Patent Application
20130130844
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for teaching the art of bunting a baseball or softball. The following description uses baseball and softball interchangeably or synonymously with regard to this invention.
It is common practice within the games of baseball and softball to bunt, or more specifically, square the body toward the pitcher and use the baseball bat to dampen the rebound trajectory of the batted ball in a forward motion toward the pitcher. The art of bunting requires that while batting, the top hand be slid to a position near the barrel of the bat for the purpose of control. If the top hand is incorrectly positioned, the art and control of bunting is sacrificed.
To bunt a ball means having direct contact between a pitched ball and the ball bat in such a manner as to dampen, or absorb, the kinetic energy of the pitched ball by the action of the bat so as to have minimal rebound of the ball into the field of play. This is a physical event which requires proper hand-eye coordination, precise skill and controlled touch of the bat to the pitched ball. Additionally, the art of bunting requires being able to control the direction of the bunted ball either toward the pitcher, or toward either the first or third base foul lines. In summary, the art of bunting is about controlling the rebound location of a pitched ball with the ball bat.
While bunting a ball, the top hand is slid from the handle location (or grip) to the barrel portion of the bat. The hand is positioned such that the thumb and forefinger are formed to positively receive the convex curvature of the bat. This positioning of the hand tends to promote the feeling of leaving the remaining fingers on the top hand vulnerable to exposure of the pitched ball, and thus the possibility of being hit by the pitched ball. For younger players, and others first learning the art of bunting, this aspect can be intimidating and instill fear in the batter from their hand being hit by the pitched ball. This fear can cause the batter to position their top hand closer to the handle of the bat than the barrel, causing improper position and lack of bat control. In addition to being concerned about being hit by the pitched ball, the act of training the body for specialized events such as bunting a ball requires constant training and muscle memory exercises such that in a real-time, fast-paced game situation, the natural actions of the mind and body are instinctive. To instill this level of natural mind and body instinct, discipline of the top hand position must be mastered.
There is not a commercially available solution for these problems for bunt training Common practice of training batters in the art of bunting, especially youth in Little League®, is to demonstrate the bunting technique during instructional drills such as soft-toss and live batting practice. While these are techniques and practice methods which positively benefit the learner, a method and apparatus to support proper learning is needed.
The present invention satisfies the following objectives:
An apparatus for bunt training includes a shield which is mounted to the bat with at least one strap. The shield extends along a front portion of the bat at a location adjacent the barrel or sweet spot of the bat so as to reside in front of the batter's top hand when the batter is in the bunting position. The shield has two functions: (1) protecting the batter's top hand from a pitched ball; and (2) positioning the batter's top hand at the appropriate location along the bat so as to best control the bat during bunting.
A second embodiment of the invention comprises a one-piece bat and shield combination wherein the shield is integrally formed with the bat. In one version of this integrally formed bat and shield, the shield includes legs at opposite ends so as to define a gap between the shield body and the bat. In a second version of the integral bat and shield bunt training device, the legs are eliminated such that the shield body is adjacent the bat, with no gap or space therebetween.
The bunt training apparatus, device or tool of the present invention is generally designated by the reference numeral 10 in the drawings. This apparatus or device 10 is adapted to be mounted on a baseball or softball bat 12, as shown in
The device 10 is preferably made of plastic with high impact resistance, such as that used for batting helmets.
As seen in
When the device 10 is mounted on the bat 12, the device provides two functions. First, the shield 14 protects the batter's top hand from being hit by a pitched ball, and thereby reduces or eliminates the fear which some batters may have of being hurt by the pitched ball. Second, the device 10 correctly positions the batter's upper hand at the proper location of the ball 12 during bunting. When a batter is preparing to bunt, he or she can easily slide their top hand along the bat to the leg 17. With sufficient training using the device 10, a batter will learn to quickly position their top hand at the appropriate place on the bat, even after the apparatus 10 has been removed from the bat 12.
When used in practice, the device 10 exists such that the top hand can readily and easily be slid from the typical stacked, hand-on-hand batting position. From this position, the top hand is linearly traversed from the handle end of the bat toward the barrel end 25 of the bat 12, all-the-while being protected from being hit from the pitched ball. In this way, the device 10 limits movement of the top hand to the proper location on the barrel 25 of the bat 12 for proper bunting technique. The device 10 is designed so as to leave available an adequate length of the barrel 25 of the bat 12 for use to contact the ball. This portion of the barrel 25 of the bat 12 is commonly referred to as the “sweet spot” of the bat. This is the particular location of the bat which provides optimum control when contacting the pitched ball. By using the device 10 with habitual practice and discipline, the mind and body become trained to instinctively use the “sweet spot” of the bat for perfecting the art of bunting a pitched ball.
Yet another advantage of the device 10 is from the marketing perspective. The shield 14, 28 of the device provides an adequate advertising space from brand awareness and marketing advantages. For example, for the companies who market and promote products into the baseball/softball markets, this device 10 provides an overt and distinct marketing opportunity.
As an alternative to the two-piece embodiments of the invention shown in
Another alternative of the bunt training device 210 is shown in
The one-piece devices 110 and 220 are intended for bunting practice only, and not for full swing batting practice or game usage.
In all the embodiments, the shields 14, 114 and 214 have a width greater than the bat diameter, so as to protect the batter's upper hand from being hit by a pitched ball. Such protection will help overcome fear of being hit by the pitch which some batters may experience. Also, forward or outer end of the shields 14, 114 and 214 help position the batter's upper hand in the proper position on the bat for bunting and maximum but control during bunting. With repeated practice, the batter will achieve muscle memory for the correct bunting hand position on the bat. The invention has been shown and described above with the preferred embodiments, and it is understood that many modifications, substitutions, and additions may be made which are within the intended spirit and scope of the invention. From the foregoing, it can be seen that the present invention accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 of a provisional application Ser. No. 61/629,460 filed Nov. 21, 2011, and which application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61629460 | Nov 2011 | US |
