Abstract:
An instructional device for the teaching of gripping a baseball for a predetermined throwing action of a delivered pitch includes a sphere of two identical figure-eight shaped cover pieces with a continuous seam stitching along with a plurality of locations imprinted on the cover pieces adapted to receive the placement of a user&#39;s index finger, middle finger and thumb in grasping the ball to subsequently hurl it with the characteristics of a Four-seam Fastball, Two-seamed Fastball, Slider, Split-finger Fastball or other thrown pitches.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    None. 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Research and development of this invention and Application have not been federally sponsored, and no rights are given under any Federal program. 
       REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
       [0003]    NOT APPLICABLE 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0005]    This invention relates to instruction pitch grips for bat-and-ball sports generally played between opposing teams of players and, more particularly, to the development of optimum pitching grip teachings for delivering a baseball as taught to both male and female players of grade school through high school age. 
         [0006]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0007]    As will be appreciated, instruction in Youth League, Little League and High School baseball primarily revolves around the teaching of hitting, fielding and base-running techniques. One reason given for this is that the fundamentals could be easily explained and demonstrated by a manager or coach to all members of the team, both positional players and pitchers alike, at the same time. Perhaps that is why there are so many teaching tools, videotapes and DVD&#39;s available that focus on these aspects of the game. A one time demonstration essentially fits all. 
         [0008]    A comparable situation is not the same, and up to the present time does not exist, for the instruction of pitching, however—quite probably for the reason that some aspiring pitchers may throw overhand, while others may throw sidearm, or three-quarters. Still others may throw aggressively, hard and fast—whereas others not so gifted, may resort to craftiness, in changing pitching speeds, plate locations to aim for, manners of delivery, and selections of pitch types to vary ball movement. As such, instruction there is more of a one-on-one involvement as contrasted to a group situation. And, as a result, there generally are a fewer number of self instructional-type teaching aids available for an individual pitcher to learn and benefit from. 
       OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a practice pitch baseball available for one-on-one, and even self, instruction of the different baseball pitches typically in vogue in today&#39;s times. 
         [0010]    It is an object of the invention, also, to provide such a practice pitch baseball of these types of deliveries for use by grade and high school age players rather than for use by those at the college or professional age level, although the teachings of the invention will be useful for them as well. 
         [0011]    As such, it is a primary object of the invention to provide this instruction pitch baseball for teaching the delivery of a Four-seam Fastball, a Two-seam Fastball, a Slider and a Split-finger Fastball or Forkball—and not so much as on a Curveball, a Knuckleball, a Knucklecurve, a Palmball, and variants thereof when used separately or in conjunction with delivering Changeup type pitches. 
         [0012]    And, it is a specific object of the invention to provide this instruction pitch baseball for utilization with or without a manager or coach being present to provide the rudiments of the manners of preferred pitch delivery or of other pitching mechanics. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    As will become clear hereinafter, the present invention, in its simplest form comprises a baseball—full professional size down to smaller sizes for Youth League, Little League or High School playing—but on whose seamed cover is imprinted the positioning of the index, middle and thumb fingers of the hand to illustrate the correctly accepted manner for gripping any one of a selected number of the most common baseball pitches. In a more detailed form, on the other hand, the imprinting might be of the placement of all fingers of the hand on the ball. Thus, in either arrangement, the baseball might be imprinted to show the finger locations for a Four-seam Fastball, a Two-seam Fastball, a Slider and a Split-finger Fastball, for example—one configuration per ball. Just placing the fingers on the imprinted locations gripping and then delivering the ball will produce the desired characteristic result after familiarity with the required movements of the hips, legs and arms beyond just the “throwing” of the ball. 
         [0014]    In yet a further version of the invention, the imprinted ball would be packaged along with a written descriptions in words and/or pictures as to how he ball should be gripped—and, in even more detailed versions, be further accompanied with description as to how the ball with the proper grip is to be “pitched” and “delivered”, in order to get the ball movement defined by that designated pitch. A packaged unit, in these later configurations, could even be accompanied by an endorsement by a baseball celebrity associated with that kind of pitch—either with written words, audio or video—perhaps marketed under the name “Grip Right”, for example. 
         [0015]    Thus, all the Youth League, Little League, or High School pitcher needs to do is to place the individual 3 or added fingers in the positionings set out, grip the ball as set out, and throw the ball in the described manner to learn the techniques and basics in delivering the pitch to his/her catcher—and then practice it over-and-over. In such manner, the pitches can be repeatedly practiced to increase one&#39;s effectiveness, and further enable the development of different pitching motions and deliveries to produce ball movement in different ways, and at different speeds. This then transfers the skills so taught to a second nature manner for use in a game situation. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]    These and other features of the invention will be more clearly understood from a consideration of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0017]      FIGS. 1   a - 1   d  are illustrations of separate views of a right-handed grip for pitching a Four-seam Fastball—while  FIGS. 1   e  and  1   f  illustrate how a pitcher&#39;s index finger, middle finger and thumb could be depicted on one embodiment of an instruction pitch baseball constructed according to the invention; 
           [0018]      FIGS. 2   a - 2   d  are illustrations of separate views of a right-handed grip for pitching a Two-seam Fastball—while  FIGS. 2   e  and  2   f  illustrate how a pitcher&#39;s index finger, middle finger and thumb could be depicted on one embodiment of an instruction pitch baseball constructing according to the invention; 
           [0019]      FIGS. 3   a - 3   d  are illustrations of separate views of a right-handed grip for pitching a Slider—while  FIGS. 3   e  and  3   f  illustrate how a pitcher&#39;s index finger, middle finger and thumb could be depicted on one embodiment of an instruction pitch baseball constructed according to the invention; 
           [0020]      FIGS. 4   a - 4   d  are illustrations of separate views of a right-handed grip for pitching a Split-finger Fastball—while  FIGS. 4   e  and  4   f  illustrate how a pitcher&#39;s index finger, middle finger and thumb could be depicted on one embodiment of an instruction pitch baseball constructed according to the invention; 
           [0021]    and  FIGS. 5   a - 5   b ,  5   c - 5   d ,  5   e - 5   f  and  5   g - 5   h  are illustrations of a second embodiment of the instruction pitch baseball of the invention illustrating the imprinting of the index finger, the middle finger and the thumb, respectively, for the Four-seam Fastball, the Two-seam Fastball, the Slider and the Split-finger Fastball pitches. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0022]    With the understanding that comparable illustrations of these drawings would be apparent to those skilled in the art for left-handed grips, and that similar grip positionings could be illustrated of finger placements for Curveball, Knuckleball, Knucklecurve and Palmball deliveries, both for right-handed and left-handed pitchers—and with the further understanding that a baseball could be varied in size and in weight for different kinds of leagues and games, a typical baseball of two identical figure-eight shaped cover pieces of cowhide, leather or horsehide with continuous seam stitching forming a sphere is shown as  10  throughout the views of  FIGS. 1   a - 1   d  through  4   a - 4   d . In the Four-seam Fastball grip of  FIG. 1   a  through  FIG. 1   d , the pitcher&#39;s index and middle fingers  14 ,  16  are across one seam section  18  of the baseball  10  ( FIGS. 1   a  &amp;  1   b ), with the thumb  20  being across an opposite seam section  22  ( FIG. 1   c ).  FIGS. 1   e  and  1   f  then illustrate a depiction of the instruction pitch or practice baseball  30  of the invention with imprint locations  32 ,  34  and  36  being formed on the ball itself to respectively receive the index finger, the middle finger and the thumb of the player&#39;s hand when gripping the ball. A like placement of the imprinted index finger, the middle finger and the thumb is shown in the alternative baseball embodiment  31  of the invention in  FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b  for the Four-seam Fastball without the underlying inclusion of the seam section stitchings beneath them. 
         [0023]    In the Two-seam Fastball grip of  FIG. 2   a  through  FIG. 2   d , the pitcher&#39;s index finger  14  overlies one seam section  40  of the baseball  10 , the middle finger  16  overlies a second seam section  42  ( FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b ) and the thumb  20  approaches a third seam section  44  ( FIG. 2   c ).  FIGS. 2   e  and  2   f  then illustrate a depiction of the instruction pitch or practice baseball  46  of the invention with imprint locations  48 ,  50  and  52  formed on the ball itself to respectively receive the index finger, the middle finger and the thumb of the player&#39;s hand when gripping the ball. A like placement of the imprinted index finger, the middle finger and the thumb is shown in the alternative baseball embodiment  47  of the invention in  FIGS. 5   c  and  5   d  for the Two-seam Fastball without the underlying inclusion of the seam section stitchings beneath them. 
         [0024]    In the Slider grip of  FIG. 3   a  through  FIG. 3   d , the pitcher&#39;s middle finger  16  is along one seam section  54  of the baseball  10  with the index finger  14  along and inside of it ( FIGS. 3   a ,  3   b  and  3   c ), with the thumb  20  being along a second seam section  56  ( FIG. 3   d ).  FIGS. 3   e  and  3   f  then illustrate a depiction of the instruction pitch or practice baseball  58  of the invention with imprint locations  60 ,  62  and  64  formed on the ball itself to respectively receive the index finger, the middle finger and the thumb of the player&#39;s hand when gripping the ball. A like placement of the imprinted index finger, the middle finger and thumb is shown in the alternative baseball embodiment  59  of the invention in  FIGS. 5   e  and  5   f  for the Slider without the underlying inclusion of the seam section stitchings beneath them. 
         [0025]    In the Split-finger Fastball or Forkball of  FIGS. 4   a  through  4   d , the pitcher&#39;s index finger  14  is along one seam section  66  of the baseball  10  with the middle finger  16  along a second seam section  68  ( FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b ), with the thumb  20  being on the underside thereof approaching the seam  70  ( FIG. 4   c ).  FIGS. 4   e  and  4   f  then illustrate a depiction of the instruction pitch or practice baseball  72  of the invention with the imprint locations  74 ,  76  and  78  formed on the ball itself to respectively receive the index finger, the middle finger and the thumb of the player&#39;s hand when gripping the ball. A like placement of the imprinted index finger, the middle finger and the thumb is shown in the alternative baseball embodiment  73  of the invention in  FIGS. 5   g  and  5   h  for the Split-finger Fastball or Forkball without the underlying inclusion of seam section stitchings beneath them. 
         [0026]    As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the instruction pitch or practice baseballs in these matters may be of any appropriate construction or covering. Typically, they may be made of a cushioned core of either cork, rubber or a mixture of both, with a cover layer of a pair of cowhide, leather or horsehide pieces sewn on by a wool or cotton thread stitching seam, usually waxed. As the materials selected determine the weight of the baseball and the speed that the ball can travel when hurled, different compositions may be used for Youth League, Little League and High School baseball—or for college, semiprofessional or professional use for that matter. Though different sizes and weights may follow depending upon in what league the ball is to be used, each manufacture is characterized by the imprinting of a depiction of the index finger, middle finger and thumb as illustrated in the embodiments of  FIGS. 1   e - 1   f ,  2   e - 2   f ,  3   e - 3   f , and  4   e - 4   f  or in the alternative embodiments of  FIGS. 5   a - 5   b ,  5   c - 5   d ,  5   e - 5   f  and  5   g - 5   h , both in accordance with the invention. 
         [0027]    While there have been described what are considered to be preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the teachings herein. Thus, in those instances of the playing with a larger ball on a smaller field as in “softball”, and whether it be in a slow-pitch softball or fast-pitch softball environment, the teachings of the invention will continue to be applicable, as long as the ball is manufactured of two identical figure-eight shaped cover pieces with a continuous seam stitching. And, as previously mentioned, the advance of the invention will be equally seen for instances of instructing the manner of gripping the ball for throwing Curveball, Knuckleball, Knucklecurves, Palmball or Screwball pitches. By imprinting the placement of the fingers and/or knuckles of the hand about the sections of the seam to give the desired result for practicing the hurling of the pitch over-and-over, the benefit of the invention will follow whether a manager or coach is present to give further instruction as to the techniques of any pitch delivery. For at least such reason, therefore, resort should be had to the claims appended hereto for a true understanding of the scope of the invention, independently of the manner of packaging the instruction pitch baseball with or without descriptive written, audio or video supplementary material, as in kit form.