As I have mentioned in a variety of other reviews I tend to play a fair few games each summer for my local side and have a reviewed a selection of the bats I use. When you first buy a cricket bat though there is a process in which you have to "knock it in" before you start whacking balls around the fields seriously and this Upfront Ball Mallet has proven almost perfect for that duty!

The point of "knocking" the bat in is to make the wood softer which binds it together and makes it stronger getting the bat ready to be played with. This is a process with is own unique process which can take no less than 6 hours and some people obsess over. You use this mallet to simply whack the bat face in all directions and all sorts of ways to ensure that it is ready for use and you have simulated all the possible area the ball could hit!

This is the best type of mallet to use as the head is a cricket ball and you can knock the bat in far more effectively without causing damage than by using a standard mallet or ruining a good cricket ball. The device has a solid wooden handle for grip and attached to the top is the mallet itself which is a cricket ball.

The whole device is a firm solid piece of kit that can take a good bashing or too. It feels like you are in form control of the force, power and direction of the whack and you can thus give a good, accurate knocking in. It is also sadistically satisfying whacking the ball in and it does a superb job.

At usually under a fiver in most stores its well worth it and will provide you an excellent way to knock in your bat!