Racquet with elongated peripheral main string segments and enlarged sweet spot

A sports racquet comprising:

• a frame including a head portion, a handle portion, and a throat portion positioned between the head and handle portions, the head portion including an upper region, and first and second side regions;
• a yoke coupled to, and extending between, the first and second side regions, the head portion and the yoke defining a string bed area;
• a string bed formed of a plurality of cross string segments and a plurality of main string segments, the main string segments including at least one central main string segment and at least two peripheral main string segments, each central main string segment having first and second ends wherein the first end engages the upper region of the head portion and the second end engages the yoke without engaging either the throat portion or the handle portion, each of the peripheral main string segments extending, across the string bed area, through the yoke, and into the throat portion, each peripheral main string segment coupled at a distal end to the upper region of the head portion and at a proximal end to at least one of the throat portion and the handle portion;
• and
• a bearing coupled to one of the throat portion and the handle portion, the bearing supporting the at least two peripheral main string segments.

A sports racquet comprising:

• a frame including a head portion, a handle portion, and a throat portion positioned between the head and handle portions, the head portion including an upper region, and first and second side regions;
• a yoke coupled to, and extending between, the first and second side regions, the head portion and the yoke defining a string bed area;
• and
• a string bed formed of a plurality of cross string segments and a plurality of main string segments, the main string segments including at least one central main string segment and at least two peripheral main string segments, each central main string segment having first and second ends wherein the first end engages the upper region of the head portion and the second end engages the yoke without engaging either the throat portion or the handle portion, each of the peripheral main string segments extending, across the string bed area, through the yoke, and into the throat portion, each peripheral main string segment coupled at a distal end to the upper region of the head portion and at a proximal end to at least one of the throat portion and the handle portion, each of the peripheral main string segments including a string bed piece and a throat region piece, and the throat region piece being generally collinear with the string bed piece.

A sports racquet configured to support a string bed formed by a plurality of transversely extending cross string segments and a plurality of longitudinally extending central main string segments and a plurality of longitudinally extending peripheral main string segments, wherein each of the central and peripheral main string segments have a distal end and a proximal end, the sports racquet comprising:

• a frame including a head portion, a handle portion, and a throat portion positioned between the head and handle portions, the head portion including an upper region, and first and second side regions;
• a yoke coupled to, and extending between, the first and second side regions, the head portion and the yoke defining a string bed area, the yoke including a central section and first and second side sections, the central section being configured for engaging the proximal end of at least one central main string segment, and the first and second side sections configured to allow for at least one peripheral main string segment to extend through the yoke;
• and
• at least one of the throat portion and the handle portion including at least one peripheral main string support mechanism configured to engage the proximal end of the at least one peripheral main string segments, the throat portion including first and second tubular members, and the peripheral main string support mechanism being a plurality of string holes formed into the first and second tubular members throat portion.

A sports racquet configured to support a string bed formed by a plurality of transversely extending cross string segments and a plurality of longitudinally extending central main string segments and a plurality of longitudinally extending peripheral main string segments, wherein each of the central and peripheral main string segments have a distal end and a proximal end, the sports racquet comprising:

• a frame including a head portion, a handle portion, and a throat portion positioned between the head and handle portions, the head portion including an upper region, and first and second side regions;
• a yoke coupled to, and extending between, the first and second side regions, the head portion and the yoke defining a string bed area, the yoke including a central section and first and second side sections, the central section being configured for engaging the proximal end of at least one central main string segment, and the first and second side sections configured to allow for at least one peripheral main string segment to extend through the yoke;
• and
• at least one of the throat portion and the handle portion including at least one peripheral main string support mechanism configured to engage the proximal end of the at least one peripheral main string segments, the peripheral main string support mechanism being a bearing coupled to one of the throat portion and the handle portion, and the bearing being configured to support at least two peripheral main string segments.

A sports racquet comprising:

• a frame including a head portion, a handle portion, and a throat portion positioned between the head and handle portions;
• a string bed coupled to the frame, the string bed formed of a plurality of cross string segments and a plurality of main string segments, the main string segments including at least two central main string segments and at least two peripheral main string segments, the length of each of the peripheral main string segments being greater than the length of each of the central main string segments;
• and
• a bearing coupled to one of the throat portion and the handle portion, the bearing supporting the at least two peripheral main string segments.

A sports racquet comprising:

• a frame extending along a longitudinal axis, the frame including a head portion, a handle portion, and a throat portion positioned between the head and handle portions, the head portion including first and second side regions;
• a yoke coupled to, and extending between, the first and second side regions;
• at least two central main string segments including at least one central-most main string segment having a first length, the central-most main string segment being positioned at, or adjacent to, the longitudinal axis;
• and
• at least two peripheral main string segments including at least one outermost peripheral main string segment, the outermost peripheral main string segment having a second length, the outermost peripheral main string segment being spaced apart from the longitudinal axis and being positioned adjacent to one of the first and second side regions of the head portion, the second length being at least 75 percent of the first length.