One-Grip Table Tennis Paddle

Abstract

A table tennis paddle or like table tennis racket designed so the player can us the expert shake hands serve grip for the entire game. The present invention features a handle that comfortably fits into the cavity formed by the three fingers behind the handle of the conventional paddle when the expert player serves. This serve grip allows the player to rotate his wrist during the forehand stroke imparting more spin to the ball, more easily use the wrist rotation in the backhand stroke, and to play the entire game with the serve grip, thus not changing his grip during the entire game.

Claims

1. Table tennis paddle in which the handle is tapered and 1) the bisecting plane of the handle is oblique to the striking plane of the striking surface in the range of 20 to 70, 2) the bisecting plane perpendicular to the original bisecting plan of the handle is also oblique to the bisecting plane perpendicular to the striking surface in the range of 45 to 135, and 3) the handle attachment is oblique to the bisecting plane perpendicular to the striking surface in the range of 0 to 45.

2-7. (canceled)

8. Table tennis paddle according to claims 1, wherein the tapered handle and/or the separate contoured thumb support are fixed to each other by screws or nails or bonded by adhesives or are integrally formed to either the flat striking surface or bent wood of the striking surface.

9. Table tennis paddle according to claims 1, wherein the tapered handle and/or the separate contoured thumb support are made of structural foam, wood, or other non-metallic with hollow or solid handle.

10. Table tennis paddle according to claims 1, wherein one, two, or three contoured grooves are added to the handle to fit to the one, two, or three fingers, or one groove to fit all three fingers.

11. Table tennis paddle according to claims 1 wherein the striking surface is notched to provide for the index finger to more firmly grasp the paddle.

12. Table tennis paddle according to claims 1 wherein the handle is offset from the center of the striking surface 0 to 3 inches in either direction.

13. Table tennis paddle according to claim 1 wherein the handle is contoured to match the profile of the meat of the thumb and the meat of the lower hand.

14. Table tennis paddle of claim 1 wherein a groove as part of the tapered handle or bent wood of the striking surface is contoured to fit the profile of the middle finger.

15. Table tennis paddle of claim 1 wherein a contoured index finger support is made by grooving the tapered handle, bending the striking surface wood, or gluing the rubber to the grooved handle or bent striking surface wood.

16. Table tennis paddle of claim 1 wherein a contoured thumb support made by contouring the handle to fit the thumb profile adding another piece grooved to fit the contour of the thumb, or gluing the rubber to the grooved handle or grooved extra piece.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0009] FIG. 1 shows the serve grip of expert table tennis player.

[0010] FIG. 2 shows the one-grip table tennis paddle made by bonding tapered handle 6 to striking surface 1. The figure shows the centerline of the forehand striking surface 3, the bisecting plane through the forehand striking surface centerline 2, the contoured groove for the middle finger 5, and the contoured support for the index finger 4.

[0011] FIG. 3 shows the oblique angle of the bisecting plane 7 of the tapered handle 6 to the backhand striking surface 1, and the contoured thumb support 8.

[0012] FIG. 4 shows the oblique angle of the bisecting plane 9 to the backhand striking surface 1.

[0013] FIG. 5 Shows the offset of the handle 6 is measured at the intersection of the centerline of the tapered handle 6 and the backhand striking surface 1 and the centerline 3 of the striking surface 1. FIG. 5 also shows the angle of the handle attachment to the centerline of the striking surface.

[0014] FIG. 6 shows the contoured thumb support 11 and the backhand striking surface 12.

[0015] FIG. 7 shows the embodiment made by bending the blade wood to form the base for the handle 6, index support 4, and contoured groove 5 for the middle finger. In this embodiment the rubber is glued to the index finger support to provide more friction between the finger and the blade.

[0016] FIG. 8 shows the embodiment made by bending the blade wood to form the base for the handle 6 and the contoured thumb support 11. In this embodiment the rubber is glued to the contoured thumb support.

[0017] FIG. 9 shows the embodiment with the three grooved notches, a notch for the middle finger 13, and notch for the fourth finger 14, and a notch for the little finger 15, to more securely affix the hand to the tapered handle 6.

[0018] FIG. 10 shows the embodiment with two grooved notches, a notch for the middle finger 13 and fourth finger 14, to more securely affix the hand to the tapered handle 6.

[0019] FIG. 11 shows the embodiment with one groove 16 for all three fingers which grasp the tapered handle 6 to more securely affix the hand to the tapered handle 6.

[0020] FIG. 12 shows the embodiment in which extra support is given to the grip by providing a notch to which the last digit of the index finger can grab.

[0021] FIG. 13 shows the handle 6 contoured to match the meat of the thumb and the lower hand 18.

[0022] FIG. 14 shows the embodiment for the left handed player showing the centerline of the forehand striking surface 3, the bisecting plane through the forehand striking surface centerline 2, the contoured groove for the middle finger 5,and the contoured support for the index finger 4. The embodiment is a mirror of the paddle for the right handed player.

[0023] FIG. 15 shows the forehand stroke using the conventional paddle. When the wrist is cocked, the forehand striking surface is at an acute angle to the trajectory of the ball and disallows the player to use his wrist in the forehand stroke.

[0024] FIG. 16 shows the forehand stroke using the one-grip paddle. When the wrist is cocked, the forehand striking surface is at an obtuse angle to the trajectory of the ball which allows the player to achieve extra spin by being able to use his wrist in the forehand stroke.

[0025] FIG. 17 Demonstration of how the elbow must be contorted high in order to position the striking surface horizontally when generating much spin with the backhand using a conventional paddle.

[0026] FIG. 18 Demonstration of how the elbow is low in order to orient the striking surface horizontally when generating much spin with the backhand using the one-grip paddle.

[0027] Add the following paragraphs

[0028] FIG. 19 shows the embodiment in which the bisecting plane of the handle is 70 to striking surface.

[0029] FIG. 20 shows the embodiment in which the bisecting plane of the handle is 20 to striking surface.

[0030] FIG. 21 shows the embodiment in which the handle bisecting plane perpendicular to the aforementioned handle bisecting plane is 135 to the striking surface.

[0031] FIG. 22 shows the embodiment in which the handle bisecting plane perpendicular to the aforementioned handle bisecting plane is 45 to the striking surface.

[0032] FIG. 23 shows the embodiment in which the handle is offset minus 3 inches from the centerline of the paddle.

[0033] FIG. 24 shows the embodiment in which the handle is offset plus 3 inches from the centerline of the paddle.

[0034] FIG. 25 shows the embodiment in which the bisecting plane of the handle is plus 45 from the bisecting plane of the paddle striking surface.

[0035] FIG. 26 shows the embodiment in which the bisecting plane of the handle is minus 45 from the bisecting plane of the paddle striking surface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0036] The one-grip paddle is designed so the table tennis player can play the entire game with the serve grip of the expert shake hands player. The expert serve grip grasps the blade with the thumb on the striking surface and the index finger on the opposite striking surface. The three remaining fingers are curled behind the handle. This grip orients the blade so that the wrist can be used to impart much spin on the ball. The paddle of this invention directs the handle into the cavity formed by the three remaining fingers curled behind the handle of the conventional paddle.

[0037] The handle is fitted to the cavity of the three fingers by means of four ways: [0038] 1. The handle within its plane is rotated outward from the blade surface at an angle of 20 to 70 and obtuse from the plane perpendicular to the striking surface 45 to 135. [0039] 2. The handle is tapered. Tapering is accomplished by a narrowing of the handle from the attachment point to the end of the handle. The narrowing can be accomplished linearly or non-linearly as long as the end of the handle is smaller than the handle at the attachment point. [0040] 4. The centerline of the handle is offset from the centerline of the blade 0 to 3 inches.

[0041] The cavity formed by the three fingers is relatively small so additional support is needed to firmly secure the paddle to the hand. The additional support allows the player to mainly grip the paddle with the index finger and thumb which more simulates the expert serve grip. This additional support is provided in five ways. [0042] 1. A contoured index finger support which can be accomplished in five ways.

[0043] a) Grooving the tapered handle to fit the index finger.

[0044] b) Using the bend of the blade to conform to the index finger

[0045] c) Gluing the paddle rubber to either the tapered handle to fit the index finger or the bend of the blade to conform to the index finger. [0046] 2. A contoured thumb support which can be accomplished in three ways.

[0047] a) Grooving the tapered handle to fit the thumb contour

[0048] b) Adding a separate piece contoured to fit the thumb contour

[0049] c) Gluing the paddle rubber to either the tapered handle to fit the thumb contour or to the separate piece contoured to fit the thumb contour. [0050] 3. A contoured groove to fit the profile of the middle finger which can be accomplished by 1) grooving the tapered handle to fit the middle finger or 2) grooving the bent portion of the wood of the striking surface. [0051] 4. One, two, or three grooves in the handle which are contoured to fit the profile of the middle, fourth, and little finger. [0052] 5. A notch added to the striking surface allowing the last digit of the index finger to grasp the paddle more securely.

[0053] Playing the entire point with the serve grip of the expert player has three main advantages. The wrist can be used in the backhand without contorting the elbow high. The forehand stroke can also use the wrist motion because the serve grip allows the paddle surface to be obtuse to the ball trajectory instead of acute as with the conventional paddle. The player is able to impart more spin to the ball with the additional wrist motion. The player need not switch grips after serving since he is using the serve grip for the entire game. Therefore, the player has more time to address the return of serve.