Racket handle

A handle assembly for a ball hitting device for a ball game, said handle assembly being suitable for a racket or paddle and comprising:

• a central elongate body having front and rear surfaces which extend generally longitudinally in the handle assembly;
• a rigid exterior shell extending over said front and rear surfaces and generally spaced therefrom so as to form two separate ventilation chambers, said shell being rigidly connected to said elongate body and having a plurality of small ventilation openings formed therein;
• two air inlets formed on opposite sides of said handle assembly at a head end of said shell at which a head portion of said hitting device can be connected, each air inlet opening into a respective one of said ventilation chambers at one end thereof;
• and
• an air passageway formed in said handle assembly adjacent a butt end of said elongate body, said passageway extending between said ventilation chambers and permitting a restricted amount of air to flow from the other end of each ventilation chamber to the other ventilation chamber during use of said ball hitting device, the amount of air flow being restricted by the small size of said passageway along at least a portion or portions thereof;
• wherein said front and rear surfaces each curve outwardly to a point close to said exterior shell at said butt end, at least one entry to said air passageway being formed by a gap between said elongate body and said exterior shell at said butt end.

A ball hitting device for a ball game such as tennis or paddle ball, said device having a generally wide and flat head portion and a handgrip connected to said head portion, said handgrip comprising:

• a central body having front and rear surfaces which extend longitudinally a substantial distance along said handgrip;
• an exterior shell disposed on opposite sides of said central body and connected thereto, said shell having a plurality of small ventilation openings formed therein;
• two elongate ventilation chambers formed between said shell and said front and rear surfaces of the central body;
• and
• two large air inlets, which are substantially larger than said ventilation openings, formed on respective front and rear sides of said handgrip at a head portion end thereof, each air inlet opening into a respective one of said ventilation chambers so as to allow air to flow into the chamber and out of at least some of said ventilation openings during use of said ball hitting device, and each air inlet lying substantially in a plane that is approximately parallel to said flat head portion;
• wherein each air inlet has an elongate, inwardly projecting lip extending along a side of the inlet closest to a butt end of the handgrip, said lip being provided to reduce any sound caused by the respective air inlet during use of said ball hitting device.