A device (e.g., an article of athletic gear) comprising a post-molded expandable component, which is a part of the device that is configured to be expanded or has been expanded after being molded. This may allow the post-molded expandable component to have enhanced characteristics (e.g., be more shock-absorbent, lighter, etc.), to be cost-effectively manufactured (e.g., by using less material and/or making it in various sizes), and/or to be customized for a user (e.g., by custom-fitting it to the user).

An apparatus for engagement with a barrel of a bat includes a cup and at least one cover. The cup is secured for securement to a distal end of the barrel of the bat. The cup defines a cavity and includes a first connector portion. The at least one cover has a second connector portion cooperating with the first connector portion to releasably secure the cover to the cup over the cavity.

One or more embodiments of a training bat including a shaft and a hitting head are disclosed. The shaft includes a handle and hand placement indicators. The shaft includes a first end and a second end. The hitting head is attached to the second end of the shaft. The hitting head includes a flat hitting surface which is substantially flat and a back end opposite the flat hitting surface. The hand placement indicators indicate a position for at least one of the hands of a user on the handle and the hand placement indicators indicate an alignment with the back end of the hitting head.

A method is provided. A center of mass of the bat is calculated based at least in part on the physical characteristics, the length, and the drop. A first and second mass distribution for an insert having a central axis and a length is calculated based at least in part on the calculated center of mass. The first mass distribution is symmetric about the central axis along the entire length, and the second mass distribution includes a first density for at least one low mass region and a second density for a high mass region with the second density is greater than the first density. Then, the insert is 3D printing based at least in part on the first and second mass distributions.

Baseball bats described herein may have handle, throat and/or barrel portions that include non-circular cross-sections.

Baseball bats described herein may have handle, throat and/or barrel portions that include non-circular cross-sections.

A composite ball bat includes a bat body made of a multilayer fiber composite material and including a hollow barrel, a handle and a tapered section joining the hollow barrel to the handle and having an outer diameter reducing gradually from the hollow barrel toward the handle, and a plurality of rings arranged in the hollow barrel of the bat body and spaced along the axis of the bat body with the outer circumferences thereof fixed on the inner circumference of the hollow barrel of the bat body. In this way, the composite ball bat of the invention can use these rings to improve the hitting effect while reducing weight.

A composite ball bat includes a bat body made of a multilayer fiber composite material and including a hollow barrel, a handle and a tapered section joining the barrel to the handle, and a core material mounted in the hollow barrel of the bat body. The core material includes a rod member longitudinally set in parallel to the axial direction of the bat body, a plurality of rings attached onto the rod member and arranged along the axial direction of the rod member at equal intervals, and a plurality of elastic bands wrapped around the outer periphery of the rings within the inner peripheral surface of the hollow barrel in a one-to-one manner. In this way, the composite bat of the invention can use the core material to increase the structural strength, improve the hitting effect.

A composite ball bat includes a bat body made of a multilayer fiber composite material and including a hollow barrel, a handle and a tapered section joining the barrel to the handle, and a core material mounted in the hollow barrel of the bat body. The core material includes a rod member longitudinally set in parallel to the axial direction of the bat body, a plurality of rings attached onto the rod member and arranged along the axial direction of the rod member at equal intervals, and a plurality of elastic bands wrapped around the outer periphery of the rings within the inner peripheral surface of the hollow barrel in a one-to-one manner. In this way, the composite bat of the invention can use the core material to increase the structural strength, improve the hitting effect.

Representative embodiments of the present technology may include a ball bat with a handle, a barrel attached to or continuous with the handle along a longitudinal axis of the bat, and a reduced-durability region positioned in the barrel. The reduced-durability region may include two adjacent stacks of composite laminate plies, wherein the stacks are spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal axis to form a first gap therebetween. A separation ply may be positioned in the first gap between the stacks. The separation ply may include a non-woven mat material. At least one cap ply element may be positioned around an end of one of the stacks. In some embodiments, an axis of the first gap is oriented at an oblique angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the bat.