Abstract:
A sports shaft includes an elongated body, a first gripping notch, and a second gripping notch. The first gripping notch is located on a first side of the body. The second gripping notch is located on a second side of the body opposite the first side. The first notch and the second notch are located at positions along the longitudinal dimension of the body to receive hands of a user during operation.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]    The present invention relates to sports equipment and, more particular, to handles and shafts of sports equipment. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]    Lacrosse shafts are connected to lacrosse heads and are gripped by a user to allow the user to carry a ball and/or manipulate the shaft to cause the ball to be ejected from a lacrosse head to a desired location away therefrom, e.g., to pass the ball to another player or shoot at a goal. Various alterations to the standard lacrosse shaft have been attempted to increase the efficiency of throwing and/or catching the lacrosse ball using the lacrosse head. However, standard lacrosse shafts continue to have a continuous shape from end to end, sometimes changing in circumference, but not shape. For example, a traditional lacrosse shaft may have a continuous octagonal shape. Other shafts have been known to have a cross-sectional shape formed an “I”, or to have a cross-sectional shape of a square having projections on opposite sides of the square. 
         [0003]    Thus, a need exists for improved lacrosse shafts to aid a user in throwing and/or catching a lacrosse ball using a head attached to such shafts. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]    The present invention provides, in a first aspect, a sports shaft which includes an elongated body, a first gripping notch, and a second gripping notch. The first gripping notch is located on a first side of the body. The second gripping notch is located on a second side of the body opposite the first side. The first notch and the second notch are located at positions along a longitudinal dimension of the body to receive hands of a user during operation. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a sports shaft in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a side elevational view of the sports shaft of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is a bottom elevational view of the sports shaft of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  is a top elevational view of the sports shaft of  FIG.1 ; 
           [0009]      FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view of a portion of the sports shaft of  FIG. 1  taken along lines  5 - 5 ; 
           [0010]      FIG. 6  is a cross sectional view of a portion of the sports shaft of  FIG. 3  taken along lines  6 - 6 ; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 7  is a cross sectional view of a portion of the sports shaft of  FIG. 4  taken along lines  7 - 7 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0012]    In accordance with the principles of the present invention, a sports shaft is provided. 
         [0013]    In an exemplary embodiment, a sports shaft  10  (e.g., a lacrosse stick shaft) includes a body portion  20  having a first end  30  and a second end  40 . Body  20  has a cross sectional area having an octagonal shape in the vicinity of first end  30 , second end  40  and a central portion  50 , as depicted in  FIGS. 2 and 5 . Ends  30  and  40  may have any shape (e.g., an octagonal shape) which is configured (e.g. shaped &amp; dimensioned) to allow shaft  10  to engage with, and attach to, a sports head  5  (e.g., a lacrosse stick head). 
         [0014]    As depicted in  FIGS.1-4 , body  20  may include a first gripping notch  110  and a second gripping notch  150  on opposite sides of body  20 . For example, notch  110  may include a notch central portion  115  and inclined portions  120  and  125 . Body  20  may also include an outer surface  25  of a topside  200 , which may be connected to notch central portion  115  by inclined surfaces  120  and  125 . Also, a bottom side  300  may include an outer surface  325  which may be connected to a notch central portion  310  of notch  150  by inclined portions  320  and  315 , as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . Body  20  may also include opposite side portions  400  and  410  along with connecting portions  420 ,  430 ,  440  and  450  as depicted in the octagonal cross section depicted in  FIG. 5 . 
         [0015]    Also, gripping notch  110  and second gripping notch  150  are configured (e.g., shaped and dimensioned) such that a user may grasp body  20  to allow manipulation thereof by the user. For example, notch  110  and notch  150  may have shapes ( FIGS. 6-7 ) different than body  20  in the vicinity of first end  30 , second end  40  and central portion  50 . Notch  110  and notch  150  may be six-sided with outer surface  325  and outer surface  25  being relatively flat in the vicinity of notch central portion  310  and notch central portion  115 , which may be substantially parallel to outer surfaces  25  and  325 , respectively. Such six-sided figures ( FIGS. 6-7 ) may be formed by the removal of a portion of body  20  which includes outer surface  25  and connecting portions  420  and  450  to result in notch central portion  115 . Also, the removal of outer surface  325  and connecting portions  430  and  440  may form notch central portion  310  as is shown in  FIG. 7 . Such removal may be performed by sanding, cutting, or otherwise changing the shape of a sport shaft formed in an octagonal shape. Alternatively, such a sport shaft (e.g., sport shaft  10 ) may be molded, cast, forged or otherwise originally formed in the shape depicted in  FIGS. 1-7 . 
         [0016]    The inclined surfaces (e.g., inclined portions  120 ,  125 ,  315 ,  320 ) may be transition zones between the outer surfaces (e.g., outer surfaces  25  of top side  200  and outer surface  325  of bottom side  300 ) depicted in  FIG. 5  versus the notch central zones (e.g., notch central zones  115  and  310 ) depicted in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . For example, the transition zones (cross sections not shown) may be eight-sided, but may have different cross sectional areas than that depicted in  FIG. 5 , with the connecting portions differing in height relative to that depicted in  FIG. 5 . 
         [0017]    Notches  110  and  150  may be gripped by a user (e.g., a lacrosse player) to allow shaft  10  to be held during operation, such as when throwing or catching a ball during a lacrosse game. The notches alter the shape (e.g., reduce the width) of shaft  10  such that the user may more easily grip first notch  110  and second notch  150  than the remainder of body  20  of shaft  10 . For example, altering the shape of the shaft such that it has a reduced thickness in the area of the notches allows a user to easily orient his or her grip on the shaft and more comfortably utilize a lacrosse stick with better orientation. Further, by allowing a user to more tightly grip a lacrosse stick, more leverage may be applied such that the user may cause a ball to be thrown more quickly and accurately. Further, the reduced shaft thickness may also allow a user having smaller hands to utilize a standard sized lacrosse stick. The shape of the notches may also be more comfortable to a user&#39;s hand than a standard lacrosse shaft, for example. 
         [0018]    Also, gripping notches  110  and  150  may be located off set from a centerline  21  (i.e., a point equally distant to ends  30  and  40 ) along body  20  such that gripping notch  150  is further from centerline  21  than gripping notch  110  is relative to centerline  21 . For example, gripping notch  150  may be located closer to head  5  than gripping notch  110  is relative to end  40 . Shafts may also be formed of different lengths and the notches may be located at various points depending on the length of a particular shaft. For example, a defensive lacrosse player often uses a longer shaft than an offensive player. An offensive player may use the shaft depicted in the figures while a defensive player may use a shaft which is longer and which has the notches (e.g., notches  110  and  150 ) located further from a lacrosse head (e.g., head  5 ) than that depicted for shaft  10 . For example, a mid-point  22  between notches  110  and  150  is located at a point closer to head  5  than centerline  21  as depicted in the figures. In contrast, a shaft (not shown) for a defensive player may have a center point closer to an end (e.g., end  40 ) opposite a head (e.g., head  5 ) then a centerline (e.g., centerline  21 ) thereof. Also, although the sports shaft depicted in the figures has notch  110  located on a same side of sport shaft  10  as a front of the lacrosse head depicted, the lacrosse head could be rotated such that notch  110  is located on an opposite side relative to the front of the lacrosse head while notch  310  could be located adjacent the front side of the lacrosse head. 
         [0019]    It will also be understood by one skilled in the art that notches  110  and  150  could be formed of any shape which is easily grasped or gripped by a user and is narrower than remaining portions of body  20 . It will also be understood by one skilled in the art that the above described transition zones could be formed at any angle which is comfortable to the hand of a user and which tapers between the outer surfaces and center of the notched zones described above. It will also be understood by one skilled in the art that sport shaft  10  could be connected to any number of sports equipment heads (e.g., a hockey blade) which may be utilized in a manner similar to a lacrosse stick and in which a reduced diameter at hand holding portions thereof is desirable. Also, it will be understood that shaft  10  could be formed of any shape between the notches described above which is convenient to manufacture, promotes easy gripping. Further, it will be understood by one skilled in the art that body  20  could include notch  110  or notch  150 , instead of both notches, while still promoting easy gripping by a user and promoting the use of a sports head such as a lacrosse stick head with body  20 . 
         [0020]    Although preferred embodiments have been depicted and described in detail herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art that various modifications, additions, substitutions and the like can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and these are therefore considered to be within the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.