Patent ID: 7090599
Filing Date: 2006-08-15
Classification: A63B

Abstract:
1. A baseball training system for improving a user's batting stance, the baseball training system comprising, in combination: a baseball field, the baseball field comprising a substantially planar home plate region, a left field foul line, and a right field foul line, the home plate region comprising a left batter box, a right batter box, and a catcher box, the catcher box comprising a home plate, the home plate comprising a forward plate edge and a plate apex, the plate apex being defined by the intersection of the left and right field foul lines; a substantially planar stance training mat, the stance training mat for placement upon the home plate region, the stance training mat comprising a superior mat surface, an inferior mat surface, and at least three zones, the zones comprising a left mat zone, a right mat zone, and a home plate zone, the left and right mat zones being aligned laterally opposite the home plate zone, the home plate zone comprising home plate marker means, the home plate marker means comprising a forward marker edge and a marker apex, the home plate marker means for placement upon the home plate, the marker apex substantially coinciding with the home plate apex and the forward marker edge substantially coinciding with the forward plate edge, the left and right mat zones each comprising a plurality of foot outlines and a plurality of tab-receiving apertures the inferior mat surface and the foot outlines comprising anti-skid means, the foot outlines comprising a series of substantially parallel forward foot markers and a series of substantially parallel rearward foot markers, the forward and rearward foot markers each being substantially parallel with the forward marker edge, each rearward foot marker comprising an anterior foot region, a posterior foot region, a metatarsal foot region, a medial foot region, and a lateral foot region, the metatarsal region extending intermediate the anterior and posterior foot regions, a set of four tab-receiving apertures being cooperatively associated with each rearward foot marker and defined by two forward apertures and two rearward apertures on opposing sides of the rearward foot marker, the tab-receiving apertures extending from the superior mat surface to the inferior mat surface adjacent the metatarsal regions; and at least one rearward foot-receiving cuff, the foot-receiving cuff comprising superior foot-positioning means and four retention tabs for breakaway engagement with a select set of tab-receiving apertures, the four retention tabs being defined by two forward tabs and two rearward tabs on opposing sides of the foot-receiving cuff, the retention tabs each comprising a substantially planar tab stop and a tab shaft removably received through the tab-receiving apertures, the tab shafts being substantially orthogonal to the stance training mat and the tab stops being substantially parallel with the stance training mat when inserted through the tab-receiving apertures, the retention tabs and the select set of tab-receiving apertures enabling forced breakaway from the stance training mat, the forward foot markers, the rearward foot markers and the foot-receiving cuff together being cooperable for selectively aligning the user's feet, the baseball training system thus used for improving the user's batting stance.