Strange Bats

[Moggy]

Whilst there is a thread on funny bats, does any one have bat like this?

[Annie]

I doubt you'll get any takers on this one. :resent:

So what's the story on this then?

[Moggy]

I didn't expect anyone to have one - but you never know.
It's a hard bat given to me about twenty years ago and it looked old then, so I'm not sure how old it is exactly.

What interests me is the shape of the blade, what benfit can be gained from a blade that is so poorly balanced. Any ideas?

[Tinykin]

On the contrary, the blade is very well balanced. I think it's an old Yasaka from the early sixties. Mark Bellamy from Norwich used to make something similar a few years ago. They were excellent for flips, BH attack and defence and especially great at digging out balls that came into your body. The big problem was FH attack. It was good when your eye was in but any misread of the bounce and the ball would hit the bat's top edge.
I think one of our recent top junior girls, a defender if I recall (Jo Parker?), used one but changed when she got sponsored.
Teesport used to sell a Butterfly bat on the same theme (i.e. relatively short front to back with curved handle) in the nineties. It was very expensive. Anyone with an old catalogue?

[Annie]

On the contrary, the blade is very well balanced. I think it's an old Yasaka from the early sixties. Mark Bellamy from Norwich used to make something similar a few years ago. They were excellent for flips, BH attack and defence and especially great at digging out balls that came into your body. The big problem was FH attack. It was good when your eye was in but any misread of the bounce and the ball would hit the bat's top edge.
I think one of our recent top junior girls, a defender if I recall (Jo Parker?), used one but changed when she got sponsored.
Teesport used to sell a Butterfly bat on the same theme (i.e. relatively short front to back with curved handle) in the nineties. It was very expensive. Anyone with an old catalogue?

Thanks for this it made interesting reading. :thumbsup:

[Moggy]

On the contrary, the blade is very well balanced...
I haven't played with it in earnest (I'm not sure if it would survive), but trying some practice swings I've found the bat tries to twist in your hand so that the longer side tries to move towards the trailing edge (does that make sense?)
Someone told me a while back that they thought it was a benefit for loops as looping usually entails stroking the ball close to the bottom edge - again I'm not certain about this but it sounds logical.

[Boneman]

Well... I've always thought mine to be... if not "strange"... at lease unique.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/bonemanrides/THE_WEAPON.jpg

[Annie]

Well... I've always thought mine to be... if not "strange"... at lease unique.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/bonemanrides/THE_WEAPON.jpg

WOW Boneman that's positively different!

So technically how does this bat raise your game?

[Boneman]

Well... the offset allows for some very interesting play. There's a backhand that I can execute with that thing that basically fires like a rocket out of no-where. No wind up... no indication it's coming... just what appears to be a flip of the wrist an BANG... it blows by you like nobody's business. Oddly enough... it's hard to describe exactly how I do it... All I know is I cannot do it at all with a straight-handled bat.

As to forehands... it allows me to completely fool my opponent as to the direction I'm hitting in certain circumstances.... what appears to be absolutely a forehand crosscourt... is very easily firee off in the opposite direction merely by rolling that round end in my palm a bit at the last moment.

There's another thing I call "pulling the trigger" on a forehand that is very low and VERY close in to my right hip.... I pull up and over the ball and it screams back low and just prior to striking the table... hooks left.

Very quirky stuff... from a vary quirky bat. Most of it has to do with balance and the way I can pivot the thing based on the way the "ball" end of the handle nestles in my palm.

The Tenaly arrives tomorrow. I will be sanding a spherical radius into the base... basically to emulate the bat pictured above. ;-)

Alas... many of these "moves" were developed so long ago... I can't recall the work and thought that went into them.... I'm just realy happy that they "came back" as it were.

[Sparky]

Found this and looks similar to the one owned by Boneman
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LKT-GUN-ERGONOMIC-SPECIALITY-TABLE-TENNIS-BLADE-NEW-UK_W0QQitemZ230284619429QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item23 0284619429&_trkparms=72%3A1298%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C 240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14#ebayphotohosting

[Boneman]

Wow... that is wild. Actually more similar in design intent to my Nittaku "Tenaly" carbon.... which I use BACKWARDS to emulate my gun-handle bat above. The bat in the auction wouldn't suit me but it certainly is neat to see.

Speaking of the magnesium handled unit... I've owned and used that thing since 1979. I had to replace the actual blade portion as it had fractured from yet another episode of "flight" pursuant to that magnesium becoming quite slick once I've worked up a sweat. Yep... slipped outta the hand and bonked quite hard on the floor.

I found a solution. HOCKEY TAPE.:rocker: Keeps the bat secure in the hand. And of course... bein' a mouth-breathin, whisker droolin', knuckle-draggin' "redneck" from Northeast Pennsylvania... it's CAMOFLAGE. :pleasantry:

[Boneman]

Ah... I just procured one of those LKT GUN blades from zeropong. Along with a couple of rubber sheets to affix unto it.

I like weird bats. :bigeye:

[Peter1000]

jesus weird or what,i seem to remember some 20 years ago a fellow used to play in the norwich league with one similar,he told me he had baked it in the oven????? all i can say he was blo*dy good with it, having brass screws in the handle i reckon my xp goldmaxx power metal detector would pick up a buried one at 8" in normal coditizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzz:bag::rocker:

[David Flaum]

Have any of you been to this sites museum,because there is plenty of pictures of these old bats.

[Boneman]

I've bonked around in there a wee bit. It's most interesting the various and assorted ideas and styles that have been tried over the years. I personally recall bats that were made entirely of moulded plastic even.

And there was a bat a saw being sold new in-stores back in the 1970's that was actually shaped like a keystone... with the handle at the narrow end.

All are fun and interesting. I guess I'm starting a wee collection myelf, eh?

:thumbsup:

[Sparky]

Ah... I just procured one of those LKT GUN blades from zeropong. Along with a couple of rubber sheets to affix unto it.

I like weird bats. :bigeye:
Hi Larry please let me know how you find the LKT either on this thread or by PM, I would be most interested/intrigued to know you opinion

[Jase]

Hi Larry please let me know how you find the LKT either on this thread or by PM, I would be most interested/intrigued to know you opinion

There is one on Ebay at the moment.
Very strange looking thing it is to!!!:tomato:

[Boneman]

Received and assembled the LKT GUN this evening. I'm impressed. Nice quality and has a VERY positive feel to it.

Won't be able to swing it at anything for three weeks... but I'll endeavor to at least post up a pic or two.

Zeropong doesn't sell (or maybe I just couldn't find it) edge tape, etc. so I affixed the rubber with duo-tac and used camo hockey tape on the edge. A git redneck... but I like it.

[Boneman]

OK... here's a few pics as promised.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/bonemanrides/LKT%20GUN%20BAT/IMG_3035.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/bonemanrides/LKT%20GUN%20BAT/IMG_3037.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/bonemanrides/LKT%20GUN%20BAT/IMG_3034.jpg