Patent Publication Number: US-7217202-B2

Title: Device for teaching softball or baseball pitching technique

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a free standing device that can be used to teach a person various techniques for pitching a softball or baseball. More specifically, the present invention is a device having a vertical member that has a base that rests on the ground beside the pitcher. A horizontal track member is supported on the vertical member, and the horizontal track member can be adjusted in height to match the height of the pitcher. A ball is movable mounted on the horizontal track member. The ball is mounted on the horizontal track member in such a way as to allow the ball to spin in either direction relative to the horizontal track member as it travels along the track member. A curved track can optionally be used on the device as a replacement for the horizontal track member in order to facilitate teaching additional pitching techniques. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   It is difficult to teach a person techniques for pitching a softball or baseball without some way of physically guiding them through the arm and hand movements required to accomplish the pitch. Specifically, the hardest thing to teach a pitcher is the pressure to exert on the ball and the tight spin to exert on the ball to successfully execute a particular type of pitch or pitching technique, i.e. a knuckle ball, a curve ball, a fast ball, a drop ball, a rise ball, etc. In the past, people have attempted to teach pitching techniques by providing an example of how the pitch is accomplished and then having the person who is to learn the pitching technique to try to imitate the movements they have observed being performed by the other person. This type of teaching system does not provide the consistency and repeatability that is desired for effective teaching of pitching technique. Another way of teach pitching techniques is to simply provide verbal instructions on how the arms and hands should move to achieve the various types of pitches. This method also presents problems with consistency and repeatability. Another method of teaching is to have the instructor and the pupil both grasp the same ball and have the pupil move through the same motions as produced by the instructor. However, this is cumbersome and difficult for the teacher to achieve the proper range of motion with the pupil&#39;s arm and hand in the way. 
   A more effective means of teaching a pitching technique is to have some type of device that allows the pitcher to repeat the desired arm and hand movements until the pitcher has mastered the pitching techniques. Devices have been proposed for use in teaching pitching technique that include a ball that is on a rope or is otherwise tethered so as to limit the range of motion of the ball as the pitcher practices his or her pitching. Although these types of devices might be useful in teaching one type of pitch, they are not versatile enough to teach the proper arm and hand movements necessary for different types of pitches. 
   The present invention addresses this need by providing a physical guide for a pitched ball that allows a pitcher to consistently and repeatedly perform the required arm and hand movements to properly complete various types of pitches. Specifically, the present invention isolates the muscles to require the pitcher to exert the most pressure and the tightest spin on the ball for a particular type of pitch. This device can be used to teach various pitching techniques for either softballs or baseballs. 
   The present device is portable and can be quickly and easily assembled for use or alternately, disassembled for transport or storage. It has a folding base that detaches from a vertical member of the device and a horizontal track member that detaches from the vertical member so that the pieces of the device can be disassembled and placed in a box for transport or storage. Also, the device is adjustable so that it can be adjusted vertically to accommodate pitchers of different heights. The present device&#39;s base allows the vertical member of the device to be positioned in a self-supporting, upright manner beside a pitcher as the pitcher practices various pitching techniques. The device is provided with a ball that is attached to the horizontal track member supported on the device by the vertical member. The ball is grasped by the pitcher in order to practice pitching. When practicing various pitching techniques using the present invention, the ball always remains attached to the device and the pitcher can judge by the movement of the ball whether he or she has performed the proper arm and hand movements by observing the spin produced in the ball as the ball is released from the pitcher&#39;s hand. The ball is mounted to the horizontal track in such a way that the ball is free to spin in either direction relative to the horizontal track, thereby allowing the pitcher to simulate the spin effect that his or her movements would produce in a ball. The device is provided with an optional curved track that can be used on the device as a replacement for the horizontal track member in order to facilitate teaching additional pitching techniques beyond those possible with use of the horizontal track member. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is a device for teaching pitching technique for softball or baseball. The device consists of an h-shaped base that rests on the ground and supports a vertical member. A horizontal track member is removably secured to the vertical member and can be adjusted in height on the vertical member to match the height of the pitcher who will use the device. The device is provided with a ball that is attached to the horizontal track member and travels along the horizontal track member as the pitcher executes a pitch while grasping the ball. The ball is mounted to the horizontal track in such a way that the ball is free to spin in either direction relative to the horizontal track, thereby allowing the pitcher to simulate the spin effect that his or her movements would produce in a ball. The device is provided with an optional curved track that can be used on the device as a replacement for the horizontal track member in order to facilitate teaching additional pitching techniques beyond those possible with use of the horizontal track member. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a front view of a device for teaching softball or baseball pitching technique constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a side view of the device of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  is an enlarged view of the area within circle  3  of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of the area within circle  4  of  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 5  is a top plan view of an alternate device that is similar to the device of  FIG. 1  but with the horizontal track member removed and replaced by an optional curved track. Several alternate ball positions are illustrated in  FIG. 5  to show the movement of the ball along the curved track. 
       FIG. 6  is a side view of the alternate device of  FIG. 5  taken along line  6 — 6 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   The Invention 
   Referring now to the drawings and initially to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , there is illustrated a device for teaching pitching technique for softball or baseball  10  constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The device  10  consists of an h-shaped base  12  that rests on the ground  14  and supports a vertical member  16 . The h-shaped base  12  is best viewed from the top, as illustrated in  FIG. 5 . 
   Referring back to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a horizontal track member  18  is removably secured to the vertical member  16  via a sleeve  20  provided on the horizontal track member  18  that slides over a top end  22  of the vertical member  16  so that the vertical member  16  is received within the sleeve  20 . A locking means  24  secures the horizontal track member  18  to the vertical member  16 . 
   The horizontal track member  18  can be adjusted in height to match the height of a pitcher who will use the device  10 . In order to adjust the height of the horizontal track member  18 , the locking means  24  is first removed. Then the horizontal track member  18  is placed at the desired height on the vertical member  16 . The locking means  20  is then inserted consecutively through a sleeve opening  26  provided in the sleeve  20  of the horizontal track member  18  and then through one of a plurality of height adjustment openings  28  provided along the length of the vertical member  16  that aligns with the sleeve opening  26 . Once the locking means  24  is inserted into the aligned openings  28  and  26 , the horizontal track member  18  is secured at the desired height on the vertical member  16 . 
   The device  10  is provided with a ball  30  that is attached to the horizontal track member via a ball glide assembly  32  which allows the ball  30  to travel along the horizontal track member  18  as the pitcher executes a pitch while grasping the ball  30 . The ball glide assembly  32  movably mounts the ball  30  on the horizontal track member  18  in such a way that the ball  30  is free to move forward and rearward along the horizontal track member  18 , as indicated respectively in  FIGS. 2 and 4  by Arrows F and R, and to spin in either a forward direction or a rearward direction relative to the horizontal track member  18 , as indicated respectively in  FIG. 4  by Arrows FS and RS, thereby allowing the pitcher to simulate the spin effect that his or her movements would produce in a normal softball or baseball (not illustrated). 
   Referring to  FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  4 , the ball glide assembly  32  slips onto one of the ends  34  or  36  of the horizontal track member  18  so that v-rollers  38  provided on the ball glide assemble  32  engage a v-shaped top  40  and a v-shaped bottom  42  of the horizontal track member  18 , thereby holding the ball glide assembly  32  in gliding engagement with the horizontal track member  18 . A drag adjustment knob  44  is provided on the ball glide assembly  32  as a means of adjusting the tension on the ball glide assembly  32  in its gliding engagement with the horizontal track member  18 . The drag adjustment knob  44  can be adjusted to retard or to totally stop forward and backward motion of the ball glide assembly  32  on the horizontal track member  18 , thereby forcing the pitcher to concentrate his or her efforts on exerting maximum spin on the ball  30  as the pitcher practices various pitching techniques. 
   The ball  30  attaches to the ball glide assembly  32  via a ball rotation bearing assembly  46  that allows the ball  30  to extend outward horizontally toward the pitcher and allows the ball  30  to rotate or spin in the forward direction of arrow FS and in the rearward direction of arrow RS as previously described in association with  FIG. 4 . 
   As illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , an alternate embodiment device  10 A can be created by using an optional curved track  18 A as a replacement for the horizontal track member  18 . This alternate embodiment device  10 A facilitates teaching an additional pitching technique, specifically the teaching of a curve ball technique, beyond those techniques that are possible to teach with use of the device  10  and its associated horizontal track member  18 . The curve track  18 A is provided with an alternate v-shaped top  40 A that is similar to the v-shaped top  40  and an alternate v-shaped bottom  42 A that is similar to the v-shaped bottom  42 . The curved track  18 A is curved in configuration at its front end  36 A and is straight at its rear end  34 A instead of being straight on both ends  36  and  34  like the horizontal track member  18 . 
   As illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , an alternate ball glide assembly  32 A is employed with the curved track  18 A. This alternate ball glide assembly  32 A is provided with an alternate sleeve  20 A that is similar to sleeve  20 , alternate v-rollers  38 A that are similar to v-roller  38 , and an alternate drag adjustment knob  44 A that is that is similar to drag adjustment knob  44 . Referring to  FIG. 5 , the alternate ball glide assembly  32 A differs from the ball glide assembly  32  in that the alternate ball glide assembly  32 A is provided with an arm  48  that extends outward vertically from the alternate ball glide assembly  32 A and extends toward the pitcher. An alternate ball rotation bearing assembly  46 A is provided on the arm  48 . An alternate ball  30 A attaches to the alternate ball glide assembly  32 A via the alternate ball rotation bearing assembly  46 A so that the alternate ball  30 A extend downward vertically from the alternated ball glide assembly  32 A and allows the alternate ball  30 A to rotate or spin in the direction toward the pitcher, as shown by Arrow TS in  FIG. 5  and in the direction away from the pitcher, as shown by Arrow AS in  FIG. 5 . 
   While the invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is manifest that many changes may be made in the details of construction and the arrangement of components without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. It is understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments set forth herein for the purposes of exemplification, but is to be limited only by the scope of the attached claim or claims, including the full range of equivalency to which each element thereof is entitled.