Abstract:
An apparatus for sports training includes a weighted body portion having a handle at a first end of the weighted body. A sports equipment portion is attached to a second end of the weighted body. The sports equipment portion corresponds to actual sport equipment.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This disclosure claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/820,491, filed May 7, 2013, entitled “A Variably Weighted Double Handled Athletic Training Device with Attachments for Sporting Equipment, Including but Not Limited to Tennis, Golf, and Baseball.” 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates generally to athletic training equipment, and more particularly, to training equipment for sports involving hitting or throwing an object with a hand held equipment. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Resistance weight training is often used for sports training and muscle development. For example, many athletes use free weights or weight training machines to improve muscle strength and endurance. Using free weights or weight training machines, while improving the muscles in general, does not necessarily improve the muscles used in particular sports motions, such as swinging a golf club. 
         [0004]    Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 6,599,201 describes a weight training apparatus that clamps to a shaft of a golf club. 
         [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,692,386 describes a baseball bat with a hollow cavity in which weights can be inserted. 
         [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 8,444,500 describes a flexible, crescent-shaped, weighted tube that can be slipped onto the shaft of golf club or baseball bat, or on the end of a tennis racket. 
       SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0007]    In an embodiment, an apparatus for sports training comprises a weighted body portion having a handle at a first end of the weighted body; and a sports equipment portion attached to a second end of the weighted body, the sport equipment portion corresponding to actual sport equipment. 
         [0008]    In another embodiment, an apparatus for sports training comprises a weighted body having: a handle at a first end of the weighted body, and an attachment portion at a second end of the weighted body, wherein the attachment portion is configured to attach a sports equipment device or devices corresponding to actual sport equipment. 
         [0009]    In yet another embodiment, an apparatus is for use with a sports training device comprising a weighted body having a handle at a first end of the weighted body. The apparatus comprises a sports equipment device configured to attach to a second end of the weighted body, wherein the sports equipment device corresponds to actual sport equipment. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a diagram of an example sporting equipment training device, according to an embodiment. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a view of a sporting equipment portion of the sporting equipment training device of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a view of a weighted body portion of the sporting equipment training device of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a diagram of another example sporting equipment training device, according to another embodiment. 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a diagram of yet another example sporting equipment training device, according to yet another embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    An ergonomically proper double handled weighted swing sporting equipment would benefit many types of athletes looking to improve core strength, stability in swing, muscle tone and muscle memory, while also simulating competitive swinging motions. 
         [0016]    In example embodiments described below, a sporting equipment training device includes a weighted body portion (e.g., a kettlebell or a modified kettlebell) and a sporting equipment portion (e.g., a distal portion of a tennis racket, a distal portion of a golf club, a distal portion of a baseball bat, etc.). The weighted body portion is at a proximal end of the sporting equipment training device at or near where a user is to hold the sporting equipment training device. The sporting equipment portion is at a distal end of the sporting equipment training device. In such embodiments, a center of gravity is near to hands of a user while holding the sporting equipment training device so that the device is not head-heavy and a core of a user&#39;s body and arms of the user work together during the simulated training and drilling. 
         [0017]    In some embodiments, the weighted body portion includes a handle portion (e.g., a single handle, two handles, etc.) onto which the user grasps during use of the sporting equipment training device. For example, in an illustrative embodiment, the weighted body portion is a kettlebell or modified kettlebell, and the handle portion comprises handles of the kettlebell. A length of the sporting equipment portion is designed such that a length of the sporting equipment training device corresponds to a length of an actual sporting equipment device, thus facilitating more accurate swinging motion during training. 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  is a diagram of an example sporting equipment training device  100  for tennis training, according to an embodiment. The device  100  includes weighted body portion  104  attached to a tennis racket portion  108 . In an embodiment, the weighted body portion  104  comprises a kettlebell or modified kettlebell. In other embodiments, the weighted body portion  104  is another suitable weighted device. The weighted body portion  104  includes (or is coupled to) a handle portion  112 . In an embodiment, the handle portion  112  comprises a single handle configured to permit a user to grasp the handle with two hands, if desired by the user. In other embodiments, the handle portion  112  comprises two separate handles, each configured to permit the user to grasp the respective handle with a respective hand. In other embodiments, the handle portion  112  is configured to permit the user to grasp the handle portion  112  with at most one hand. 
         [0019]    In an embodiment, the tennis racket portion  108  includes a flange  116  configured to permit attachment of the tennis racket portion  108  to the weighted body portion  104 . For example, in an embodiment, the flange  116  includes a suitable number of apertures (e.g., 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.) for accepting bolts, screws, etc., that can be screwed, for example, into threaded openings (not shown in  FIG. 1 ) in the weighted body portion  104  for attaching the tennis racket portion  108  to the weighted body portion  104 . In other embodiments, the flange  116  is configured to cooperatively mate with an attachment component (not shown in  FIG. 1 ) of the weighted body portion  104  to facilitate attaching the tennis racket portion  108  to the weighted body portion  104 . 
         [0020]    Various other suitable attachment techniques/devices/components can be utilized (alternatively or additionally) for attaching the tennis racket portion  108  to the weighted body portion  104 , for permanently attachment, semi-permanent attachment, or removable attachment. As an illustrative example, the tennis racket portion  108  may be attached to the weighted body portion  104  using an epoxy, by welding, etc. As another illustrative example, the attachment component (not shown in  FIG. 1 ) of the weighted body portion  104  may include one or more clamping and/or clipping devices configured to clamp and/or clip the flange  116  to the weighted body portion  104 . As yet another illustrative example, the attachment component (not shown in  FIG. 1 ) of the weighted body portion  104  may include a threaded shaft and the tennis racket portion  108  include a threaded hollow in a shaft of the tennis racket portion  108  to permit the tennis racket portion  108  to be screwed onto the threaded shaft of the weighted body portion  104 . 
         [0021]      FIG. 2  is a view of the tennis racket portion  108  of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment. As can be seen in  FIG. 2 , the flange  116  includes a plurality of apertures  120  for accepting bolts, screws, etc., that can be screwed, for example, into threaded openings in the weighted body portion  104  for attaching the tennis racket portion  108  to the weighted body portion  104 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 3  is a view of the weighted body portion  104  of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment. As can be seen in  FIG. 3 , the weighted body portion  104  includes a surface  130  having a plurality of openings  134 . The plurality of openings  134  are configured (e.g., are threaded) to accept bolts, screws, etc., that pass through the apertures  120  in the flange  116  for attaching the tennis racket portion  108  to the weighted body portion  104 . 
         [0023]    Referring again to  FIG. 1 , a length of the device  100  (e.g., from a proximal end  140  of the device  100  to a distal end  144  of the device) corresponds to a length of an actual tennis racket, in an embodiment. For example, a length of the tennis racket portion  108  is configured such that, when the tennis racket portion  108  is attached to the weighted body portion  104 , the length of the device  100  corresponds to the length of the actual tennis racket, in an embodiment. 
         [0024]    In an embodiment, the device  100  is configured such that a center of gravity of the device  100  is near the hand (if the device is being held by only one hand) or hands (if the device is being held by both hands) of the user. For example, in an embodiment, the center of gravity of the device  100  is within one fourth of the length of the device  100  from the proximal end  140 . In another embodiment, the center of gravity of the device  100  is within one third of the length of the device  100  from the proximal end  140 . 
         [0025]    Although an example was discussed above in the context of tennis, in other embodiments, similar training devices for other types of sports can be utilized. For instance,  FIG. 4  is a diagram of an example sporting equipment training device  400  for golf training, according to an embodiment. The device  400  includes a weighted body portion  404  attached to a golf club portion  408 . In an embodiment, the weighted body portion  404  comprises a kettlebell or modified kettlebell. In other embodiments, the weighted body portion  404  is another suitable weighted device. The weighted body portion  404  includes (or is coupled to) a handle portion  412 . Similar to the discussion above, different types of handles can be utilized in different embodiments. Also, similar to the discussion above, the golf club portion  408  can be attached to the weighted body portion  404  using various techniques and/or mechanisms in various embodiments. 
         [0026]    In an embodiment, a length of the device  400  (e.g., from a proximal end  440  of the device  400  to a distal end  444  of the device  400 ) corresponds to a length of an actual golf club. For example, a length of the golf club portion  408  is configured such that, when the golf club portion  408  is attached to the weighted body portion  404 , the length of the device  400  corresponds to the length of the actual golf club, in an embodiment. 
         [0027]      FIG. 5  is a diagram of an example sporting equipment training device  500  for baseball training, according to an embodiment. The device  500  includes a weighted body portion  504  attached to a baseball bat portion  508 . In an embodiment, the weighted body portion  504  comprises a kettlebell or modified kettlebell. In other embodiments, the weighted body portion  504  is another suitable weighted device. The weighted body portion  504  includes (or is coupled to) a handle portion  512 . Similar to the discussion above, different types of handles can be utilized in different embodiments. Also, similar to the discussion above, the baseball bat portion  508  can be attached to the weighted body portion  404  using various techniques and/or mechanisms in various embodiments. 
         [0028]    In an embodiment, a length of the device  500  (e.g., from a proximal end  540  of the device  500  to a distal end  544  of the device  500 ) corresponds to a length of an actual baseball bat. For example, a length of the baseball bat portion  508  is configured such that, when the baseball bat portion  508  is attached to the weighted body portion  504 , the length of the device  500  corresponds to the length of the actual baseball bat, in an embodiment. 
         [0029]    In some embodiments, the devices  400 / 500  described with respect to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , are configured such that respective centers of gravity of the devices  400 / 500  are near the hand (if the device is being held by only one hand) or hands (if the device is being held by both hands) of the user. For example, in some embodiments, the centers of gravity of the devices  400 / 500  are within one fourth of the respective lengths of the devices  4400 / 500  from respective proximal ends  440 / 540 . In another embodiment, the respective centers of gravity of the devices  400 / 500  are within one third of the respective length of the devices  400 / 500  from the respective proximal ends  440 / 540 . 
         [0030]    In some embodiments, a weighted body portion (e.g.,  104  in  FIG. 1 ,  404  in  FIG. 4 ,  504  in  FIG. 5 ) and various sports equipment portions (e.g.,  108  in  FIG. 1 ,  408  in  FIG. 4 ,  508  in  FIG. 5 ) are configured to removably attach with one another such that the weighted body portion can be utilized with different sports equipment portions and/or a sports equipment portion can be utilized with different weighted body portions (e.g., having different weights). 
         [0031]    In some embodiments, the weighted body portion with handle(s) is configured to evenly disperse weight of the weighted body portion between the two hands/arms at a comfortable weight such that a sports swing can be properly simulated. In some embodiments, a length of the training device with the sports equipment portion attached is corresponds to a length of an actual sports equipment to actually permit a user to impact a sports object (e.g., a ball) for training purposes and to do so at a proper distance from the user to fully simulate a competitive swing situation. 
         [0032]    In some embodiments, the weighted body portion can be modified to add or subtract weight. For example, additional weight could be affixed to the weighted body portion using a suitable attachment technique and/or mechanism. 
         [0033]    In other embodiments, similar sporting equipment training devices are provided for other types of sports such as badminton, hockey, lacrosse, etc. 
         [0034]    The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the Claims appended hereto and their equivalents.