The Big Edge Debate

There's been a lot of debate about big edged bats. Here's a couple of thoughts to consider when you're selecting a profile for your new bat.

Flat faced, concaved bats make for bats with huge edges. If this is a confidence booster then that is a good reason to opt for this type of profile. 

Looking at the first diagram below you can see the differences and similarities between a traditional profile, a concave profile and a rounded, convex back. All these 3 shapes have the same area of wood and the same spine height. 

This second diagram overlays the three different profiles so you can compare the shapes.

The best area to hit the ball is the area inline with the handle as that tends to produce less "shake" than when the ball hits closer to the edge. 

One other thing to consider is how much edge you are showing to the bowler. Bat faces aren't always pointing directly to the line of flight of the ball. If you close the face for a shot or if the ball is moving off the straight there will be more chance of nicking off with a bigger edge.

This diagram shows the 3 different bat profiles tilted to 25 degrees. As you can see the bigger the edge, the more edge there is to hit. 

There's definitely a case for saying that you are more likely to edge the ball with a bigger edged bat. It also takes wood away from the middle area of the bat - the spot you are aiming to hit the ball from. Other than the look, I'm not convinced that a big edge will help the ball sail over the slips for 6, If anything it is more likely to make the ball carry to the slips, but as I said at the start, if it feels right then that's a good enough reason to choose it.

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