through the swing, or are you controlling it?
- Can you still adjust late, or do you find yourself committing early because you cannot change once you have started?
That third one is the important one, and it is the one a static hold test misses entirely. A bat that commits you early is too heavy, however comfortably you can lift it.
And the rule that overrides everything else: if you are between two options, take the lighter. Weight feels like power in a shop and feels like exhaustion in the eighteenth over. A bat you cannot control late costs you more runs than extra mass ever earns.
Your surface matters too
Most tennis cricket is played on matting over concrete, on bare concrete, or indoors. All of those skid.
A skidding ball arrives faster and lower than it does off grass, which cuts your reaction time — and that puts a premium on being able to get the bat through the line late. On those surfaces, a lighter, higher-balanced bat is worth more than the mass you give up.
| Where you play | Lean | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Matting over concrete | Lighter | Ball skids, less time to react |
| Bare concrete | Lighter | Skids and bounces unpredictably |
| Indoor sports hall | Lighter | Fastest, lowest skid of all |
| Grass or turf | Either | Ball sits up, more time to play it |
| Artificial turf | Either | Consistent medium bounce |
Four mistakes with weight
1. Comparing gram figures between different shapes
A 1090g scooped bat and a 1090g unscooped bat are not the same bat. The scooped one balances higher and comes through faster. Compare the geometry, then the weight.
2. Buying heavy because heavy feels powerful in the hand
Standing still in a shop, a heavy bat feels substantial and reassuring. At the end of a long innings it feels like an anchor. The test is control at full speed, repeated, not the first pick-up.
3. Sizing a junior by age rather than height
Two players the same age frequently need different sizes. A bat that is too heavy teaches a child to compensate with the bottom hand and the shoulders — a habit that takes years to unlearn. Never buy up so they grow into it.
4. Assuming the heaviest bat hits furthest
Distance comes from mass and bat speed, and adding weight buys one at the cost of the other. For most players the speed lost outweighs the mass gained. The heaviest bat in a shop is rarely the one that scores most runs.
Questions players ask
What weight should a tennis cricket bat be? +
Between roughly 980g and 1190g. Lighter suits players who generate power through quick hands, play late and bat long innings. Heavier suits players who generate power through mass and are strong enough to swing it through a full innings. If you are between two options, take the lighter one - a bat you cannot control late costs more runs than extra mass earns.
Is a heavier tennis bat better for hitting sixes? +
Only if you can still swing it at full speed. Mass and bat speed both produce distance, and adding weight buys you one at the cost of the other. For most players the speed lost outweighs the mass gained, which is why the heaviest bat in a shop is rarely the one that scores most runs in the eighteenth over.
Do two bats of the same weight feel the same? +
No, and this is the thing most buyers miss. Where the mass sits matters more than how much there is. Weight near the toe is far from your hands and takes more effort to swing; the same weight nearer the handle feels light. That is the balance point, and it is why a scooped bat feels lighter than an unscooped one of identical weight.
Do your tennis bats come in different weight options? +
Not as a separate choice. Each of our five hard tennis bats has its own weight band, and that band is a consequence of how the bat is shaped. The scooped Monster, Gold and Sixer run 980 to 1090g; the AK-47 with its scoop and spine runs 1030 to 1140g; the unscooped Killer runs 1050 to 1190g. You choose the weight by choosing the geometry.
Which is the lightest tennis cricket bat you make? +
The Sixer, at 980 to 1090g with the fastest pickup in our range. It has multiple scoops including one at the shoulder, which is the highest point willow can be removed from and therefore the most effective place to cut if you want the balance point to move toward your hands.
Which is the heaviest tennis cricket bat you make? +
The Killer, at 1050 to 1190g. It keeps a full spine with nothing removed from the back at all, which means every gram stays in and the mass sits behind the middle. It is the answer for players who have found tennis bats too light to hit through the line.
How do I know if a bat is too heavy for me? +
Hold it at the bottom of the handle and play a few shadow drives at full speed. If your hands drop, if the bat pulls you through the shot rather than you controlling it, or if you find yourself committing early because you cannot adjust late, it is too heavy. The test is control at full speed, not whether you can lift it.
Does bat weight matter more in tennis cricket than leather ball cricket? +
Pickup matters more, because tennis balls skid on quickly off matting and concrete and you have less time to react. Being able to play the ball late is worth a great deal in that format, and a slow bat commits you early. In leather ball cricket the ball generally sits up more and there is marginally more time.
Should juniors use lighter tennis bats? +
Yes, and size by height rather than by age. A bat that is too heavy teaches a player to compensate with the bottom hand and the shoulders, and that habit takes years to unlearn. Do not buy a size or weight up so a child grows into it - a bat they can control does more for their technique than a bigger one.
Does the ball weight change which bat I should buy? +
It shifts the balance slightly toward mass, but not as much as people assume. A heavier ball carries more energy into the bat, so you need a little more behind it - but you still need to be able to swing what you are holding. If you play with heavier balls and are strong, the Killer suits. If you play with heavier balls and are not, the AK-47 gives you mass behind the middle without the pickup penalty.
Can I ask for a specific weight? +
On our leather ball bats, yes - tell us the weight you want and we will confirm honestly whether it is achievable in that grade and profile. Our hard tennis bats ship within their stated band rather than built to an individual weight, because they are made ahead of time and ready to play on arrival.
What weight are your leather ball bats? +
Our Kashmir willow bats press to 1150 to 1250g and our English willow range sits in a similar band, with the full-profile Inferno and Apex Limited starting at 1220g minimum. Those are heavier than tennis bats because a leather ball needs more mass behind it and the timber is pressed harder.
More on what decides weight: what a scoop actually does and scoop vs flat. Or the complete buying guide for everything else.
Made in Meerut · Ready day one
Three weight bands. Five bats. All ₹3,499.
980–1190g across the range · Player Grade Kashmir willow on every one · No oiling, no knocking in, no waiting · Full and junior sizes · Free shipping across India with Cash on Delivery · Ships to 50+ countries