Wilson Sporting Goods Co.

Precor Incorporated

Sean S Epling

Ty B Goodwin

Mark A Fritzke

Robert T Thurman

Joshua S Stenzler

Brent R Slater

Bradley L Gaff

Richard E Moritz

Jeffrey A Flood

Brian S Hayes

Ryan M Raagas

Edwin D Vander Pol

John Thompson

Jon C Pergande

Glen R Mason

Donald G Loeffler

Richard P Hulock

James M Earley

Sean P Griffin

Jeremy H Yim

Jeffery A Flood

A golf club includes a face coupled to a body. A composite axis extends from a heel to a toe of the club and parallel to ground. The face is formed of a fiber composite material including at least first and second sets of ply arrangements. Each of the ply arrangements includes a pair of plies having first and second pluralities of fibers defining first and second angles with respect to the composite axis, respectively. The face has a ball contact surface, an rear surface, and a mid-zone positioned equidistant between the contact and rear surfaces. A majority of the first and second pluralities of fibers of the ply arrangements between the mid-zone and the contact surface are formed of glass fibers, and a majority of the first and second pluralities of ply arrangements between the mid-zone and the rear surface are formed of carbon fibers.

Golf club head having a composite face

A ball bat, extending along a longitudinal axis and configured for impacting a ball, may include a handle portion, an end cap, a barrel and a tubular insert. The barrel longitudinally extends along the longitudinal axis between the handle portion and the end cap. The barrel has a distal end and an inner surface, a portion of which proximate the distal end forms an insert mounting portion. The tubular insert may have a cantilevered portion having an outer surface separated from the inner surface. The cantilevered portion is cantilevered from the insert mounting portion independent of the end cap and forms a majority of a length of the tubular insert.

Ball bat with cantilevered insert

A ball bat extending about a longitudinal axis and configured for testing under an accelerated break-in test. The bat includes a barrel portion that includes an inner surface and is formed of a fiber composite material having wall thickness of at least 0.100 inch. The fiber composite material includes at least first and second plies. The first ply includes a first plurality of fibers aligned adjacent to one another and a first resin, and the second ply includes a second plurality of fibers aligned adjacent to one another and a second resin. The inner surface of the barrel portion defines at least one annular groove. The at least one annular groove creates an ABI fuse region of the barrel portion. The ABI fuse region forms a crack initiation location when the bat is subjected to the accelerated break-in test.

Ball bat including a fiber composite barrel having an accelerated break-in fuse region

An adjustable knob assembly for a ball bat having a tubular handle portion extending about a longitudinal axis. The assembly includes a base and an annular knob. The base includes an end wall and a cylindrical outer wall extending from the end wall. The outer wall is configured to be fixedly coupled to a proximal end of the handle portion of the bat. The outer wall includes a first set of interlocking structure. The annular knob includes an inner radial surface defining a central opening. The inner radial surface includes a second set of interlocking structure. The first and second sets of interlocking structure are positionable between at least a first locked knob position and a second locked knob position.

Adjustable knob assembly for a ball bat

A bat customization method includes the steps of capturing images of a batter's swing, determining a swing plane angle of the batter's swing at ball impact at a middle elevation of a strike zone of the batter based upon the captured images, and providing a bat for the batter. The bat has circumferentially spaced launch angle boosters. Each of the launch angle boosters extends along the axis at an angle based upon the determined swing plane angle.

Ball bat including ball launch angle boosters

A bat customization system for use with a processing unit of an electronic device. The system includes a first sensing bat, at least one sensor carried by the first sensing bat, and a wireless transmitter for transmitting signals from the sensors. The at least one sensor is configured to detect characteristics of at least one test swing of the first sensing bat. The signals represent the detected characteristics. A non-transient computer readable medium containing computer readable programming is configured to direct the processing unit to identify a recommended bat based on the characteristics detected by the at least one sensor carried by the first sensing bat. The programming is configured to direct the processing unit to generate data relating to the at least one test swing.

Bat customization system

A ball bat including one of a left-hand configuration designated for a left-handed batter and a right hand configuration designated for a right-handed batter. The left hand configuration is different than the right hand configuration. The ball bat further includes one of a left-hand indicia indicating the left hand configuration and a right hand indicia indicating the right hand configuration.

A ball bat for impacting a ball and extending along a longitudinal axis may include a handle portion and a barrel portion coupled to the handle portion. The barrel portion may include circumferentially spaced launch angle boosters. Each of the launch angle boosters extend along the axis at an angle of at least 3&#xb0; and no greater than 12&#xb0; from the longitudinal axis.

A ball bat barrel has an interior surface and a luminescent layer on the interior surface. The luminescent layer, upon being charged, emits light that indicates tampering with the interior surface.

Ball bat barrel with luminescent interior

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.

A bat including a barrel, a barrel taper, a first connector portion carried by the barrel taper, a handle, and a second connector portion extending from the handle portion. The barrel has a distal portion, a proximal portion and an internal bore. The barrel taper axially engages the proximal portion of the barrel from within the internal bore. The second connector portion cooperates with the first connector portion to axially draw the barrel taper against the internal bore to connect the barrel to the handle.

An apparatus for releasable attachment to a handle of a ball bat includes a base fixedly coupled to a proximal end of the handle of the bat, and at least one knob releasably coupled to the base. The base includes knob-engaging structure. The knob includes base-engaging structure to cooperate with the knob engaging structure to inhibit rotation of the knob with respect to the longitudinal axis of the bat.

A ball bat extending about a longitudinal axis. The bat includes a barrel portion defining a primary tubular ball impact region. The barrel portion is formed of a fiber composite material. The fiber composite material includes at least first and second plies. The first and second plies include first and second pluralities first and second resins, respectively. Substantially all of the first and second pluralities of fibers of the first and second plies are generally aligned to define first and second angles with respect to the axis, respectively. The angles are each within the range of 45 to 90 degrees. Each of the plies is sized to extend about the full circumference of the barrel portion. The first and second pluralities of fibers are sectioned such that the fibers do not continuously extend about the full circumference of the impact region.

Ball bat including a fiber composite component having high angle discontinuous fibers

A ball bat extending about a longitudinal axis. The bat includes a barrel portion defining a primary tubular region. The tubular region is formed of a fiber composite material having wall thickness of at least 0.100 inch. The fiber composite material includes at least first and second plies. The first and second plies include first and second pluralities of fibers and first and second resins, respectively. Substantially all of the first and second pluralities of fibers of the first and second plies are aligned to define first and second angles of 45 to 90 degrees with respect to the axis, respectively. The first and second plies have opposite polarities and are positioned with the second ply applied over the first ply. The first and second pluralities of fibers are sectioned such that the fibers do not continuously extend about the full circumference of the tubular region.

A ball bat extending along an axis configured for hitting a ball. The bat including a handle portion, a barrel portion coupled to the handle portion, a tubular sleeve positioned within the barrel portion, and an end cap. The barrel portion includes proximal and distal end regions, and a central region. The end cap is coupled to the sleeve and to the barrel portion by an adhesive. The end cap includes an end wall and an annular wall proximally extending from an inner surface of the end wall. The annular wall is configured to engage an inner surface of a distal end region of the sleeve. The annular wall defines at least one through-wall opening configured for facilitating flow of the adhesive through and about the annular wall during the coupling of the end cap to the barrel portion.

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Portland, OR, United States of America

Sean S Epling