Off his own bat - or back?

[Padiana]

"He applied for the apprenticeship off his own bat"
Or
"He applied for the apprenticeship off his own back"

Which is correct? I have always said back but a [cricketing] friend used bat the other day and it stuck out because it sounded wrong, but got me thinking that perhaps it was me who had been wrong all these years?
What do you say?

Bat. Why are people still writing “back”? It’s not a matter of opinion, there is a correct answer!

Bat

Bat, and a million times bat.

The OP asked what did people say? Hence why I wrote back.....

Apparently it's bat. I learned that today. Now.

Thanks OP

I have heard back. It makes me think of back-breaking work and, by the sweat of his brow. So an image of achieving something through hard work. Which is not quite the same as achieving it by your own efforts - but similar.

I always said ‘back’ but a similar thread on here taught me I was wrong

It's bat. And anyone who says otherwise has another think coming. Not another thing coming!

Bat, Bat, Bat. DappledThings

Bat. How can you do something 'off your own back'? It doesn't make sense.

Bat

OMG I think I have always said 'back'. Although now I'm not sure.

I'll have to accidentally slip it into conversation without realising to check what I say.

Is that even possible?

BAT BAT BAT BAT BAT.

I think the confusion originally arose when people heard "off his own bat" pronounced with a glottal stop at the end. If you've never seen it written down, it does sound as if it might be "back."

And then of course some of those people started writing it down as "back" as well...

I have always said ‘bat’........because that is what is correct

Wow I always thought it was back! But in my accent bat and back sound the same so I suppose I would never have known if I hadn't seen it written down.

The Macquarie Dictionary defines "off one's own bat" as meaning "independently; without prompting or assistance". It also notes how the term came about: from cricket, with reference to a score made off the bat, as opposed to byes, wides, etc. Writing "off your own back" is thus incorrect (and confusing)

The problem is so many people say back and then you doubt yourself.

Bat. But I also hear back a lot.