GB2488311A

GB2488311A - A cricket bat handle comprising a plurality of circumferentially arranged segments

Info

Publication number: GB2488311A
Application number: GB1102769.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nick Fox; Richard Andrews; Henry Fletcher
Original assignee: Dunlop Slazenger International Ltd
Current assignee: Dunlop International Europe Ltd
Priority date: 2011-02-17
Filing date: 2011-02-17
Publication date: 2012-08-29
Also published as: GB201102769D0

Abstract

A bat handle comprising a plurality of longitudinal handle members 26 circumferentially arranged. The handle may be for a cricket bat and the members 26 may be made of cane. The handle may have at least three handle members 26 which may taper inwardly, be triangular or be circular segments or sectors. Cork or rubber damping members 28 may be used between the handle members which may be glued together. The handle may have a spliced portion 24 for attachment to a bat and may have a substantially cylindrical gripping portion 22. There may be an opening 32 in the centre of the handle which may be filled.

Description

BAT HANDLE

The invention relates to a bat handle, in particular, afthough not exclusively, to a cricket bat handle for a cricket bat.

Cricket bats typically comprise a main bat portion, or blade, attached to a bat handle.

The blade is usually made from willow wood and may be treated with linseed oil in order to protect the blade. Willow wood is usually used because it is relatively tough whilst still being relatively lightweight. The bat handle comprises a cylindrical grip portion and a splice portion that is used to splice the handle to the blade.

In use, when a player hits the ball with the bat, the handle and the blade undergo both bending and torsional deformation. The handle, in particular, acts as a shock absorber so that the impact force of the ball on the bat is dampened. If the handle is too stiff then shots may be more powerful, but the player's comfort will be reduced because the handle will provide little dampening. However, if the handle is too flexible then although the comfort will be increased, the shots will be less powerful. The stiffness of the handle is therefore a compromise between power and comfort.

The bat handle is typically made from cane and cork. Cane is often used for the handle of a bat as it is a good compromise between stiffness and flexibility. lt is also relatively light which results in the centre of gravity of the bat being in the lower portion of the blade. This improves the ease with which powerful shots can be played.

The handle is usually manufactured by gluing a number of rods of cane (each having a rectangular or square cross-section) together side-by-side to form a row of rods. A number of these rows of rods are then glued together with a strip of cork disposed between the rows. This forms a rod assembly having a substantially square cross-section. The assembly is then usually machined by turning to form a cylindrical assembly. A tapered splice portion is then cut into an end of the assembly. To complete the bat, the handle is wrapped with twine and the splice portion of the handle is glued into a corresponding recess formed in the blade.

The laws governing cricket, which may be subject to change, set-out what materials the bat can be made from and imposes various limits on the proportions of these materials.

Appendix E of the laws currently state that "As a proportion of the total volume of the handle, materials other than cane, wood or twine are restricted to one-tenth for Types A and B and one-fifth for Type C. Such materials must not project more than 3.25 in/8.26 cm into the lower portion of the handle". Law 6 of the laws define the "lower portion" as the portion of the handle used purely for joining the blade and handle together.

Whilst a bat such as that described above has many advantages, the handle, in particular, is anisotropic. This means that the bending stiffness of the handle varies greatly depending on the bending direction. This may cause non-uniform distortion of the handle during ball impact which may cause the blade to rotate. This can result in inconsistent ball trajectories off the blade of the bat. The non-uniform distortion and movement can also lead to a loss of power and increased jarring which may cause player discomfort and mistimed shots.

It is therefore desirable to provide a bat handle that has more uniform mechanical properties. lt is also desirable to provide a method for manufacturing the same.

ln a broad aspect the invention relates to a plurality of circumferentially arranged, or angularly spaced, members forming a bat handle.

According to an aspect of the invention there is provided a bat handle comprising a plurality of substantially longitudinally extending handle members (or handle elements) circumferentially arranged (or angularly spaced or offset). The handle members may be circumferentiaUy arranged or angularly spaced or offset about a common axis or point. The common axis may be the longitudinal axis of the bat handle. The handle members may be arranged so that at least a portion of the cross-section of the handle is rotationally symmetrical. At least a portion of the cross-sectional shape of the bat handle may be circular, oval, hexagonal, octagonal, or decagonal, for example. The handle members may be attached to one another by gluing, for example.

The handle members may be attached directly or indirectly to one another. For example, the handle members may be indirectly attached to one another with an intermediate component or material disposed therebetween. The handle members may be arranged around a circular or oval line. The bat handle may comprise further handle members that are not circumferentially arranged.

There may be at least three handle members. There may be at least tour! at least six, at least eight, or at least 12 handle members.

The cross-sectional shape of each handle member may taper radially inwardly and therefore may be wedge-shaped. The cross-sectional shape of each handle member may be substantially triangular or substantially a circular sector or segment.

A damping member, or damper, may be disposed between adjacent handle members.

A damping member may be disposed between each adjacent pair of handle members.

The or each damping member may comprise cork or rubber or any other damping material. The rubber may be synthetic rubber or natural rubber. The or each damping member may be coextensive with the handle members. The damping member may be a damping gel, for example. The or each damping member may be a strip having a relatively thin thickness, such as 0.5mm-2mm, that space apart adjacent handle members. The or each damping member may indirectly attach adjacent pairs of handle members which the damping member is disposed between.

A damping member may be disposed between only some of the adjacent pairs of handle members. In this arrangement, some of the handle members would be directly attached to one another and the others would be indirectly attached to one another by a damping material. For example, if there are six handle members, there may be a damping member between four adjacent pairs of handle members and the other two pairs of adjacent handle members may be directly attached to one another.

Adjacent handle members may be attached substantially along an attachment plane.

The or each attachment plane may be where the faces of adjacent handle members meet. In other embodiments, if an intermediate component such as a damping member is disposed between adjacent handle members, the attachment plane may be located between the faces of adjacent handle members. For example, it adjacent handle members are spaced apart, the imaginary attachment plane may be located equidistant between the adjacent handle members. The attachment planes may be substantially radially extending, or may at least have a radial component. The attachment planes may be circumferentially spaced and/or angularly spaced from one another. The attachment planes may be equally spaced from one another. The number of attachment planes may be the same as the number of handle members.

The handle members may comprise, or may be, cane. The members may be glued together. The glue may be PVA glue, for example. There may be a layer of adhesive between adjacent members. The adjacent members may be adjacent handle members, or a handle member and a damping member. If there is a damping member between adjacent handle members, there may be two layers of adhesive between adjacent handle members, one between each handle member and the damping member. The layers of adhesive may be coextensive with the handle. The layers of adhesive may be planar. The layers of adhesive may be radially extending and may be longitudinally extending.

The bat handle may comprise a longitudinally extending grip portion arranged to be gripped by a user and an attachment portion arranged to attach the bat handle to a bat portion. The bat portion may comprise the blade of a bat. The grip portion may be substantially cylindrical. ln other embodiments the cross-sectional shape of the grip portion may be oval, square or rectangular, for example. The attachment portion may be a splice portion which is arranged to be spliced to a bat portion.

The bat handle may further comprise a longitudinal opening at least partially extending into the handle. The opening may be at least partially filled. The opening may be filled with any suitable material. Suitable materials may comprise, but are not limited to, wood, cane, polymers, natural or synthetic rubber, composites, glass fibre, carbon fibre, metal, ferrous or non-ferrous material, ceramic, resin, or any combination thereof.

The bat handle may be a cricket bat handle.

The invention also concerns a bat comprising a bat portion attached to a bat handle in accordance with any statement herein. The bat may be a cricket bat.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of manufacturing a bat handle comprising circumferentially arranging, or angularly spacing, and attaching a plurality of substantially longitudinally extending handle members. The handle members may be directly or indirectly attached to one another.

An intermediate component may be disposed between and attached to adjacent handle members.

The method may further comprise disposing a damping member between adjacent handle members. The method may further comprise disposing a damping member between each adjacent pair of handle members.

The method may further comprise gluing the members together.

The method may further comprise machining the assembled members to form a substantially longitudinally extending grip portion. The grip portion may be formed by turning.

The method may further comprise forming an attachment portion for attaching the bat handle to a bat portion. The attachment portion may be formed by cutting a tapered splice portion into an end of the assembled members. The splice portion may be cut with a band-saw, for example.

The plurality of handle members may be wrapped around a mandrel which is subsequently removed to form a longitudinal opening at least partially extending into the handle. The method may further comprise at least partially filling the opening.

The method may comprise forming a longitudinal opening in the handle. This may be done by drilling, for example.

The invention also concerns a method of manufacturing a bat comprising manufacturing a bat handle in accordance with a method according to any statement herein and attaching the bat handle to a bat portion.

The invention may comprise any combination of the features and/or limitations referred to herein, except combinations of such features as are mutually exclusive.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 schematically shows a cricket bat; Figure 2 schematically shows the cricket bat of Figure 1 with the grip removed; Figure 3 schematically shows a perspective view of the bat handle of the bat of Figure Figure 4 schematically shows an end view of the bat handle of Figure 1; Figure 5 schematically shows a front view of the bat hancfie of Figure 1; Figure 6 schematically shows a side view of the bat handle of Figure 1; Figures 7-11 schemaUcafly illustrate various steps in a method of manufacturing the bat handle of Figures 3-6; Figure 12 schematically shows an end view of a second embodiment of a bat handle according to the invention; Figure 13 schematically shows an end view of a third embodiment of a bat handle according to the invention; Figure 14 schematically shows an end view of a fourth embodiment of a bat handle according to the invention; Figure 15 schematically shows an end view of a fifth embodiment of a bat handle according to the invention; Figure 16 schematically shows an end view of a sixth embodiment of a bat handle according to the invention; and Figure 17 schematically shows an end view of a seventh embodiment of a bat handle according to the invention.

Figures 1 and 2 show a cricket bat 10 comprising a longitudinally extending bat portion, otherwise known as the blade 12, and a longitudinally extending bat handle 20.

ln this embodiment the blade 12 is made from willow wood treated with linseed oil. The materials used for the handle 20 will be discussed in detail below. As will be apparent to one skilled in the art, any suitable materials could be used. The blade 12 comprises a cut-out 14, or recess, that extends through the thickness of the blade 12. The cut-out 14 is V-shaped and extends downwards from the upper edge of the blade 12, tapering towards the bottom. The blade 12 may be of the order of 50-60 cm tong and may be of the order of 9-12 cm wide. The cut-out 14 may have a width of about 2-3 cm at the top, a length of 10-14 cm, tapering to a width of about 0.5-1 cm.

The bat handle 20 comprises a substantially cylindrical and longitudinally extending grip portion 22 and an attachment portion in the form of a splice portion 24. The splice portion 24 is disposed at the bottom (distal) end of the bat handle 20 and tapers towards the tip. The shape of the splice portion 24 corresponds to the shape of the cut-out 14. The splice portion 24 of the bat handle 20 is located within the cut-out 14 of the blade 12 and is attached thereto. ln this embodiment the splice portion 24 is glued within the cut-out 14. However, in other embodiments other attachment methods may be used. The gdp portion 22 of the bat handle 20 is wrapped with twine (not shown) over its length and a rubber grip 16 is located over the grip portion 22. The length of the handle may be of the order of 25-30 cm and may have a diameter of 3-4 cm, for

example.

ln use, a player holds the grip portion 22 of the handle 20 and strikes the ball with the blade 12 of the bat 10. The rubber grip 16 increases the friction between a player's hands and the handle 20.

With reference to Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6, the bat handle 20 extends in the longitudinal direction and, as mentioned above, comprises a substantially cylindrical grip portion 22 and a tapered splice portion 24 at the distal end of the handle 20 for attaching the handle 20 to a bat portion 12 (or blade). The handle 20 comprises a plurality of longitudinally extending handle members 26 that are circumferentially arranged (i.e. angularly spaced) around the longitudinal axis of the handle 20. In this embodiment there are six handle members 26. The handle members 26 are made from cane.

However, any other suitable material may be used. Since there are six handle members 26 that all have substantially the same cross-sectional shape, the handle members 26 are angularly spaced from one another by 60. The handle members 26 have a generally constant cross-sectional shape in the region of the grip portion 22. In this particular embodiment the cross-sectional shape of each handle member 26 is a segment of circle. The outer edge of the cross-section is an arc of a circle, the inner edge is part of a chord of a circle and the two side edges of the cross-section are radially extending lines that connect the respective ends of the arc and chord.

As will be appreciated by one skilled the art, any suitable number of handle members, such as three, nine or twelve handle members may be used. lt should be appreciated that it is not essential that the cross-sectional shape of all of the handle members 26 is identical. Further, the handle members 26 may have any suitable cross-sectional shape such as a circular sector or a triangle, for example.

A damping member 28 is disposed between each adjacent pair of handle members 26.

The damping members 28 are thin strips of cork having a substantially constant rectangular cross-sectional shape. The thickness of each cork damping member 28 is in the region of 1 mm, however, other appropriate thicknesses may be used. The width of each cork damping member 28 is substantially the same as the length of the radially extending sides of the handle members 26. The damping members 28 are coextensive with the handle members 26 and therefore a damping member 28 separates each adjacent pair of handle members 26 along their entire length.

It will be appreciated that the damping members 28 may have a different cross-sectional shape, such as wedge-shaped, for example. Further, any suitable damping material may be used such as natural or synthetic rubber, or an elastomer, for

example.

Each damping member 28 is glued to the adjacent handle members 26, thereby indirectly attaching a pair of adjacent handle members 26 together. The glue used is typically PVA glue, however, any other suitable adhesive can be used. Further, other suitable attachment methods may be used.

Adjacent handle members 26 are attached, either directly or indirectly, along an attachment plane 30. These imaginary attachment planes 30 are vertically (longitudinally) and radially extending. The number of attachment planes 30 corresponds to the number of handle members 26. The attachment planes 30 each radially extend and are angularly spaced from one another. lf there is an intermediate component, such as a damping member 28, between adjacent handle members 26, the attachment planes 30 are located equidistant between the side faces of adjacent handle members 28. However, if adjacent handle members 26 are directly attached to one another, the attachment planes 30 are coplanar with the side faces of adjacent handle members 28.

As discussed above, the handle members 26 and damping members 28 are glued together. This means that there is a layer of adhesive between each handle member 26 and damping member 28. ln other words, there is a first layer of adhesive, a damping member 28, and a second layer of adhesive between adjacent handle members 26. ln total, there are twelve layers of adhesive in this embodiment, each layer substantially extending in the radial and longitudinal direction. These layers of adhesive provide stiffness to the bat handle 20.

If the handle members 26 are directly attached to one another then there will be fewer radially extending layers of adhesive.

The bat handle 20 also comprises a longitudinal opening 32 that extends within the handle 20. The opening 32 is coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the handle and in this embodiment extends through the entire length of the handle 20 including the grip portion 22 and the splice portion 24. However, in other embodiments the opening 32 may only extend through part of the length of the handle 20, for example, it may extend through the grip portion 22 only. The opening 32 is formed during the manufacture of the handle 20 by the cross-sectional shape of the handle members 26. Since the cross-sectional shape of the handle members 26 comprises part of a chord, the plurality of handle members 26 do not meet at the centre. This therefore forms the opening 32 which is a cross-sectional shape defined by the chords of the plurality of handle members 26.

The opening 32 reduces the total weight of the bat handle when compared with conventional bat handles and therefore moves the centre of gravity to a position tower in the bat blade 12. This may be advantageous for certain types of bat 10. The use of a hollow handle 20 therefore alters the pick-up and feel of the bat.

It is also possible to fill, or partially fill, the opening 32 with various materials. This can be done in order to change the feel of the bat. For example, the opening 32 could be fifled, or partially filled, with an elastomer or rubber. This may provide more shock absorbance and may therefore improve the comfort of the bat. The opening 32 could be filled with aluminium, for example, this may increase the weight and stiffness of the bat any may therefore result in a more powerful bat. Different cricket bat 10 models could use the same basic handle 20 with the opening 32 filled with different types or amounts of material. This would allow the feel and pick-up of cricket bats 10 to be varied with ease.

Although it has been described that the opening 32 is formed by the cross-sectional shape of the handle members 26 used, it should be appreciated that the opening could be drilled or bored into a handle, or into a portion of the handle.

The bat handle 20 comprising a plurality of circumferentiafly arranged, or angular'y spaced, handle members 26 may be more isotropic compared to previously considered bat handles 20. This results from the circumferential arrangement of the handle members 26 and the damping members 28. Therefore, the bending stiffness of the handle 20, in particular the grip portion 22, is similar in all directions (i.e. in directions perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the handle). The greater the number of handle members 26, the more isotropic the handle 20 will tend to be. Conversely, fewer handle members 26 will result in a more anisotropic handle. Since the handle 20 is more isotropic, the bat 10 may perform more consistently. The handle 20 may also be torsionally stiffer due to the circumferential arrangement of the handle members 26.

This may reduce the twist of the handle 20 on impact with a ball.

Furthermore, the uniform distribution of damping material throughout the handle 20 may decrease the shock impact felt by the player as the uniformly arranged damping material may distribute the stress more isotropically. This may reduce the peak stress experienced by the player.

The radially extending layers of adhesive between the handle members 26 (and damping members 28 where used) increase the stiffness of the handle which may be desirable for certain bats. Increasing the number of handle members 26, and the use of damping members 28, will increase the number of layers of adhesive used which may resu in a stiffer handle.

A stiffer or less stiff bat handle 20 can be produced by changing the amount of damping material provided. For example, for a particularly stiff handle, which may be desirable for playing powerful controlled shots, all of the handle members 26 may be directly connected together. For a less stiff handle, a damping member 28 may be disposed between alternate adjacent pairs of handle members 26, with the remaining adjacent pairs of handle members being directly connected together. For an even more flexible handle, which may be desirable for shock-protection, a damping member 28 may be disposed between each adjacent pair of handle members 26. It will be appreciated that there are many variations of the above-described arrangements.

The bat handle 20 may enhance the "trampoline effect" of the bat which may allow new players to hit the ball better. The "trampoline effect" is where the ball hits the bat and maintains contact with the bat whilst the blade and handle deform. As the blade and handle return back to their un-deformed position, energy is imparted to the ball.

Therefore, if the handle 20 is made more flexible by incorporating a greater amount of damping material, the "trampoline effect" of the bat may be enhanced.

One embodiment of a method of manufacturing the bat handle 20 illustrated in Figures 1-6 will now be described with reference to Figures 7-11. It will be appreciated that this is only one example of a manufacturing method and other methods may be used.

Referring to Figure 7, a plurality of handle members 26, in this embodiment six, are arranged side-by-side. Each handle member 26 is longitudinally extending and may correspond to approximately the overall length of the handle 20 to be manufactured.

The length of each handle member 26 may therefore be about 35-45 cm. The cross-sectional shape of the handle members 26 is identical and in this embodiment is an isosceles trapezoid having parallel lower and upper edges and first and second side edges of equal length. The base may be between 15-20 mm, for example 19 mm, and the sides may be between 12-16 mm, for example 14.5 mm. The internal angle between the base and the first and second sides is 60. lf the handle members 26 all have the same cross-sectional shape, the internal angle between the base and the first and second sides wilt equal 360° divided by the number of handle members 26. As discussed above, any suitable cross-sectional shape may be used for the handle members. Examples include, but are not limited to, triangular, circular sector, circular segment.

A damping member 28, in the form of a thin strip of cork 28, is then glued to a side face of each damping member 28 using PVA glue or any other suitable adhesive. The length of the cork strip 28 is the same as the length of the handle members 28 and the width of the cork strip 28 is the same as the length of the side. In this particular embodiment the thickness of the cork strip 28 is approximately 1 mm. A layer of adhesive is then applied to the exposed faces of the cork strips 28.

As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the handle members 26 and damping members 28 are then circumferentially wrapped around a mandrel 100 which is in the form of a cylindrical rod. This results in an assembly comprising circumferentially arranged and attached handle members 26 and damping members 28 with the damping members 28 disposed between adjacent handle members 26. The handle members 26 are therefore indirectly attached to one another by damping members 28. The layers of adhesive and damping members 28 are substantially longitudinally and radially extending. lmaginary attachment planes can be considered to be the plane between opposing surfaces of adjacent handle members 26. In this embodiment there are six attachment planes that are each longitudinally and radially extending.

The assembly of members wrapped around the mandrel 100 are clamped around the mandrel in order to allow the adhesive to dry. They may be clamped around the mandrel by tying rope around them or by using a mechanical clamp.

As shown in Figure 10, after the adhesive has fully dried, the clamping means is removed and the mandrel 100 is removed from the centre of the assembled members.

This exposes a longitudinal opening 32 that is coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the assembled members and extends through the entire length thereof. Due to the original cross-sectional shape of the handle members 26, the cross-sectional shape of the assembled, and circumferentially arranged, handle and damping members 26, 28 is hexagonal.

With reference to Figure 11, the assembled members are then machined to form a bat handle 20 having a generally cylindrical grip portion 22 and a tapered splice portion 24.

In this embodiment the assembled members are machined by turning in order to form agenerally cylindrical cross-sectional shape along the entire length. A tapered splice portion 24 is then cut into the distal end using a band saw.

To complete the cricket bat 10, twine (not shown) is wrapped around the length of the grip portion 22 and the splice portion 24 is glued within a corresponding cut-out 14 formed in a bat blade 12. A rubber grip 16 is then located over the grip portion 22.

Figure 12 shows a second embodiment of a bat handle. This embodiment is similar to the first embodiment. However, there are no damping members 28 and therefore adjacent handle members 26 are directly attached to one another with a layer of adhesive. Also, the handle members 26 have a circular sector cross section and therefore there is no longitudinal opening 32.

Figure 13 shows a third embodiment of a bat handle which is also similar to the first embodiment. However, there are eight handle members 26 as opposed to six.

Figure 14 shows a fourth embodiment of a bat handle which is also similar to the first embodiment. However, in this embodiment there are only three handle members 26 and each has circular sector cross sectional shape. Therefore, there is no longitudinal opening 32.

Figure 15 shows a fifth embodiment of a bat handle which is also similar to the first embodiment. However, the grip portion 22 has an oval cross-sectional shape.

Nevertheless, the handle members 26 are still circumferentially arranged with a damping member 28 disposed between adjacent handle members 26.

Figure 16 shows a sixth embodiment of a bat handle which is also similar to the first embodiment. However, a damping member 28 is only disposed between some of the adjacent pairs of handle members 26. In this embodiment there are six handle members 26 and four damping members 28. A damping member 28 is disposed between four of the adjacent pairs of handle members 28 and these handle members are therefore indirectly connected together. The other two pairs of adjacent handle members 26 do not have a damping member 28 disposed therebetween and are therefore directly connected to one another.

Figure 17 shows a seventh embodiment of a bat handle which is similar to the fourth embodiment of Figure 14. However, there are four handle members 26. Two of the handle members 26 have a circular sector cross-sectional shape having a central angle of 120°, and two of the handle members 26 have a circular sector cross-sectional shape having a central angle of 60°. Although not shown, a damping member may be disposed between some or all of the adjacent handle members 26.

lt will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that the features described in one embodiment could be interchanged and/or combined with the features or another embodiment.

It should be appreciated that the grip portion 22 could be any suitable shape.

Examples include, but are not limited to circular, oval, square, hexagonal or octagonal.

What is important is that the plurality of handle members 26 are circumferentiafly arranged, or angularly spaced or offset from one another, around a particular common point or line.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A bat handle comprising a plurality of substantially longitudinally extending handle members circurnferentially arranged.
2. A bat handle according to claim 1, wherein there are at least three handle members.
3. A bat handle according to according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cross-sectional shape of each handle member tapers radially inwardly.
4. A bat handle according to claim 3, wherein the cross-sectional shape of each handle member is substantially triangular or substantially a circular sector or segment.
5. A bat handle according to any preceding claim, wherein a damping member is disposed between adjacent handle members.
6. A bat handle according to claim 5, wherein a damping member is disposed between each adjacent pair of handle members.
7. A bat handle according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the or each damping member comprises cork or rubber.
8. A bat handle according to any preceding claim, wherein adjacent handle members are attached substantially along an attachment plane.
9. A bat handle according to claim 8, wherein the attachment planes are substantially radially extending.
10. A bat handle according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the attachment planes are circumferentially spaced and angu'arly offset from one another.
11. A bat handle according to any preceding claim, wherein the handle members comprise cane.
12. A bat handle according to any preceding claim, wherein the members are glued together.
13. A bat handle according to any preceding claim, comprising a longitudinally extending grip portion arranged to be griped by a user and an attachment portion arranged to attach the bat handle to a bat portion.
14. A bat handle according to claim 13, wherein the grip portion is substantially cylindrical.
15. A bat handle according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the attachment portion is a splice portion which is arranged to be spliced to a bat portion.
16. A bat handle according to any preceding claim, further comprising a longitudinal opening at least partiafly extending into the handle.
17. A bat handle according to claim 16, wherein the opening is at least partially filled.
18. A bat handle according to any preceding claim, wherein the bat handle is a cricket bat handle.
19. A bat comprising a bat portion attached to a bat handle in accordance with any preceding claim.
20. A bat according to claim ig, wherein the bat is a cricket bat.
21. A method of manufacturing a bat handle comprising circumferentially arranging and attaching a plurality of substantially longitudinally extending handle members.
22. A method according to claim 21, further comprising disposing a damping member between adjacent handle members.
23. A method according to claim 22, further comprising disposing a damping member between each adjacent pair of handle members.
24. A method according to any of claims 2 1-23, further comprising gluing the members together.
25. A method according to any of claims 21-24, further comprising machining the assembled members to form a substantiafly longitudinaHy extending grip portion.
26. A method according to any of claims 21-25, further comprising forming an attachment portion for attaching the bat handle to a bat portion.
27. A method according to claim 26, wherein the attachment portion is formed by cutting a tapered splice portion into an end of the assembled members.
28. A method according to any of claims 2 1-27, wherein the plurality of handle members are circuniferentially wrapped around a mandrel which is subsequently removed to form a longitudinal opening at least partially extending into the handle.
29. A method according to claim 28, further comprising at least partially filling the opening.
30. A method of manufacturing a bat comprising manufacturing a bat handle in accordance with the method of any of claims 2 1-29 and attaching the bat handle to a bat portion.
31. A bat handle or bat substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.
32. A method of manufacturing a bat handle or bat substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.