Grip for a striking implement

Abstract

Grips for striking implements, e.g., baseball bats, that adjust the position of the implement in the user's hand such that the implement can be held in a preferred position relative to the user's forearm without the user needing to radially deviate their wrist from its neutral position are disclosed. Certain embodiments are suited for placement on a standard bat by the user. Other embodiments are more suited for placement on a modified bat during manufacture. Use of the disclosed grips increases user comfort and lessens the risk to injuries associated with radial deviation of the wrist and with movement of the user's hand in relation to the striking implement, e.g., the bottom of the batter's palm striking against the knob of a bat.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A partial grip for a striking implement comprising a longitudinal axis, a transverse axis, a top terminus, a bottom terminus, a length extending from said bottom terminus to the top terminus, a central point along the longitudinal axis equidistant from the top terminus and from the bottom terminus, an outer surface, and an inner surface,
 A. said inner surface comprising a semi circular trench,
 i. said trench having a nadir and a radius no smaller than the radius of the striking implement, 
   B. said outer surface comprising a slanted region comprising a nadir, an apex, and an angle.   
     
     
         2 . The partial grip of  claim 1  in which
 A. said nadir of the slanted region is located between the central point of the length of the partial grip and the top terminus of the partial grip, and 
 B. said apex of the slanted region located between the central point of the length of the partial grip and the bottom terminus of the partial grip 
 C. said angle of the slanted region comprising a vertex, a first ray, and a second ray,
 i. said first ray extends from the nadir of the slanted region to the apex of the slanted region, 
 ii. said second ray extends from the nadir of the slanted region to the bottom terminus of the partial grip, parallel to the longitudinal axis of said partial grip. 
 
 
     
     
         3 . The partial grip of  claim 1  in which the length is approximately the same as the width of the user's hand. 
     
     
         4 . The partial grip of  claim 1  in which the length is approximately four inches. 
     
     
         5 . The partial grip of  claim 1  in which the angle of the slanted region is between 1 and 15 degrees. 
     
     
         6 . The partial grip of  claim 1  in which the angle of the slanted region is between 3 and 10 degrees. 
     
     
         7 . The partial grip of  claim 1  in which the angle of the slant is between 4 and 8 degrees. 
     
     
         8 . The partial grip of  claim 1  in which the angle of the slant is between 6 and 7 degrees. 
     
     
         9 . The partial grip of  claim 1  in which said inner surface further comprises a fixation means. 
     
     
         10 . The partial grip of  claim 1  in which said apex of the slant is less than approximately 0.3-0.7 inches from the nadir of the trench of said inner surface. 
     
     
         11 . The partial grip of  claim 1  in which said apex of the slant is less than approximately 0.5 inches from the nadir of the trench of said inner surface. 
     
     
         12 . A partial grip for a striking implement comprising a longitudinal axis, a transverse axis, a top terminus, a bottom terminus, a length extending from said bottom terminus to the top terminus, a central point along the longitudinal axis equidistant from the top terminus and from the bottom terminus, an outer surface, and an inner surface,
 A. said inner surface comprising a semi circular trench,
 i. said trench having an radius no smaller than the radius of the striking implement and further comprising a fixation means, 
   B. said outer surface comprising a slanted region comprising a nadir, an apex, and an angle.   
     
     
         13 . The partial grip of  claim 12  in which said fixation means is a coating of a sticky adhesive material. 
     
     
         14 . A method for using the partial grip of  claim 1  with a striking implement having a top terminus, a bottom terminus, a surface, and a longitudinal axis in which the inner surface of the partial grip is placed against the surface of the striking implement so that the bottom terminus of the partial grip is no more than 3 inches from the bottom terminus of the striking implement and the top terminus of the partial grip is more than 3 inches from the bottom terminus of the striking implement. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  in which at least 80% of the inner surface of the partial grip is in contact with the outer surface of the striking implement when said partial grip is placed against the striking implement. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  in which the striking implement is a sporting good. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14  in which the striking implement is a baseball bat. 
     
     
         18 . The partial grip for a striking implement of  claim 1  in which said slanted region of the outer surface is shaped such that a user grasping the partial grip when in place on the striking implement the resulting angle between the user's forearm and the transverse axis of the bat where the user's hand contacts the bat is approximately 23 degrees.