Pickleball ball

Abstract

A ball for playing pickleball includes a spherical shell. The spherical shell includes an interior surface and an exterior surface. The spherical shell includes a plurality of holes spaced about the shell that extend from the interior surface to the exterior surface. The plurality of holes includes more than forty holes. The ball defines a first half and a second half that are structurally identical.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A ball for playing pickleball comprising:
 a spherical shell including an interior surface and an exterior surface, the spherical shell including a plurality of holes spaced about the shell and extending between the interior surface and the exterior surface, the plurality of holes including more than forty holes, the ball defining a first half and a second half that are structurally identical.   
     
     
         2 . The ball of  claim 1 , wherein the first half is rotated by 15 degrees relative to the second half about an axis normal to a seam defining a division between the first half and the second half. 
     
     
         3 . The ball of  claim 1 , wherein the number of holes in the plurality of holes is forty-eight holes. 
     
     
         4 . The ball of  claim 3 , wherein each of the first and second halves includes a patterned spacing of twenty-four holes of the forty-eight holes, wherein a first group of four holes forms a square shape such that each of the four holes is positioned at a corner of the square shape, wherein each of the four holes is equally spaced from the neighboring holes, wherein each of the four holes is equally spaced from a seam defining a division between the first half and the second half. 
     
     
         5 . The ball of  claim 4 , wherein a second group of eight holes is positioned between the first group and the seam, wherein the second group defines four pairs of holes each positioned along a side of the square shape and aligned with the holes defining the side of the square shape, and wherein the holes of each pair are equally spaced from each other and from the neighboring holes of the first group. 
     
     
         6 . The ball of  claim 5 , wherein a third group of twelve holes is positioned between the second group and the seam, wherein the third group of holes forms a circular pattern, wherein each of the holes in the circular pattern is equally spaced from the seam and each neighboring hole, and wherein every third hole of the third group is aligned with a center point of a line extending between neighboring holes of the first group. 
     
     
         7 . The ball of  claim 1 , wherein each hole of the plurality of holes includes a chamfered exterior edge. 
     
     
         8 . The ball of  claim 7 , wherein the chamfered exterior edge has a chamfer angle of about 45 degrees. 
     
     
         9 . The ball of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of holes is sized such that the ball has a solid surface area between about 65% and 75%. 
     
     
         10 . The ball of  claim 1 , wherein the hole diameter is about three times greater than a thickness of the shell. 
     
     
         11 . The ball of  claim 1 , wherein each hole of the plurality of holes is spaced equidistant apart from neighboring holes about the exterior surface. 
     
     
         12 . A hollow ball for playing pickleball comprising:
 a wall with more than forty same-sized holes extending through the wall, the holes including chamfered exterior edges.   
     
     
         13 . The ball of  claim 12 , wherein the ball defines a first half and a second half that are structurally identical. 
     
     
         14 . The ball of  claim 13 , wherein the first half is rotated by 15 degrees relative to the second half about an axis normal to a seam defining a division between the first half and the second half. 
     
     
         15 . The ball of  claim 12 , wherein the number of holes is at least forty-eight holes. 
     
     
         16 . The ball of  claim 12 , wherein the holes each have a hole diameter that is between about 1/20 and 1/10 the size of an outer diameter of the ball. 
     
     
         17 . The ball of  claim 16 , wherein the hole diameter is around 2/25 the size of the outer diameter of the ball. 
     
     
         18 . The ball of  claim 12 , wherein the holes each have a hole diameter that is between about two and four times a thickness of the wall. 
     
     
         19 . The ball of  claim 12 , wherein the holes are spaced equidistant apart from neighboring holes about an exterior surface of the ball. 
     
     
         20 . A ball for playing pickleball comprising:
 a spherical exterior forming a hollow shell, the ball having an outer diameter between about 2.87 and 2.92 inches, the ball defining first and second halves, wherein the first and second halves are adjacent each other at a seam, the first and second halves being structurally identical and each including twenty-four holes, the first half and the second half being axially rotated about a joining axis relative to each other by an angle of about 15 degrees, each hole being circular and same sized, the holes sized such that a surface area of the exterior is between about 65% and 75% solid, the holes each having a hole diameter that is between about 1/20 and 1/10 the size of the outer diameter of the ball, the hole diameter being between about two and three times a thickness of the shell, each hole including an exterior chamfer, the exterior chamfer extending between an outer edge on the exterior surface to an inner edge defining a hole circumference, the exterior chamfer extending at a chamfer angle between about 30 and 60 degrees.