Abstract: A ball bat may include a handle portion and a barrel portion extending away from the handle portion to an end cap. The barrel portion has an outer wall formed from aluminum and includes at least two and no greater than four inwardly projecting circumferential humps spaced by intervening circumferential valleys.

Abstract: A racquet extending along a longitudinal axis and including a frame including a head portion, a handle portion, and a throat portion. The head portion forms a hoop that defines a string bed plane. At least the head portion and the throat portion of the frame are formed at least in part of a fiber composite material. When the racquet is tested under the racquet lateral bending test, the racquet has a lateral deflection of at least 6.0 mm when measured in a direction that is parallel to the string bed plane and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: A racquet including a frame including a head portion, a handle portion, and a throat portion. The head portion forms a hoop that defines a string bed plane. The head portion of the racquet being formed of a fiber composite material. When the racquet is tested under a racquet forward/rearward bending test, the racquet has a forward/rearward deflection with respect to the longitudinal axis of at least 8.5 mm when measured in a direction that is perpendicular to the string bed plane and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. When the racquet is tested under a racquet torsional stability test, the racquet has an angular deflection of less than 5.5 degrees about a longitudinal axis.

Abstract: A golf club may include a head having a body and a faceplate coupled to the body. The faceplate may have a maximum thickness at a central location and a cross-section intersecting the central location. The cross-section may have continuously variable wall thickness across the faceplate. The faceplate may have a closed non-convex contour curve defined by constant faceplate wall thickness that encloses the central location.

Abstract: A sports glove for being worn by a hand may include a backhand panel and a palm panel joined to the backhand panel to form a palm cavity therebetween. The palm cavity extends from a base portion to a knuckle portion. The sports glove may further include finger stalls extending from the palm cavity, the finger stalls comprising an index finger stall and a thumb stall extending from the palm cavity. The sports glove may further include a slit within the backhand panel. The slit may extend along an axis that crosses the base portion and that intersects the index finger stall, or that extends between the index finger stall and the thumb stall. A securement panel may extend across the slit distal and non-overlapping with respect to a wrist sleeve and a wrist strap.

Abstract: A tennis ball including a spherical hollow elastomeric core having a specific gravity of less than 1 and a thickness of at least 4.5 mm, and a textile layer covering the spherical elastomeric hollow core. The spherical hollow core has an initial internal pressure of no greater than 5 psi. The tennis ball has a first tennis ball rebound height when measured at a first time when the tennis ball is unused and a second tennis ball rebound height measured after the tennis ball is exposed to atmospheric pressure for four months following the first time and is unused. The second tennis ball rebound height being at least 96% of the first tennis ball rebound height.

Abstract: A paddle head guard system may include a paddle head guard sized to at least partially cover an outer edge portion of a paddle head. The guard may include a moldable and hardenable band configured to be hardened after being wrapped over the outer edge portion of the paddle head.

Abstract: A racquet including a frame including a head portion, a handle portion, and a throat portion. The head portion forms a hoop that defines a string bed plane. The head portion of the racquet being formed of a fiber composite material. When the racquet is tested under the racquet lateral bending test, the racquet has a lateral deflection of at least 6.5 mm when measured in a first direction that is parallel to the string bed plane and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. When the racquet is tested under a racquet forward/rearward bending test, the racquet has a forward/rearward deflection with respect to the longitudinal axis of less than 7.3 mm when measured in a direction that is perpendicular to the string bed plane and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: A ball bat, extending along a longitudinal axis. The bat includes a barrel portion, an end cap and a handle portion. The barrel portion is formed of a fiber composite material and includes a proximal region having a continuous single wall construction, a central region and a distal region. The central region includes at least first and second central region walls longitudinally extending from the proximal region, and a distal region includes first and second distal region walls longitudinally extending from the central region. The central region walls and the distal region walls form a first inner barrel wall and an outer barrel wall, respectively. The barrel walls are spaced apart by a first separation. The first separation is unfilled and longitudinally extends over the central region and the first distal region wall. The end cap and the handle portion are coupled to the distal and proximal region, respectively.

Abstract: A sports glove for being worn by a hand of a user may include a backhand panel and a palm panel joined to the backhand panel to form a palm cavity therebetween. The palm cavity extends from a base portion to a knuckle portion. The sports glove may further include a wrist sleeve extending from the base portion of the palm cavity and a wrist strap to wrap about the wrist sleeve. The wrist strap includes a pocket, wherein a protective panel is located within the pocket.

Abstract: A tennis garment includes a seamless tubular waistband including a top end and a bottom end, a liner short coupled to the waistband, and a skirt coupled to one or both of the waistband and the liner short. The waistband includes at least first, second and third compression regions between the top end and the bottom end. The first, second and third compression regions have first, second and third compression levels, respectively. The first compression region is at or adjacent to the top end. The third compression region is positioned toward the bottom end, and the second compression region being positioned between the first and third compression regions. The third compression level is greater than the second compression level, and the second compression level is greater than the first compression level.

Abstract: A ball glove may include a front glove portion, a back glove portion and a webbing. A palm side of the webbing comprises a spin reduction texture. The spin reduction texture includes a first pattern of raised projections and/or recesses.

Abstract: A sports glove for being worn by a hand may include a backhand panel and a palm panel joined to the backhand panel to form a palm cavity therebetween. The palm cavity extends from a base portion to a knuckle portion. The sports glove may further include finger stalls extending from the palm cavity, the finger stalls comprising an index finger stall and a thumb stall extending from the palm cavity. The sports glove may further include a slit within the backhand panel, the slit distally extending from the base portion to a terminus between an index metacarpal and a thumb metacarpal of the hand received within the glove. The sports glove may further or alternatively include a wrist strap containing a protective insert that extends in an arc about an ulna side of a forearm.

Abstract: An American-style football may include a prolate spheroidal shaped bladder having a longitudinal axis, an outermost layer about the bladder, a lacing surface featuring a series of parallel projections from an exterior of the outermost layer and an intermediate sandwiched between the bladder and the outermost layer, wherein the intermediate layer is configured to decrease a MOI of the football.

Abstract: A golf club may include a head having a body and a faceplate coupled to the body. The faceplate may have a maximum thickness at a central location and a cross-section intersecting the central location. The cross-section may have continuously variable wall thickness across the faceplate. The faceplate may have a closed non-convex contour curve defined by constant faceplate wall thickness that encloses the central location.

Abstract: A batter hand guard may include a hand back portion configured to cover at least metacarpal bones of ring, middle and index fingers of the hand on the back side of the hand, a wrist back extension extending from the hand back portion and configured to cover a back of an ulna and a back of a radius of a forearm, and a wrist side extension extending sideways from the wrist back extension. The wrist side extension is formed from a moldable and hardenable material configured to wrap about the ulna from the back side to the palm side of the forearm.