A variable stiffness striking implement, such as, for example, a ball bat typically used in baseball, softball, or rubber ball. The striking implement, preferably has a separate barrel and handle. A wedge and joint attached directly to the handle or indirectly to the handle using an interface portion engage the interior surface of the barrel. Most preferably, the wedge and joint are molded about the interface portion and a handle preform is then inserted into the intention of the interface portion and the handle is then molded. Wedge hardness is selectable and a stiffness member may also be employed. Stiffness member hardness may be selectable or may be adjustable by varied adjustment of a cap in relation to the barrel. Alternatively, the cap may not be adjustable in relation to the barrel so that a selected stiffness member hardness is fixed.

A pad device for protecting a hypothenar eminence region of a user's hand during a swing of a ball bat includes a digital portion having an opening configured to receive at least one of a user's fingers, and a hypothenar portion generally configured to coextend with the hypothenar eminence region of the user's hand. The pad device may include a viscoelastic material or a rate-dependent damping material. In other embodiments, a sports glove includes a glove base and a moldable hypothenar layer coupled to the glove base and positioned to generally coextend with a hypothenar eminence region of a user's hand. The moldable hypothenar layer may include an at least partially rigid moldable material configured to be molded into a form of at least one of the hypothenar eminence region of the user's hand or an end portion of a ball bat. The moldable material may include moldable thermoplastic.

The invention provides a golf club head with a fully removable component that can withstand the stress of repeated hits. When assembled, the removable component is held in place by a fastening mechanism that includes structural elements that distribute the holding force across the component and tend to equalize the forces around the periphery where the component meets the body. The fastening mechanism may include a post that reaches across the open space within the hollow club head, pulling the removable component towards an opposed main club head body. Since a golf club of the present invention can be opened, it may include a mechanism on the inside for use by a golfer, such as an electronic device or an adjustment mechanism. The golf club may include a weight adjustment system that allows the club to be custom-fitted to a golfer.

A sporting implement, such as a blade for a hockey stick, may include an outer layer, a core, and a recovery gel positioned between the core and the outer layer. The recovery gel can form a film, and the recovery gel can be compressible, shape recoverable, and pressurized to a predetermined pressure. The recovery gel can be configured to provide an integrated agent for filling cracks that appear during use of the blade. The recovery gel can be configured to absorb energy impacts between the outer layer and the core. When a crack appears, the predetermined pressure can be relieved inside the crack and fills a cavity formed by the crack to provide cohesion between the outer layer and the core to recreate a new material in the place of the crack. The recovery gel can be configured to help prevent cracks from propagating and actively heals potential damages by reducing stiffness loss caused by cracks.

A removable paddle attachment assembly is provided. The attachment assembly may include a attachment bracket terminating at opposing saddles, a handle saddle for engaging a first portion of a watercraft paddle and an activity saddle for engaging an activity device, whereby the activity device is removably yet rigidly secured to the watercraft paddle so that the activity device may be employed for game-playing and/or exercise-training purposes, while not impairing the performance and functionality of the watercraft paddle. The attachment bracket provides at least one attachment strap cleat so that a attachment strap may be stretched from one lateral surface of the attachment bracket to an opposing lateral surface thereof, thereby securely sandwiching the first and a second portion of the watercraft paddle against the handle saddle.

A goalie hockey stick including a shaft with two bends in it, a vertical paddle and a blade with an added bend that allows goaltenders to play their position with the goal of stopping the puck from scoring by blocking the puck or deflecting the puck away from the opening of the goal. It also allows the goalie to play, control, pass and shoot the puck both standing and on their knees.

A butt-end device or knob for a sports implement with a handle for holding the sports implement. The butt-end device or knob has an inner member or inner surface mountable adjacent to a longitudinal end of the handle and a hand-engaging surface to engage a user's hand when holding the handle, the hand-engaging surface being movable relative to the handle in order to follow movement of the user's hand when the user swings the sports implement.

A variable stiffness striking implement, such as, for example, a ball bat typically used in baseball, softball, or rubber ball. The striking implement, preferably has a separate barrel and handle and includes a variable stiffness assembly which results in the user being able to adjust stiffness. This is accomplished by the user selecting a stiffness member having a desired hardness and inserting the selected stiffness around the handle and abutting the end of the barrel closest to the handle end and using a cap to hold the stiffness member in place, or, if desired by the user, the striking implement may be used without a stiffness member.

A variable stiffness striking implement, such as, for example, a ball bat typically used in baseball, softball, or rubber ball. The striking implement, preferably has a separate barrel and handle and includes a variable stiffness assembly which results in the user being able to adjust stiffness. This is accomplished by the user selecting a stiffness member having a desired hardness and inserting the selected stiffness around the handle and abutting the end of the barrel closest to the handle end and using a cap to hold the stiffness member in place, or, if desired by the user, the striking implement may be used without a stiffness member.

Methods for fabricating a 3D woven material and exemplary 3D woven material for sporting implements are disclosed. The exemplary weaves can be incorporated into any sporting implements, such as, baseball bats, lacrosse sticks, hockey sticks, rackets, helmets, and other protective equipment. The example sporting implement can be constructed, partially or entirely, with a woven or braided three dimensional structure. The 3D woven material can be a multi-directional layup having tows oriented in three directions (X, Y and Z) and also at any angle created by the combination of two or three directions. A single woven preform can be formed that can have a near net shape of the formed product, with the fibers oriented in a way that will be optimal for the particular application.