Abstract:
A bat swing training aid having a bat portion with a handle having a first end comprising a knob, a second end comprising a barrel section, and an intermediate transition section, and a barrel portion having at least one open end and comprising a substantially cylindrical receptacle configured to receive and frictionally engage a ball such as, for example, a tennis ball. with a holding force such that the ball is released whenever the bat is swung in a batting motion by a user.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    This invention relates to baseball and, more particularly, to a device that is useful for training a baseball batter how to swing a bat in order to improve the ability of the batter to make contact between the bat and a pitched ball and also how to swing a bat in order to better control the direction a ball is hit when batting. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Many amateur baseball batters are taught different strategies or training routines intended to improve hand-to-eye coordination, improve swing mechanics and the ability of a batter to make contact with a pitched ball, and achieve better directional control over a batted ball. 
         [0005]    Various training aids for batters have also previously been disclosed, including without limitation so-called training bats that are marketed under registered and/or unregistered trademarks such as Clicker Bat, ProHammer, Muhl Kicker, Plastic Bat Rac, The Slide Bat (also called The Swing Bat), and Insider Bat, most of which are advertised, for example, at: http://www.webball.com/cms/page1808.cfm (Aug. 21, 2012). 
         [0006]    Notwithstanding any advantages or disadvantages of these products, a training bat is disclosed herein having unique features not previously disclosed that, when properly used, safely, effectively and comparatively inexpensively improve the ability of a batter to make contact with a pitched ball over home plate and to improve directional control over the flight path of a batted ball. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The apparatus of the invention preferably utilizes a bat having a weight and feel similar to that of an actual bat, but does not require the use of a pitcher or pitching machine to replicate closely the direction of flight of a pitched baseball when struck by a bat using the same or a similar hitting motion. Because a tennis ball, rather than a conventional baseball, is used in the apparatus of the invention, there is also a significantly reduced likelihood of damage or injury to nearby physical property or to a bystander. The apparatus of the invention can easily be used in proximity to an obstruction such as a fence, wall, net or the like, that is disposed for example in a residential yard or even indoors, and avoids the need for a fielder or other means of ball retrieval over distances farther removed from the batter. 
         [0008]    One satisfactory apparatus of the invention comprises a handle having the same general shape and configuration as a conventional wood or metal bat in combination with a generally cylindrical, open-ended barrel section having an inside diameter configured to receive, frictionally engage, and releasably confine a conventional tennis ball inside the generally cylindrical barrel portion until sufficient force is generated by swinging the bat to expel the tennis ball from the barrel along a flight path that generally corresponds to the flight direction of a pitched ball struck in the same position relative to the batter as the position at which the tennis ball separated from the bat. The direction of flight of the tennis ball from the bat to an obstruction proximal to the batter is easily observed visually by the batter according to the point at which the tennis ball strikes the obstruction. 
         [0009]    One preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a bat swing training aid wherein the bat portion comprises an increasing outward taper of the handle and transition to the barrel having an outside diameter such that a conventional “donut-shaped” bat weight can be used during a batter&#39;s warm-up as in the on-deck circle at a baseball field. The bat weight can be applied to the bat over the knob at the opposite end of the handle and moved along the handle until it is stopped and frictionally engaged by an outside diameter of the barrel that is greater than the inside diameter of the bat weight. The use of such conventional bat weights is not possible with many of the other known training bats currently being marketed. 
         [0010]    Many other structural features, alternative designs, materials and utilities further characterizing the subject bat swing training aids are further disclosed and described below. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    The apparatus of the invention is further described and explained in relation to the following drawings wherein: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of one satisfactory embodiment of a bat swing training aid of the invention, including a tennis ball disposed inside the open end of the barrel; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the bat swing training aid of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged cross-sectional detail elevation view taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is top plan view looking downwardly into the generally cylindrical open barrel portion of  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is an elevation view of the generally cylindrical open barrel portion of  FIG. 3  that better illustrates the substantially constant inner and outer diameters of the lower section and the outwardly tapering inner and outer diameters of the upper section; 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a top plan view looking downwardly into another satisfactory embodiment of the generally cylindrical open barrel portion shown in  FIG. 7 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a top perspective view of the embodiment of  FIG. 6 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is another satisfactory embodiment of the bat portion of a differently configured bat swing training aid of the invention wherein the bat handle, knob and barrel portions are all unitarily molded from any durable, moldable polymeric material that is suitable for the intended use; 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional front elevation view of the bat portion of  FIG. 8  taken along line  9 - 9  of  FIG. 8 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 10  is a top perspective view of still another satisfactory embodiment of the bat swing training aid of the invention comprising a generally cylindrical open barrel portion having a beveled end, and also showing in phantom outline a conventional “donut-type” bat weight frictionally wedged onto a transition section of the bat between the handle and barrel portions; and 
           [0022]      FIG. 11  is a front elevation view, partially in section and partially broken away, of the barrel portion of the bat swing training aid of  FIG. 10 . 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0023]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-5 , bat swing training aid  20  of the invention as shown comprises a bat handle  22  with a knob  27  at one end and a transition section  24  at a second end that engages barrel sleeve  26   a,    26   b  having a proximal end  38  and a distal end  36  that is transverse to a centrally disposed longitudinal axis through bat handle  22 . Ball  28 , preferably a tennis ball, is disposed in frictional engagement with the interior sidewall  34  that cooperates with end surface  31  of transition section  24  to form a receptacle for ball  28  inside barrel sleeve  26   a,    26   b.  Ball  28  is preferably disposed just inside distal end  36 . 
         [0024]    As shown, bat handle  22  can be made of wood and barrel sleeve  26   a ,  26   b  ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ) can be made of a durable polymeric material. It will be appreciated upon reading this disclosure, however, that bat handle  22 , transition section  24  and knob  26  can also be made of metal or a polymeric material, in which case some interior portions of bat handle  22  and transition zone  24  may be hollow, as disclosed for example in an alternative embodiment as shown in  FIG. 9 . When barrel sleeve  26   a ,  26   b  is made separately from bat handle  22 , and depending upon the materials and particular configurations used, the two parts can be attached in fixed engagement to each other by press fitting one to the other, by welding, by the use of adhesives, or by providing other known conventional connecting elements or structures (such as threads, for example). For safety reasons, any such elements or structures should provide reasonable assurance to the user that the barrel sleeve will not disengage from the transition section or the bat handle and become a projectile during use. 
         [0025]    At least one aperture or opening  25  is desirably disposed rearwardly of the circle of engagement between ball  28  and interior sidewall  34  to provide visual confirmation to a user that ball  28  is seated inside the receptacle of barrel sleeve  26   a  without having to turn bat swing training aid  20  far enough around to look into the opening at distal end  36 . Aperture  25  can provide additional functionality as a vacuum breaker behind ball  28  in some circumstances, although the compression of air behind ball  28  when no aperture is present can also have the effect of offsetting some of the frictional holding force that must be overcome to expel ball  28  from barrel sleeve  26   a  when a user swings bar swing training aid  20  in a batting motion. 
         [0026]    Referring more specifically to FIGS.  2  and  3 - 5 , interior sidewall  34  of barrel sleeve  26   a,    26   b  is most preferably substantially cylindrical in section  26   b,  with a substantially constant inside diameter  43  and an outside diameter that is greater by the wall thickness of barrel sleeve  26   b.  In barrel sleeve  26   a,  interior sidewall  34  tapers outwardly relative to the longitudinal axis through bat handle  22  between barrel sleeve section  26   b  and distal end  36  of barrel sleeve section  26   a.  The degree of taper is desirably such that ball  28  can be lodged releasably inside barrel section  26   a  and that the frictional engagement between ball  28  and interior wall  34  will exert a holding force on ball  28  that is sufficient to maintain ball  28  inside barrel sleeve section  26   a  during loading and handling until bat handle  22  is swung in a batting motion by a user. Referring to  FIG. 5 , the inside diameter of barrel sleeve  26   a  increases from inside diameter  43  of barrel sleeve section  26   b  at proximal end  38  to inside diameter  40  at distal end  36 . Outside diameter  42  at distal end  36  is typically also greater than the outside diameter of barrel sleeve section  26   b.  Ball  28  can desirably be loaded into barrel sleeve  26   a  by manually inserting it or by pushing bat handle  22  and attached distal end  36  of barrel sleeve  26   a  downwardly over a ball  28  resting on an underlying support surface (for example, the ground or a floor). 
         [0027]    Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , another embodiment of substantially cylindrical barrel sleeve  46  is shown that is similar to barrel sleeve  26   a,    26   b  but has substantially constant inside and outside diameters between proximal end  54  and distal end  50  prior to inserting a ball into receptacle  48  of barrel sleeve  46 . Because a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart, elongate slots  52  are provided around distal end  50 , the tabs thereby formed can flex radially outward to a limited degree when a ball is inserted into barrel sleeve  46 , thereby allowing a ball to be inserted and held by frictional engagement prior to swinging the bat handle (not shown) to which barrel sleeve  46  is attached. Elongate slots  52  can also provide a visual indicator that a ball is disposed inside barrel sleeve  46 . 
         [0028]    Referring to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , a bat swing training aid  60  is disclosed that comprises a unitary construction as can be produced, for example, by processing a single block of wood or metal using a lathe and other tools, or by casting metal, or by injection molding a moldable polymeric material. As shown, bat handle  80  is made of a thermoplastic polymer. In this embodiment of the invention, bat swing training aid  60  comprises a bat handle  62  with a knob  66  at its first end. Bat handle  62  transitions at its second end into substantially cylindrical barrel sleeve section  64  having a distal end  68  and a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart elongate slots  70  allowing for releasable insertion of a ball (not shown) such as a tennis ball into receptacle  74  ( FIG. 9 ). As viewed in  FIG. 9 , void interior portions such as chamber  76  of bat handle  62  can be provided to reduce weight and the amount of material used. Cross-bracing  78 ,  80  is desirably provided to lend structural integrity to bat swing training aid  60 . 
         [0029]    Referring to  FIGS. 10 and 11 , another satisfactory embodiment of the bat swing training aid is disclosed that has an oblique opening at distal end  98  of barrel sleeve  92 . In this embodiment, bat swing training aid  90  comprises bat handle  94  with knob  96  disposed at one end and barrel sleeve portion  92  disposed at the other. Ball  100 , preferably a tennis ball, is disposed inside substantially cylindrical receptacle  110  in such manner that the most forwardly extending surface portion of ball  100  is disposed proximally to distal end  98  of barrel sleeve portion  92 . Referring to  FIG. 11 , it is seen that ball  100  frictionally engages inside wall  108  of barrel sleeve portion  92 . Barrel sleeve portion  92  also has an underlying sleeve portion  106  that is disposed in fixed relation to recessed plug  104  at the second end of bat handle  94 . As previously mentioned, fixed attachment or engagement between plug  104  and barrel sleeve portion  106  can be provided by using known, commercially available technology, compositions and devices. A donut-type bat weight  108  is shown in phantom outline is a position illustrating how it can be used in combination with bat swing training aid  90  of the invention. 
         [0030]    Generally speaking, the bat swing training aid of the invention is desirably used much like a conventional baseball bat, with a principal advantage over prior art devices being that a ball softer than a baseball can be used to provide visual confirmation to a batter how the flight path of the ball can vary by the use of different swing mechanics. Other alterations and modifications of the invention will likewise become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading this specification in view of the accompanying drawings, and it is intended that the scope of the invention disclosed herein be limited only by the broadest interpretation of the appended claims to which the inventor is legally entitled.