1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to sports equipment and, particularly, to sports equipment stick handles.
2. Description of the Background
A sports equipment stick generally comprises an operational head joined to a handle on which the player places his hands. The head, for example, the head of a lacrosse stick or the blade of a hockey stick, refers generally to that part or parts of the sports equipment stick that is/are controlled by the handle. As used herein, “stick” refers to the stick as a whole, including the operational head and the handle.
To execute game skills, a player controls the sports equipment stick by grabbing and maneuvering the handle. In some sports, such as hockey and lacrosse, this control is referred to as “stick handling,” and game skills that involve stick handling include passing, shooting, checking, cradling, carrying, and scooping ground balls. For improved stick handling, it is generally desirable that the stick be light weight. A light weight stick provides improved ball sensitivity, allows quicker stick movement, reduces player fatigue, and provides better stick balance. The stick's weight can be decreased by decreasing the weight of the handle. To decrease the handle weight, either a lighter material must be used or the wall thickness must be decreased. Both options entail compromises.
Decreasing the wall thickness also decreases the handle's strength, rigidity, and durability. Conventional stick handles comprise hollow metal tubes of aluminum, titanium, or other suitable strong lightweight alloys. Lacrosse stick handles generally have an octagonal cross section with uniform wall thickness. Given the octagonal shape, handle-on-handle impacts are almost always edge-to-edge impacts (it is rare that the impacting handles are perfectly aligned to result in a flat-side-surface impact). While executing game skills, it is common for one player's stick to strike another player's stick, whether intentionally or inadvertently. For example, a player executes a stick check to dislodge a ball from an opponent by intentionally striking the opponent's stick with the player's own stick. Often times, these strikes result in handle-on-handle impacts. The handle must have a substantial degree of strength, rigidity, and durability to withstand these impacts and resist dents (that lead to handle failure) while also minimizing stick weight for stick handling.
There is therefore a need in the art for an improved sports equipment stick handle that has the necessary strength to withstand handle-on-handle impacts, but also minimizes the handle's weight for superb stick handling. There is also a need in the art for an improved sports equipment stick handle that has increased strength to withstand handle-on-handle impacts while maintaining a similar weight to conventional handles.