This disclosure relates generally to baseball training devices and, more specifically, to systems and methods of training a batter to properly swing a bat.
Needless to say, a fundamental skill in the game of baseball is an ability to hit the ball. For beginners, being able to make any sort of contact with a thrown ball is sufficient. However, more skilled players not only want to be able to hit the ball but also to direct the ball to a particular part of the field. Some players learn this skill by trial-and-error. However, there are known techniques for so directing the ball which can be taught and learned.
As might be expected, a skill this important to the play of the game has been subject to a large number of inventive efforts and there are various devices on the market that seek to help a player better understand and learn how the bat and/or swing angle can be adjusted to influence the resulting ball trajectory. However, all of the prior art approaches have various problems.
Thus, what is needed is an improved apparatus to assist a ball player learn how to hit the ball in a particular direction by adjusting the angle of the swung bat.
Before proceeding to a description of the present invention, however, it should be noted and remembered that the description of the invention which follows, together with the accompanying drawings, should not be construed as limiting the invention to the examples (or embodiments) shown and described. This is so because those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains will be able to devise other forms of this invention within the ambit of the appended claims.
There is provided herein an apparatus and method for teaching a baseball participant how best to swing a bat in order to urge the struck ball to fly in a particular direction. More particularly, various embodiments taught herein provide immediate feedback to the batter to assist him or her in adjusting the angle of the bat during a swing so that the stuck ball is launched according to a desired trajectory. No other known product corrects the swing plane and swing path of the bat so that the ball may be hit correctly.
In one embodiment of the instant batting trainer, a generally planar surface is provided that is adjustable at least with respect to its height and its tilt angle. Projecting above the surface is a tee on which a baseball or other ball (e.g., a softball) may be placed so that it may be struck with a bat. After the ball is so-placed, a batter then positions him- or herself proximate to the trainer, thereby allowing the height to be adjusted, if necessary, to reflect the batter's particular physiology. Finally, the angle of the planar surface can be adjusted at the angle at which the coach desires the batter to swing the bat. A ball is placed atop the tee on its upper terminus. The batter is then instructed to swing at the ball while maintaining the bat at an angle that is parallel to the angle of the planar surface. Failure to maintain the requested angle will be immediately obvious to the batter, as the bat will contact the planar surface.
The foregoing has outlined in broad terms some of the more important features of the invention disclosed herein so that the detailed description that follows may be more clearly understood, and so that the contribution of the instant inventors to the art may be better appreciated. The instant invention is not to be limited in its application to the details of the construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. Rather, the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various other ways not specifically enumerated herein. Finally, it should be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting, unless the specification specifically so limits the invention.
These and further aspects of the invention are described in detail in the following examples and accompanying drawings.
While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings, and will herein be described hereinafter in detail, some specific embodiments of the instant invention. It should be understood, however, that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments or algorithms so described.
According to an embodiment, there is provided a batting or swing training device and method that is designed to teach a batter how to properly angle a bat in order to direct a thrown baseball in a desired direction.
The swing trainer 100 of
In some embodiments the planar surface 110 will be rotatably mounted atop extension member 145 so that it can be tilted as much as 75° in either direction, where the amount of rotation is measured with respect to generally horizontal surface on which the trainer 100 is placed. This allows the instant trainer 100 to be readily adjusted to accommodate both left- and right-handed batters. In some embodiments the angle of tilt will be measured by an inclinometer 135, preferably a digital inclinometer, that is affixed to the underside of the planar surface 110.
According to the embodiment of
Also present in the embodiment of
According to the embodiments of
In operation and as is generally indicated in
As a specific example, a right-handed batter wanting to drive the ball to right field would set the angle of the planar surface 110 at an angle of between about 12-25 degrees as measured from the horizontal. As a general matter, the numerical value of the angle of the planar surface 110 should not normally be smaller than about 12 degrees or higher than about 25 degrees, although in certain cases it certainly might be beneficial to adjust it to a greater or lesser angle of inclination. A left-handed batter who desires to hit to left field would use the same angular setting, 12-25 degrees, although measured from the opposite side of the device 100.
As another example, a right-handed batter wanting to pull the ball to the left field would set the angle of the planar surface 110 to about 25 to 40 degrees with respect to horizontal. The same would apply for a left-handed batter wanting to hit the ball to right field.
As indicated previously, the height of the instant embodiment 100 can be raised or lowered to adjust it to the height of a batter. From there the planar surface 100 can be elevated 5-10 inches for an outside pitch and lowered 5-10 inches for an inside pitch.
It is to be understood that the terms “including”, “comprising”, “consisting” and grammatical variants thereof do not preclude the addition of one or more components, features, steps, or integers or groups thereof and that the terms are to be construed as specifying components, features, steps or integers.
If the specification or claims refer to “an additional” element, that does not preclude there being more than one of the additional element.
It is to be understood that where the claims or specification refer to “a” or “an” element, such reference is not be construed that there is only one of that element.
It is to be understood that where the specification states that a component, feature, structure, or characteristic “may”, “might”, “can” or “could” be included, that particular component, feature, structure, or characteristic is not required to be included.
Where applicable, although state diagrams, flow diagrams or both may be used to describe embodiments, the invention is not limited to those diagrams or to the corresponding descriptions. For example, flow need not move through each illustrated box or state, or in exactly the same order as illustrated and described.
Methods of the present invention may be implemented by performing or completing manually, automatically, or a combination thereof, selected steps or tasks.
The term “method” may refer to manners, means, techniques and procedures for accomplishing a given task including, but not limited to, those manners, means, techniques and procedures either known to, or readily developed from known manners, means, techniques and procedures by practitioners of the art to which the invention belongs.
For purposes of the instant disclosure, the term “at least” followed by a number is used herein to denote the start of a range beginning with that number (which may be a ranger having an upper limit or no upper limit, depending on the variable being defined). For example, “at least 1” means 1 or more than 1. The term “at most” followed by a number is used herein to denote the end of a range ending with that number (which may be a range having 1 or 0 as its lower limit, or a range having no lower limit, depending upon the variable being defined). For example, “at most 4” means 4 or less than 4, and “at most 40%” means 40% or less than 40%. Terms of approximation (e.g., “about”, “substantially”, “approximately”, etc.) should be interpreted according to their ordinary and customary meanings as used in the associated art unless indicated otherwise. Absent a specific definition and absent ordinary and customary usage in the associated art, such terms should be interpreted to be ±10% of the base value.
When, in this document, a range is given as “(a first number) to (a second number)” or “(a first number)-(a second number)”, this means a range whose lower limit is the first number and whose upper limit is the second number. For example, 25 to 100 should be interpreted to mean a range whose lower limit is 25 and whose upper limit is 100. Additionally, it should be noted that where a range is given, every possible subrange or interval within that range is also specifically intended unless the context indicates to the contrary. For example, if the specification indicates a range of 25 to 100 such range is also intended to include subranges such as 26-100, 27-100, etc., 25-99, 25-98, etc., as well as any other possible combination of lower and upper values within the stated range, e.g., 33-47, 60-97, 41-45, 28-96, etc. Note that integer range values have been used in this paragraph for purposes of illustration only and decimal and fractional values (e.g., 46.7-91.3) should also be understood to be intended as possible subrange endpoints unless specifically excluded.
It should be noted that where reference is made herein to a method comprising two or more defined steps, the defined steps can be carried out in any order or simultaneously (except where context excludes that possibility), and the method can also include one or more other steps which are carried out before any of the defined steps, between two of the defined steps, or after all of the defined steps (except where context excludes that possibility).
Further, it should be noted that terms of approximation (e.g., “about”, “substantially”, “approximately”, etc.) are to be interpreted according to their ordinary and customary meanings as used in the associated art unless indicated otherwise herein. Absent a specific definition within this disclosure, and absent ordinary and customary usage in the associated art, such terms should be interpreted to be plus or minus 10% of the base value.
Still further, additional aspects of the instant invention may be found in one or more appendices attached hereto and/or filed herewith, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference as if fully set out at this point.
Thus, the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objects and attain the ends and advantages mentioned above as well as those inherent therein. While the inventive device has been described and illustrated herein by reference to certain preferred embodiments in relation to the drawings attached thereto, various changes and further modifications, apart from those shown or suggested herein, may be made therein by those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the spirit of the inventive concept the scope of which is to be determined by the following claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/729,028 filed on Sep. 10, 2018, and incorporates said provisional application by reference into this document as if fully set out at this point.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20200078651 A1 | Mar 2020 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62729028 | Sep 2018 | US |