A sports equipment assembly includes a sports equipment device and a ball. The sports equipment device has a barrel and a shaft. The barrel has a padding, a cover surrounding the padding, a lower end, an upper end, a contact surface extending between the lower end and the upper end, and a ball receiving depression on the upper end. The shaft has a lower portion and an upper portion. The lower portion extends from the lower end of the barrel and defines a handle. The upper portion extends through the barrel, with an uppermost end of the shaft being vertically spaced a distance below the upper end of the barrel. The ball has a spherical shape and is positioned in the ball receiving depression of the barrel that conforms to the spherical shape of the ball.

A swing training device for improving the batting mechanics of baseball players includes a device handle for gripping by a player in the manner of a baseball bat handle and a device barrel having a ball striking surface. The device barrel is interfaced at an angle from about 20 to about 40 to the device handle. At least the ball striking surface of the device barrel is formed in the size and circular shape of a baseball bat barrel. A joint maybe provided for interfacing the device barrel to the device handle at the desired angle of interface, in which case threaded bolts are utilized to attach the device handle and the device barrel to the joint. Longitudinally oriented threaded bores are provided on substantially planar faces of the device handle and the device barrel to matingly receive the bolts.

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 sports implement includes a main body portion, a handle portion extending from the main body portion, and a grip member. The main body portion includes a first contact surface, a second contact surface, and a sidewall positioned about a perimeter of each of the first and the second contact surfaces. The handle portion defines a handle central axis extending therethrough. The grip member includes a grip body portion and a grip end portion. The grip body portion is operably coupled with the handle portion. The grip end portion defines a grip central axis extending therethrough. The handle central axis is offset from and parallel to the grip central axis.

The invention relates to a method of manufacturing an elongated article having a shaft and a functional head section. The method includes the steps of providing a dimensionally stable core mandrel; overlaying first reinforcing fibers onto the core mandrel to form one or more first wall parts; providing at least one shaping element to the overlaid core mandrel; overlaying second reinforcing fibers onto the core mandrel and the at least one shaping element to form one or more second wall parts; and providing a matrix material and consolidating the matrix material. The core mandrel is provided to form an elongated article having a well defined inner cavity. Overlaying fibers is preferably performed by in-situ braiding. The cross-section of the elongated article includes fiber reinforced wall parts that impart stiffness to the article. The inner cavity may be filled with weight distributing element(s).

The invention relates to a method of manufacturing an elongated article having a shaft and a functional head section. The method includes the steps of providing a dimensionally stable core mandrel; overlaying first reinforcing fibers onto the core mandrel to form one or more first wall parts; providing at least one shaping element to the overlaid core mandrel; overlaying second reinforcing fibers onto the core mandrel and the at least one shaping element to form one or more second wall parts; and providing a matrix material and consolidating the matrix material. The core mandrel is provided to form an elongated article having a well defined inner cavity. Overlaying fibers is preferably performed by in-situ braiding. The cross-section of the elongated article includes fiber reinforced wall parts that impart stiffness to the article. The inner cavity may be filled with weight distributing element(s).

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 dual-flat-end bat for hitting a ball, in which the bat has a handle region, a first flat end paddle region defined by first and second parallel planar surfaces having a first orientation, and a second flat end paddle region defined by third and fourth parallel planar surfaces having a second orientation perpendicular to the first orientation. Methods of using the bat for swing training include timing the swing so that a lower portion of the bat contacts the user's forearms simultaneously with the upper paddle positioned for contact with a hittable ball.