A tennis racquet having a stringed hitting surface and a detachable handle, the racquet comprising:
- a frame, including an open frame portion completely surrounding the stringed hitting surface, and two frame fork members, each frame fork member extending, in convergence toward one another, from the open frame portion to a frame fork member free end, each frame fork member free end having a surface that is inclined to face generally away from the surface of the other frame fork member free end and each frame fork member having a threaded hole substantially therethrough and remote from the surface of the frame fork member free end, the frame fork members defining a fork opening between each other and each frame fork member defining a boundary of the fork opening;
- the handle, including a forked end, a grip end, and a gripping shank disposed between the forked end and the grip end, the gripping shank having a substantially uniform cross-section over a portion of its length adjacent the grip end, the forked end having two handle fork members, each handle fork member corresponding to a frame fork member and each handle fork member secured to and extending from the gripping shank to a handle fork member free end while diverging from the other handle fork member, each handle fork member free end having a surface that is inclined to face generally toward the surface of the other handle fork member free end, the surfaces of the free ends of corresponding frame fork members and handle fork members mating in contiguous relationship to form a joint therebetween when the handle is attached to the frame, each handle fork member having a threaded hole substantially therethrough, remote from the surface of the handle fork member free end and each handle fork member having a first cross-section proximate the gripping shank and a second cross-section proximate the handle fork member free end, said first cross-section being greater than said second cross-section;
- a pair of slide couplings, each slide coupling substantially surrounding a corresponding one of said handle fork members, each said slide coupling having a first end portion most proximate said gripping shank and said first end portion of slide coupling tightly gripping said handle fork member at said first cross-section when said slide coupling is in a first position whereat said slide coupling bridges at least a portion of the joint between the corresponding frame fork member and the corresponding handle fork member when the handle is attached to the frame, said slide coupling having a pair of holes, one of said pair of holes being in alignment with the hole of said handle fork member and the other of said pair of holes being in alignment with the hole of said frame fork member when said slide coupling is at said first position, and said slide coupling being slidable on said corresponding handle fork member to a second position whereat said slide coupling is away from said joint;
- and
- two pairs of screws, one screw of each pair of screws being received through one aligned hole of a slide coupling and threadably received by the hole of the corresponding frame fork member and the other screw of each pair of screws being received through the other aligned hole of the slide coupling and threadably received by the hole of the corresponding handle fork member to secure said slide coupling at said first position and to secure said corresponding frame fork member to said corresponding handle fork member.