Cricket bats have many different features that you can change to suit your needs.
These include handle length, bat weight, grade of wood & type of grip.
Most bats are made from English Willow, and the grade of wood refers to the quality of the grain in the wood.
Grade 1 means best quality, Grade 4 means the worst.
A Grade 1 bat will be unbleached, have straight grains, with no discolouration or marking on the bat face.
A Grade 4 bat is usually bleached, will have an irregular grain and some marking to the bat face.
The theory is that with straighter grains the bat will hit truer and will be stronger than a bat which has blemishes.
Grade 1 bats can easily cost 3 times more than Grade 4 bats.
The bat weight can determine how far you can hit the ball, a heavier bat being able to achieve a greater distance.
Conversely, a heavier bat is harder to swing than a lighter one.
You may need to experiment with different bat weights to find the one that suits you best.
Handle length is usually just changed according to your height.
But you may also need to change this to suit your gripping style.
If your hands are close together when you bat then you may prefer a shorter handle, especially if you have a wristy batting action.
If you are tall, or have your hands apart when you bat, then you may prefer a longer handle.
You can also choose different materials for the batting handle grip, such as latex or rubber, and different patterns for the grip, like ribs or mini suckers.
Again, testing of different grips will help you find your favourite.