I'm a beginner potter that took some classes. If I try centering clay and put any pressure on the clay it affects the wheel speed. The round metal plate that the clay goes on hurts my hands at a high speed. There's no hardware to put a bat on. I don't even know if you could drill holes and diy something to add a bat. I had a very difficult time pulling the sides up because my hand kept scraping on the round metal wheel. Getting the piece off the wheel proved to be quite a challenge and did distort the piece a bit. It came with no feet. I had to struggle with the company just to get some. That took a month. I personally would buy a bit of a higher end wheel and set myself up for more successful pottery sessions. I hope this helps someone.