Patent Application
20240278099
The present invention relates to baseball gloves and, more particularly, to training attachment for baseball gloves.
Baseball and softball players train to catch batted balls hit their way. No one in the baseball world has tracked where fielders typically miss on their gloves. While the standard training glove challenges the fielder's ability to field batted balls, it has historically only done so by minimizing the length of the glove's fingers. The only commercially available training gloves are either flat or short. Applicant has researched and tracked this extensively the past 16 years in both D1 baseball (Yale) and the professional ranks (Twins). Applicant's research has shown that shortening the glove's fingers simply produces more misses on other parts of the glove. Infielders don't typically miss on the end of their glove—they miss on their palm, thumb, pinky, and/or ring finger.
As can be seen, there is a need for a device, method, or both that trains a player to catch a ball with a region of the hand other than the palm, thumb, pinky, and ring finger.
In one aspect of the present invention, a training attachment for a baseball glove comprises a durable pad with a glove attachment means.
In another aspect of the present invention, an improvement in a baseball glove comprises at least one training attachment fastened to one or more region of the glove selected from the group consisting of a thumb, a palm, a ring finger, and a pinky.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of training a fielder to reduce missed catches comprises fastening at least one training attachment of claim 1 to a baseball glove; wearing the baseball glove; and catching a baseball in a pocket region abutting an index finger portion of the glove.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description, and claims.
The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.
Broadly, one embodiment of the present invention is a baseball glove attachment that minimizes the glove's pocket area around the index finger and challenges a fielder's ability to catch the ball in the pocket.
The inventive glove attachment may be placed on the palm, thumb, pinky, and/or ring finger to heighten the fielder's awareness of where he/she should avoid catching balls, i.e., that they want to avoid the ball hitting their palm, thumb, pinky, and/or ring finger. The heightened challenge makes fielding with a regular glove easier and more efficient.
The materials of manufacture are not particularly limited. Generally, the attachment may have a leather exterior filled with padding or foam and laced together with a leather lace. The foam padding creates the constraint within the leather exterior. The lace is used to strap onto the glove itself.
The glove attachment pad generally has a bulky rectangular to oval shape. The pad width and thickness are substantially the same, with the pad length is about two to three times the width or thickness of the pad. For example, the pad may be about 1.5 to 2 inches wide, about 1.5 to 2 inches thick, and about 4 inches long.
The shapes and sizes of the pads are not particularly limited and are selected based upon the type and size of the glove, among other factors.
In some embodiments, the attachment means may be two sturdy/durable laces running through the pad, laced along each longitudinal side, leaving the ends loose for tying the pad to a baseball glove. The laces may be, for example, leather laces 20 inches long.
In some embodiments, the straps or lace that attach the device to the glove may be replaced with other attachment means (e.g., Velcro®, clips, hooks, etc.)
To make the pads, the manufacturer may cut panels to a predetermined size and shape and may stitch the panels together around a padding or filling material. The manufacturer may punch holes or apertures through the pad through panel surfaces around the perimeter of one panel and may lace laces through the holes. In other words, a hole punched through a first panel passes through the pad to a hole punched in an adjacent panel.
To use the attachments, the user or manufacturer may obtain a training glove or regular baseball/softball glove and one or more pads and may lace or tie the pads to one or more regions including the palm, the thumb, the ring finger, and the pinky of the glove. The laces may be passed through existing holes in the glove. Excess lace may be trimmed from the glove prior to sale or use.
Referring to
The attachments 16, 18, 20 comprise a durable outer covering surround a padding 24, as shown in
As shown in
It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.
