Swinging implement

A bat adapted for gripping by the hands of a user and swinging to strike a ball, said bat being a one-piece, smooth round stick not more than 2¾ inches in diameter at the thickest part and not more than 42 inches in length comprising a round cylindrical barrel and a generally cylindrical handle adapted for gripping by said hands of said user, said handle having a linear central axis and ending with a knob, the bat diameter tapering down from the barrel to the handle and then tapering up to the knob at the handle end, the knob comprising an upper flange extending generally radially from the handle around a portion of the circumference of the knob and an end surface extending generally perpendicular to the handle around the circumference of the bat, the upper flange and the corresponding portion of the end surface each extending laterally outward from the handle and then tapering toward one another in a longitudinal direction of the bat to meet and form the knob, the remainder of the circumference of the knob comprising a support surface extending from the handle at a shallow angle from the handle, said support surface extending between the handle and the end surface of the knob and having a radius of curvature at least as large as the radius of the generally cylindrical handle for providing a gradual transition between the knob and the handle for supporting the hand of the user while gripping the bat.