Non-Grip Pickleball Paddles

This applications claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/640,841 filed on Apr. 30, 2024, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

This disclosure relates to pickleball paddles.

Pickleball is rapidly growing popular among players of many age groups and skill levels. Players at all different skill levels and having varying degrees of physical capabilities enjoy the game recreationally and/or in competition.

In the game of pickleball, the paddle, the ball, and the type of pickleball court may affect the pace of the game, and the how players continue playing depending on their physical abilities and skill levels. Pickleball paddles and balls are strictly regulated by the U.S. Pickleball Association for tournament play, and most paddles used in intermediate or recreational play are also constructed to adhere to the U.S. Pickleball Association's specifications.

Given that some segments of pickleball players desire pickleball paddles that are more customized to their capabilities, strengths and/or preferences, pickleball paddles that are designed to accommodate various player capabilities, strengths, and/or preferences are desired.

An example embodiment provides a pickleball paddle comprising a striking blade and a paddle holding part, wherein the paddle holding part is configured to have a hand inserted therein and/or to have the hand temporarily attached thereto.

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosure. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the disclosure, including structures, systems, and methods, may be practiced without these specific details. The description and representation herein are the common means used by those experienced or skilled in the art to most effectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, and circuitry have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring aspects of the disclosure.

References in the specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “an example embodiment,” etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described.

This disclosure relates to “Pickleball,” a game that has in recent years seen a massive increase in popularity among all age groups of players, including among senior citizens. Pickleball is a game that can be described as combining aspects of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong. It is played on a badminton-sized court, with paddles and a ball similar to a wiffle ball, but slightly smaller in size. The net used in pickleball is similar to a tennis net in some ways, but is lowered at the center.

Pickleball has recently become very popular and is played both indoors and outdoors, as either doubles or singles. The rules are relatively simple and the game is easy for beginners to learn. However, among skilled players, pickleball can develop into a quick, fast-paced, and competitive game.

shows an example pickleball courtthat includes a pickleball playing surfaceand a pickleball net. The playing surfacecomprises two left serve areasand, two right serve areasand, and two non-volley areasand, with one of the left serve areas, one of the right serve areas, and one of the non-volley areas being on each side of the pickleball net. The net is 36 inches tall at the edges, and lowered to 34 inches in the middle. The areas-are defined by baselinesandeach 20 feet, sidelinesandeach 44 feet, center linesandeach 15 feet, and non-volley linesandeach the same size as a baseline. Each of the lines may be 2 inches wide. The term “court line” is used in this disclosure to refer to any sideline, baseline, centerline or non-volley line on the pickleball court. Non-volley areasand, each extending 7 feet from the net, are also referred to as the “kitchen”.

The game of pickleball is played with a pickleball paddleand pickleball ball. The ballis typically made of plastic and has a 3-inch diameter. Similar to a wiffleball, the ballhas through holes throughout the surface. Different types (e.g., with different levels of hardness and different sizes of the through holes) may be used for playing the game on the various types of pickleball courts (e.g., indoor, outdoor, hard surface, soft surface etc.).

Pickleball can be played as singles or doubles, and is most commonly played as doubles. Each point begins with an underarm serve. The serve is performed diagonally beginning at the right-hand service square. A valid serve sends the ball from one left serve area to the other left serve area or from one right serve area to the other right serve area. The serve must clear the non-volley-zone. The serve must bounce before being hit by the receiver. The return of serve must also bounce before being hit (this is known as thebounce rule). After the serve and the return of the serve, the ball can land anywhere on the opposite side of the playing surface. Volleys can only be performed outside of the non-volley zone. Volleys, that is, hitting the ball in the air without first letting it bounce, can only be made after thebounce rule has been followed. However, if the ball is hit from within the kitchen, then it cannot land in the kitchen on the other side of the net.

A fault is any action that stops play due to a rule violation. A fault by the receiving team results in the servers earning a point. A fault by the serving team results in the server's loss of service and/or side out. A fault is committed when the serve touches any part of the non-volley zone (including the line) or the ball is hit out of bounds.

Pickleball games are typically played without a referee and are self-judged. Each player makes the line calls as to whether the ball is in or out when the ball contacts the playing surface on that player's side. The game continues to at least 11 points and requires a 2-point difference for a win.shows another view of a pickleball court.

As noted above, pickleball is played by people of all ages and all skill levels. It is important that pickleball organizations provide as many options as possible to facilitate enjoyable play among, especially, groups of recreational players who may need (or prefer) pickleball paddles with larger surface to assist with improving their ability to return the ball and with arrangements of the striking surface and/or handle of the paddles to provide a more comfortable grip and/or ability to make contact with the ball.

A conventional pickleball paddle is shown in. In some example embodiments, as shown for example in, a pickleball paddlemay comprise a striking bladeand a handleconnected to the striking blade. A gripmay wrap around a portion of the handleand may comprise of a material that is more comfortable and/or provides better control of the paddle. The gripis the portion of the handle that is intended to be held by the player during play (e.g., to strike and return a ball during play). The striking bladecomprises two striking surfaces, a core sandwiched between the striking surfaces, and, optionally, a frame (also referred to as an edge)surrounding the striking surfaces. A striking surfacemay also be referred to as a face of the striking bladeand is intended to be the portion of the striking bladewith which to strike the pickleball ball. During a pickleball game, based on the ball position and/or player position on the pickleball court, the player may use either the front face or the back face of the striking blade (e.g., corresponding to the front and back of the pickleball paddle, respectively) for any shot. The core of the striking blade may be constructed from materials such as, for example, hardened rubber, plastic, rubber/plastic compound, polymer, aluminum, honeycomb composite, etc., The striking surfacemay comprise one or more layers of materials such as, for example, hardened rubber, plastic, rubber/plastic compound, fiberglass, carbon fiber, graphite, etc., that are conducive to striking/returning the pickleball ball and/or controlling the behavior of the ball. The striking surfacemay be configured with a particular hardness (e.g., using the same or different material or material combination as in the rest of the striking surface) in an area referred to as “sweet spot” intended to provide the primary area of contact with the pickleball. The framemay be constructed with a wood, plastic and/or hard rubber or compound thereof to encompass and provide support to the striking surface. The framemay be integrated with or connected to the handleat a connection area (also referred to as a connection part or connection point). The handlemay be the lower portion of a part/member (e.g., constructed of the same or different material(s) as the handle) that extends to the top of the striking blade (e.g., to the frameat the top of the striking blade) or part way through the middle/core of the striking blade, and may be integrated/connected with the framein the connecting area (connecting part).

In a conventional pickleball paddle such as that shown in, the entire paddle has the same center axis. That is, a center axis of the striking bladeand the center axisof the handleare parallel and are aligned with each other. Some pickleball paddles may include a butt capaffixed to the bottom of the handle.

shows two examples of commonly available pickleball paddles. The example pickleball paddle on the left side has a more elongated striking blade than the example paddle on the right side, providing a larger striking surface. Both example pickleball paddles in, similar to that in, has an edge that is of a concave shape on either side (left and right) of the handle and then curves upward before extending up in a straight line. In each example paddle shown inthe center axes (not shown in) of the striking blade and the handle are the same.

shows example pickleball paddle specifications and standards according to USA Pickleball—the United States Pickleball Association. The current USA Pickleball specifications require that the combined length and width of a pickleball paddle cannot exceed 24 inches. The illustrated example paddle specification shows a paddle shape that can provide for a total length (handle and striking blade) of 15.5″-17″ inches and a width of 7″-8.25″. The paddle length may not exceed 17 inches (43.18 cm). Not mandated by USA Pickleball, but illustrated infor an example pickleball paddle, are a thickness of 0.5″-0.625″ of the striking blade, a thickness of 1.25″ at the bottom of the handle, and a length of 4″-5.5″ of the handle. The side profile view at the bottom of the figure illustrates the profile view from the long side of the example paddle, and the side profile view shown on the right illustrates the profile view from the top-side of the paddle.

The handle must be an extension of the paddle face and may not exceed 5 inches (12.7 cm) in length. The handle must be an integral part of the paddle face. It should not have any separate components or extensions beyond the permitted length. The handle should have a smooth surface without any protrusions, attachments, or features that could cause injury to players or interfere with gameplay. The handle, like the rest of the paddle, must be constructed of approved materials. Common materials include wood, composite materials, or graphite.

In each of the above identified example pickleball paddles, the paddle comprises a striking blade and a handle, and the handle is designed to be gripped by the player by, for example, wrapping fingers (e.g., palm and fingers) around the handle. For example,shows grip, in which typically a no-slip material (e.g., tape) is wrapped to provide a better, stronger and/or more comfortable contact for the player's fingers (and palm and/or thumb) to hold the paddle.

With pickleball getting popular among all types of varied age groups and player physical capabilities, some players may find it difficult to properly grip pickleball paddles such as those shown in. For example, some players may not have sufficient hand strength and/or dexterity to securely grip a handle of a pickleball paddle. Some players may have medical conditions such as arthritis or carpel tunnel syndrome that can make it difficult to hold a pickleball paddle by gripping its handle.

Maintaining a grip on the handle can make the wrist, elbow and arm tight. Depending on the shot type, the players should be able to have loose or tight grip. When a pickleball handle is held with a grip, that uses muscles in the fingers, wrist, and elbow, arm, and even shoulder. When the handle is held with a grip, elbow and arm muscles are activated to hold the paddle, and this reduces speed and accuracy in shots. As muscles perform two functions in existing paddles: grip the handle, and move the paddle to perform the shot. The looser the grip, the faster and more accurate the arm and wrist movement are. Traditional grip causes hand to sweat, which makes the grip inconvenient.

Example embodiments of the present disclosure provide pickleball paddles that can be held and used by the players without a gripping action on a handle. This may be helpful to, and/or may be found preferable by, players who find it difficult and/or impossible to grip a conventional pickleball paddle by a handle such as handle(shown in). This may also be helpful to professional pickleball players to increase the speed, power and accuracy of their shots. The example embodiments may improve a player's performance as the paddle is designed to be more ergonomic. The movement of the paddle requires more natural body movements and that enables players at almost all levels with various playing styles to play better.

The gripless pickleball paddles of example embodiments perform like extensions of the hand. Players can wear the paddle like a mitten or glove to hold the paddle. Players can wear the paddle by attaching their palm to the paddle holding part using straps or other materials. No gripping around the handle is required and example embodiments activates minimal muscle from finger, wrist, elbow, arm and shoulder to hold the paddle. The wrist, elbow, arm and shoulder muscles may be used toward the shot.

illustrates a no-grip pickleball paddlein accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. Pickleball paddlecomprises a striking bladeand a paddle holding partconnected to the striking blade.

The paddle holding partis configured for the player's handto be inserted therein. An openingis provided through which the hand may be inserted. In some embodiments, the hand may be inserted so that the area up to the wrist is inside the paddle holding part. The paddle holding partis configured so that the handis located inside the paddle holding part, but the player still has the full capability of movement to rotate/move the hand at the wrist.

The paddle holding partmay include a rigid shell constructed from a plastic, hard rubber composite, fiberglass and/or wood material(s). The paddle holding part, in the internal space enclosed by its shell structure, may include an insertion structurewhich accommodates the players hand and provides for the paddle to be held with sufficient sturdiness to enable repeatedly striking the pickleball ball during a game. The sufficient sturdiness may require a level of sturdiness as provided by the player gripping the handleof the pickleball paddleshown in.

In some embodiments, the insertion structuremay be molded to snugly fit the hand so that the amount of free movement of the inserted part of the handwithin the insertion structureis minimal or non-existent. The molded insertion structure may be formed of a plastic and/or rubber composite material. The insertion structureand/or the openingmay include a flexible, elastic material that can be pushed or forced to make space by inserting the hand, and that, after the hand is inserted in place, expands to more snugly hold the hand in place. When the hand is snugly fit in the insertion structure, there is little or no free movement of the hand within the insertion structure.

In the embodiment illustrated in, the insertion structureis configured to accommodate the hand with its fingers spread out (set apart from each other).

The striking blademay include a front striking surface and a back striking surface and a core that is sandwiched between the front and back striking surfaces. The paddle holding partmay be seamlessly attached to the striking blade. For example, a frame surrounding the striking surfaces and the core of the striking blade, and/or the core of the striking blade, may seamlessly be attached with the paddle holding part. In the embodiment illustrated in, the insertion structure is entirely contained within the confines of the paddle holding part.

The paddle holding partwith the built-in insertion structureenables the player to move the paddleby moving his/her arm to strike the pickleball ball. The ability to strike the ball with back and forth movements of the arm while the fingers and palm are stretched out (straightened fingers), instead of being in a tight grip as is required with conventional paddles, may enable players that have difficulty with maintaining tight grips on objects such as handles of pickleball paddles. The embodiment shown in, enables the player to hit both forehand and backhand shots with similar movements of the arm, and provides for the full range of shots as enabled by the conventional pickleball paddles.

illustrates a no-grip pickleball paddlein accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. Pickleball paddlecomprises a striking bladeand a paddle holding partconnected to the striking blade.

Pickleball paddleis similar to pickleball paddleand thus, striking blade, paddle holding part, and striking surfacemay be constructed in a form and manner similar to striking blade, paddle holding part, and striking surfacedescribed in relation to.

One difference of paddlein relation to paddleis that the insertion structure, in contrast to insertion structureof paddle, provides for the fingers to be together. In a similar manner to insertion structure, however, insertion structuremay be molded to snugly fit the hand so that the amount of free movement of the inserted part of the hand within the insertion structureis minimal or non-existent. The molded insertion structure may be formed of a plastic and/or rubber composite material. The insertion structureand/or the openingmay include a flexible, elastic material that can be pushed or forced to make space by inserting the hand, and that, after the hand is inserted in place, expands to more snugly hold the hand in place. When the hand is snugly fit in the insertion structure, there is little or no free movement of the hand within the insertion structure.

andshow two example embodiments. Other implementations of the disclosure can be implemented to achieve a no grip pickleball paddle. In some example embodiments (not shown in the figure), one or more fingers may be inserted into the paddle. In an example, four fingers not including the thumb, or four fingers not including the pinky, or three fingers may be used to hold the paddle. Other alternatives could be implemented. In example embodiments, a handle is not hold by holding a grip around the handle as with traditional pickleball paddles. In some example embodiments, the surface of the handle may be used for hitting the ball in forehand and/or backhand strikes.

illustrates a no-grip pickleball paddlein accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. Pickleball paddlecomprises a striking bladeand a paddle holding partconnected to the striking blade.

The striking blademay be as the same form and construction as the striking bladesanddescribed above.

The paddle holding partis, in contrast to paddle holding partsandwhich were configured to accommodate the players hand within the shell structure of the respective paddle holding parts, configured to have the hand of the player attached thereto. In one embodiment, a plurality of straps,,andmay be attached to one side (i.e., front or back) of the paddle holding partso that that the hand can be slipped-in between the straps and the shell structure of the paddle holding part. The hand, when inserted through the several attached straps is firmly held against the outside of the shell structure in a manner that enables the player to move the paddleby moving his/her arm.

Of the plurality of straps attached on the side of the shell structure of the paddle holding partwhere the hand is to be located, one or more stripsmay be configured to hold fingers, one or more stripsto hold the thumb, and at least twoandto hold the open palm. In some embodiments, the strips-may be formed with cloth, an elastic and/or Velcro material. In some embodiments, the strips-are constructed with a plastic and/or hard rubber composite material. Embodiments are not limited by the construction materials and/or number of strips-.

In some embodiments, instead of individual and separate strips, the handmay be held by a glove-like hand insertion structure (not shown) formed on one side of the paddle holding structure. Such a glove-like structure may be constructed from a plastic and/or hard rubber composite material.

In the illustrated embodiment of, the strips and/or glove structure is configured to have the palm open and the fingers spread out (e.g., straightened).

illustrates a no-grip pickleball paddlein accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. Pickleball paddlecomprises a striking bladeand a paddle holding partconnected to the striking blade.

The striking blademay be as the same form and construction as the striking bladesanddescribed above.

Pickleball paddleis similar to pickleball paddleand thus, striking blade, paddle holding part, and striking surfacemay be constructed in a form and manner similar to striking blade, paddle holding part, and striking surfacedescribed in relation to.

One difference of paddlein relation to paddleis that the plurality of strips-, in contrast to the plurality of strips-of paddle, provides for the fingers to be together.

In exampleand/orthe palm of the hand may be facing the paddle. In an example, the back of the palm may be facing the paddle. In some example embodiments, some implementation features inmay be combined. For example, in example implementation as shown in, straps may be used to further tightly connect the hand and/or fingers to the paddle. In that case, the palm and/or fingers are inserted into the handle, and the straps may be inside the handle. The straps may be used to tightly hold the paddle to the hand. The straps may be pulled from the side (e.g.,) to tighten or loosen the straps from the hand.

illustrates a no-grip pickleball paddlein accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. Pickleball paddlecomprises a striking bladeintegrated with a paddle holding structure.

For example, the proximal end to the player includes an openingthrough which the player inserts his/hand with open palm and stretched out/straightened fingers into the paddle holding structure such that the hand is accommodate in an insertion structurebetween the front side and back side of the striking blade.