Racquet grip tape with tapered ends

Abstract

A sports equipment tape that has an adhesive backing at each end, and is tapered at both ends. Tapering the tape at both ends allows the tape to be applied evenly at the beginning of the handle of a piece of sports equipment using the adhesive, and allows the tape to end with no excess tape and no discontinuity of the tape, without the need to cut the tape. This leads to a fast, easy, and reliable way to apply the grip tape to a handle of a piece of sporting equipment.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A sports equipment handle tape, comprising:
 an elongate strip having a first end and a second end, the elongate strip having a first straight edge between the first end and the second end, and a second edge having a tapered section at the first end and the second end;   a first adhesive patch at the first end on an inner surface, and a second adhesive patch at the second end on the inner surface;   wherein the tape is adapted to be applied so that the first edge is parallel to a longitudinal axis of a handle at a first end, and the second edge is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the handle at the second end; and   wherein the first and second adhesive patches are used to adhere the tape to the handle.   
     
     
         2 . The sports equipment handle tape of  claim 1 , wherein the tape is made of a natural material. 
     
     
         3 . The sports equipment handle tape of  claim 1 , wherein the tape is made of a synthetic material. 
     
     
         4 . The sports equipment handle tape of  claim 1 , wherein the tape is symmetric about a transverse axis passing through a midpoint of the tape. 
     
     
         5 . The sports equipment handle tape of  claim 1 , further comprising a beach tennis racquet handle.