A cricket bat making expert can test and see which willows will have superior performance and which willows will have best “ping” and durability. Cricket bat manufacturers like GM have the cricket bat willow grading process down to a science where experts assign Grade 1 to the best type of willow and a Grade 4 or 5 to the lowest. Kookaburra use a similar grading system. Asking a reputable store like Cricket Store Online on other brands can give you a feel as to what willow grade is being used for various types of bats.Like all sporting goods throughout the world, what you pay for is what you get. If you pay top price you are probably getting a superior willow grade and as the price dips so will the quality of the bat.