Table tennis blade and method of use

Abstract

A table tennis paddle including a blade and a handle has a handle structure that facilitates a grip with a natural inclination angle of about 45° and allows easy adjustment of inclination angle of a paddle blade to an incoming ball over a 0° to 90° range. A natural angle is the angle achieved when a player positions a paddle in the ball striking position without adjusting the angle of the paddle. A handle has a high aspect ratio A of width to thickness. For example, A≧2. A method of using a paddle is provided wherein widthwise ends of the handle abut selected portions of the surfaces between the thumb and the index finger in order to facilitate improved ability to select a forehand or backhand stroke and control motion of a ball struck by the paddle.

1 . In a table tennis blade comprising a blade and a handle, the improvement wherein said handle has an aspect ratio ≧2. 
     
     
         2 . The improvement according to  claim 1  wherein said handle comprises a substrate extending in a longitudinal direction having first and second longitudinally opposite substrate faces and further having first and second transversely opposite sides. 
     
     
         3 . The improvement according to  claim 2  further comprising first and second handle covers affixed to said substrate. 
     
     
         4 . The improvement according to  claim 3  wherein said first and second handle covers are affixed to first and second longitudinally opposite substrate faces of said substrate respectively. 
     
     
         5 . The improvement according to  claim 4  wherein each of said first and second handle covers is of a different thickness. 
     
     
         6 . The improvement according to  claim 4  in which said handle covers comprise a plurality of flat and curved surfaces. 
     
     
         7 . The improvement according to  claim 4  wherein each said handle cover comprises a plurality of axially extending recesses. 
     
     
         8 . The improvement according to  claim 4  wherein said first and second handle covers are fixed to said first and second transversely opposite sides respectively. 
     
     
         9 . The improvement according to  claim 1  wherein said blade has a face, said face has a width of 170 mm or less and a length of 180 mm or less. 
     
     
         10 . The improvement according to  claim 1  wherein said handle has a neck and said neck has a width of 40 mm to 90 mm. 
     
     
         11 . The improvement according to  claim 1  wherein said handle has an aspect ratio ≧3. 
     
     
         12 . A table tennis paddle comprising a blade defining a plane, a handle extending along an axial direction axis, the handle having width on a major axis parallel or coincident with the plane of the blade and a thickness along a minor axis normal to the major axis and the axial axis, the ratio of the dimension of the handle along the major axis to the dimension of the handle along the minor axis being at least 2:1. 
     
     
         13 . The paddle according to  claim 12  wherein said handle comprises a handle base coplanar with the blade and first and second covers on opposite sides of the handle base along the major axis. 
     
     
         14 . The paddle according to  claim 13  wherein said first and second handle covers have differing thicknesses. 
     
     
         15 . The paddle according to  claim 13  wherein said handles have an arcuate surface in a transverse direction. 
     
     
         16 . The paddle according to  claim 12  wherein said paddle has a face, said face has a width of 170 mm or less and a length of 180 mm or less. 
     
     
         17 . The paddle according to  claim 12  wherein said handle comprises a handle base coplanar with the blade and first and second covers on opposite sides of the handle base along the major axis. 
     
     
         18 . The paddle according to  claim 12  wherein a width of the handle at its neck is 40 mm to 90 mm. 
     
     
         19 . The paddle according to  claim 12  wherein the ratio of the dimension of the handle along the major axis to the dimension of the handle along the minor axis is at least 3:1. 
     
     
         20 . A method of employing a table tennis paddle comprising; grasping the paddle between a thumb and an index finger, setting a transverse edge of a handle into a soft tissue area between the metacarpal-phalangeal joint of the thumb and the metacarpal-phalangeal joint of the index finger, hooking an index finger diagonally across a transversely opposite edge, whereby the under sides of the distal phalanx and/or intermediate phalanx holds the handle's edge, placing the thumb at an axial end of a top handle face, and placing middle, ring, and little fingers to a back of the paddle as in a penhold grip.