Before you buy a newfangled cricket batting tool, find out if it’s actually worth it.
In our last article, we showed you some unique cricket training tools to take your game to the next level.
Today we’re looking at two popular cricket batting tools that didn’t work: the str8bat Sensor and the ProVelocity Power Training Bat.
We thought they were more hype than help and ended up returning them real fast (hence why there are no actual product photos in this article). Let’s find out why.
Str8bat Cricket Bat Sensor Review
This motion sensor cricket batting tool captures cricket bat swing data.
HANNAH:
I was excited to try out the popular str8bat cricket batting tool, which appeared on Shark Tank India. This “pocket-sized sensor” is positively reviewed and endorsed by international cricket players for fine-tuning batting mechanics.
I paid $100 for it, which I thought was little steep for a flimsy sensor and three Velcro stickers. You stick it on your bat’s spine, download the app (paid subscription required), and it tracks things like your swing speed, angle, and precision. Supposedly.
It was immediately annoying. We started a long session and excitedly checked the app. Early on, it stopped detecting the batting. And the data on what it did detect didn’t seem very reliable or helpful — it showed similar info for wildly different swings.
Perhaps it would have improved. Perhaps we set it up wrong. Whatever the case, it was frustratingly buggy out of the box and I returned it. We’re pretty sure we also received a used one, so somebody else went through the same disappointment before us with this cricket batting tool.
I also just found out that str8bat is taking everyone’s personal swing and motion data from our $48/year subscription, and feeding it into their AI motion analysis project. Not cool.
Now if I want biomechanics feedback, I just use a tripod and my phone to film myself batting, then watch the recordings like in the good old days.
Str8bat Cricket Batting Tool: Not Worth It
$100
BEULAH:
The str8bat concept sounded great, but the setup and use were extremely cumbersome. Charging and attaching the sensor to a cricket bat was simple, but we ran into an endless loop trying to pair it with the mandatory app. We had to call customer care, who found a workaround to disconnect the device from the previous user’s account.
We were so excited to see the str8bat in cricket bat sensor action that we took it out immediately to the closest field, set up our pitch, and started calibrating.
Calibrating was not fun: the calibration is actually a series of steps that have to be done every single session. So, if I want to record my str8bat session the next day, I have to repeat the calibration steps all over again.
Nevertheless, we were excited for the analysis and finally started our batting session. The first session did not register. We tried again and ended up with no recording. The app couldn’t pick up our swings even when the phone was less than 10 meters away. So, for the third try, we put the phone in our pocket literally inches from the bat. That finally seemed to make the Bluetooth work.
Note: str8bat started offering an “Offline Play (No Phone Needed)” feature, so this distance issue might now be resolved. We have no intention of verifying this, so we’ll just take their word for it.
We recorded two more sessions, but I noticed that I was more focused on making sure the device was recording than on my own practice. So the data captured for those sessions was surrogate data compared with my real practice data. For me, having to calibrate the device before every session and having the phone in my pocket to keep the app connected were the deal breakers. Str8bat was more of a hassle than a help.
ProVelocity Cricket Bat Review
A baseball-turned-cricket batting tool designed to improve swing speed and power.
BEULAH:
I gave into the social media ads and purchased the ProVelocity Cricket Bat. I chose the 32”/42 oz standard shaft because the length matched my cricket bat. The 30″ Youth model would have been short and the 33″ Extreme Impact model would have been too long and heavy. It cost $445 plus $15.39 for shipping and arrived on schedule.
This cricket batting tool gives audible feedback to train batters on swing mechanics, hand speed, and hand-eye coordination. The bat has a sliding barrel that creates a loud double-click only when the batter moves the bat at the right speed, and swings in the right order. The barrel even has resistance bands to increase the load as the training progresses.
I attached one string to calibrate my swing and understand the clicking feedback. It took me a few minutes to get my hands, body, and bat swing sequence correct. A few tries later I started hearing the double click consistently.
But after the initial euphoria, I felt a twinge in my back. As I continued with the ProVelocity cricket batting tool, it turned into a dull pain. The rotating motion, along with the swing of the heavy bat was straining my back, and each additional swing was aggravating it.
After a few days’ rest, I started working on my dry swings again, but the back pain flared up immediately. The mechanics of the motion felt like I was trying to throw the bat out while at the same time trying to rotate and swing. Unless I rotated, pushed the bat out, and swung at the same time. I was not hearing the clicks. And each time I did that, my back felt worse.
So I stopped and returned it. It took a few weeks for me to completely recover. I am still not sure if it’s a user error or the mechanics of the bat, but one thing I am sure of, this cricket batting tool is definitely not for me
ProVelocity Power Hitting Tool: Not Worth It
$495
HANNAH:
Beulah brought the ProVelocity cricket batting tool to practice one day. I gave up after one session because it was literally too hard for me and the grip is uncomfortable.
It’s technically designed for baseball players, but word has spread in the cricket world about this device that helps improve bat speed. Indeed, ProVelocity directly markets their product to cricket players now. The sliding barrel gives instant feedback on how fast you’re swinging. A double-click means the swing was powerful, while a single click means it was too weak.
The ProVelocity bat trainer does work, but I found it to be too awkward to be helpful, with a lot of potential for causing injuries. I was struggling to complete my swing without straining. Maybe it’s part of the learning process, but I was worried about injuring myself in that process.
A lot of this is because of the ProVelocity bat construction itself: it’s basically a heavy metal pole with hard metal parts attached. The handle is very uncomfortable. Another problem is the wrap-around of a strong swing: the momentum can carry the ProVelocity bat all the way around and metal sure hurts more than willow. I like the concept, but the materials just aren’t right for me.
And what’s really not right for me is the price: the ProVelocity cricket batting tool costs a whopping $495. My mind was blown when I saw how much it cost. That’s way too much and the value really isn’t there. A Zooka machine is a much better cricket training investment.
I’ll just go out and swing a heavy pole for free while Beulah watches my form and clicks at me instead of spending $500 on this gadget.
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