Blade for a stick

Abstract

The invention is for a blade for a stick, such as a hockey stick or a floor hockey stick comprising: an attachment means for a shaft close to an essentially elongated blade in turn comprising a first and a second surface surrounded by an upper and a lower longitudinal edge as well as a first and a second short side. Said first and second surfaces comprise a shooting and a dribbling surface as well as at least one hole, whereby said hole extends between the first and the second surfaces of the blade. The hole is a ball hole and comprises at least one diameter adapted such that it can hold the ball both during floor and air dribbling. Moreover, the ball hole is located in close proximity to the other short side, while the attachment means are located close to the short side. The ball hole is also enclosed by shooting and dribbling surfaces, the upper longitudinal edge and the lower longitudinal edge as well as the second short side. The blade provides the user with unusually good control of the ball during dribbling and facilitates a more air-based play than previously known blades.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]The invention is related to an improved blade for a stick such as a hockey- or floor hockey stick providing improved dribbling.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]The last few decennia sports played with sticks have experienced ever greater advances in technology. For example, carbon fiber materials provide new light stick shafts which may be combined with new improved stick blades. Moreover, new materials are being developed which are lighter but provide the user with a better grip around the shaft. In order to achieve top performance today, practitioners of sports played with sticks have to be equipped with the right equipment.[0003]Sports that are played with sticks have been popular for a long time both as competitive sports and as purely recreational sports. Within the competitive framework rigorous rules have been developed in order to regulate the type of equipment a practitioner is allowed to use and also the way the equipment is supposed to look. The rules...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012]The dribbling properties of a blade according to one embodiment of the present invention provide for a unique combination of ground dribbling and air dribbling. The simplicity in air dribbling, i.e. being able to perform very advanced movements in the air with a ball and a stick results also in that the invention is well suited for use with other goals than the conventional type of goals. For example, goals similar to basket ball hoops may be used as goals. The present invention provides for the holding of a ball with the blade making it possible for air dribbling and for pushing away the ball at various angles in a hitherto impossible way. A unique air play, air dribbling can be exercised with a stick equipped with a blade according to the invention, which would not have been possible with a blade and a stick falling within the scope of the existing rules for competition established for a sport such as floor hockey. Moreover the ball hole additionally provides for the reception of the ball and the holding of the ball with both sides of the blade. Thus, if a ball is located in a ball hole according to the present invention a user pushes away a shot rather than hitting away a shot, while the shooting and dribbling surface may be used as a conventional shooting and dribbling surface. The combination makes the present invention comprise both good shooting strength and good dribbling properties both during ground and air dribbling.

[0021]A blade according to the present invention provides an inexperienced user with the possibility of performing advanced dribbles and a virtually unique air play. Therefore a game with sticks equipped with the present invention tends to lead to very high sticks and air shots. As a consequence it may be easy for the players' hands to be hit by the sticks. One embodiment of the present invention therefore comprises a shaft arranged in the attachment means for the blade and also a shaft equipped with a fender. The fender may be formed from the same material as the shaft or be made from a separate material. Preferably, the fender is laterally arranged in relation to the shaft and stretches around the entire periphery of the shaft such as on a tsuba or a katana sword. The fender is preferably arranged in such a way as to provide for a convenient two-hand grip around the shaft in order to make it possible to obtain a sufficiently high momentum when a ball is to be pushed away.

Problems solved by technology

This rigorous set of rules needed to allow competition in sports such as floor hockey, hockey and similar sports has on the other hand resulted in a homogenization of the technological development, meaning that the rules have held back the development of sports played with sticks.

The framework of rules and the large commercial part behind getting approval for the equipment to be used in competition has lead to new sports generally having difficulties in developing and becoming popular.

However, shooting and dribbling properties seem to always go hand in hand, i.e. if the dribbling properties are to be developed it occurs at the expense of the shooting properties and vice versa.

The games apparatus, however, does not provide total ball control which would be desirable.

Furthermore, such games apparatus makes it difficult for experienced players of sports played with sticks to embrace such games apparatus, since it is very different from the earlier described sticks which are within the existing rule framework.

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