Print

[Tom]

Grays are working on a new handle design, which will do away with a traditional splice. The design is essentially a hollowed out cavity within the bat, which runs down to around 15mm short of the toe, which reduces weight.

The handle is then created in a circular form and inserted and glued into the cavity, and runs about 1/3rd of the way down.

Could look something like this (though the cavity shape/size/position can differ)



More pics and docs on the patent website here, click drawings and description to see them:
https://register.epo.org/ipfwretrieve?apn=AU.2022203712.A&lng=en

[Buzz]

Will be interesting to see if that meets the blade has to be made of one piece if wood law...

[e4sby]

I presume the depth of the proposed new handle will be similar depth to the current spliced handle

[jonny77]

Interesting. Didn't they have something like this before many years ago? The hollowed out correct isn't anything new though, been done a fair bit i think previously.

[Alvaro]

Hunts have definitely had hollowed bats - I think the Turbo had a hole drilled through the bat from top to bottom.

[Bats_Entertainment]

Hunts have definitely had hollowed bats - I think the Turbo had a hole drilled through the bat from top to bottom.

I think I read that, at one point, they were making all their bats like this.

[Bats_Entertainment]

I also remember reading Mark Rapmrakash saying how he wished a batmaker would invent a detachable handle.

[potzy248]

And if the handle breaks? Do you have to drill out the old one?

[billyb]

Does handle innovation ever really take off?

[Kez]

Hunts have definitely had hollowed bats - I think the Turbo had a hole drilled through the bat from top to bottom.

Correct Hunts basically do the same as the diagram but splice the handle as normal.

 

[Tom]

Interesting. Didn't they have something like this before many years ago? The hollowed out correct isn't anything new though, been done a fair bit i think previously.

Not sure Grays did, but the C6+ handle wasn't too dissimilar in its method of affixation. Likewise the Newbery Hi-Tech from the 80's would have been similar, I believe.

I guess the combo of the hollowing and handle affixation makes this unique, but in isolation they're both (at first glance) concepts which have been explored.

[Kai]

Cool idea. Any innovations to cricket bats is always welcome with other sports taking huge strides with their equipment.

[Bungle]

Cool idea. Any innovations to cricket bats is always welcome with other sports taking huge strides with their equipment.

The lawmakers may think otherwise.

[thegowerwaft]

The lawmakers may think otherwise.

This needs to be read in a Judge Dredd voice... I will get my coat.

[InternalTraining]

Is part no. 9 a solid piece of wood or is it pieced together like rubber inserts of the modern handle?

If this eliminates pressure from the shoulder area which leads to cracked shoulder/hair-line splits, I think it'd save bat owners some money in the long run.

Point regarding drilling out a damaged handle is fair. How do you manage that situation? Maybe they could create a pitched thread instead of a flat hole in the bat where the handled is glued and screwed in the hole-shaft/body of the bat.