Abstract:
A training apparatus is provided for sports involving hitting an object. The training apparatus has a hitting sports club and a visual hitting aid attached to the club at a preferred location for hitting the object, for example, a ball or puck. The training apparatus is useful in assisting a user in visualizing the proper swing and contact zone for hitting or striking an object in a preferred ball or puck target contact zone.

Description:
CROSS-REFERNCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This patent application is a continuation of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/068,541, filed Mar. 7, 2008, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention is directed to a training apparatus for object hitting sports to help the user visualize and improve successful hitting techniques. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The importance of training in sports has been long recognized and has resulted in numerous training aids to assist in that training. These training aids have focused on the physical characteristics needed for a sport. Many effective training aids have been developed and are available in the marketplace. 
         [0004]    A need still exists for an improved training aid that focuses on the mental aspects of object hitting sports, particularly the act of visualizing the successful hitting action of that sport. Many athletes and years of research by sports psychologists have proven that the act of visualizing success in the sport contributes greatly to actual success and improved performance during a game. The present invention is directed to that need and provides a training aid to assist the user in visualizing hitting a ball or puck successfully with the specific equipment used for that sport. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present invention is a training apparatus. The apparatus of the present invention comprises a hitting sport club and a visual hitting aid securely attached thereto. The club includes an elongate body having a first end and a second end. The body defines a handle portion proximate the first end and a ball or puck contact portion proximate the second end. The contact portion has a target wallop zone therein, which is where the user preferably is trying to hit the ball or puck. The visual hitting aid is securely attached to the club within the target wallop zone to assist the user in visualizing hitting the ball or puck successfully. 
         [0006]    The club may take many forms including that of a baseball bat, softball bat, golf club, hockey stick, racket, or the like. For example, if the club takes the form of a baseball bat, the ball contact portion is the barrel of the bat; if the club takes the form of a golf club, the ball contact portion is the club head; and so forth. 
         [0007]    The present invention is also directed to a method of visualizing hitting a ball or puck successfully. Preferably, the user holds the training apparatus described above and swings the training apparatus to visualize hitting the baseball with the club in just the right spot on the bat, e.g. the target wallop zone, preferably while the batter is warming up or engaged in training. 
         [0008]    A training attachment is disclosed herein. The training attachment comprises a visual hitting aid and an attachment means for securely attaching the hitting aid to a hitting sport club, preferably in the target wallop zone of the club. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a training apparatus in the form of a baseball or softball training apparatus, wherein a visual hitting aid is securely attached to a hitting sport club within the target wallop zone; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2A  is a visual hitting aid in the form of a baseball or softball with attachment means; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2B  is a visual hitting aid with attachment means substantially in the form of a baseball or softball having a flat hitting surface; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2C  is an openable visual hitting aid having an attachment means and hollow portion; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a sports training apparatus assembly having a travel bag, a hitting sport club that is separable into two parts, a visual hitting aid, and an attachment means; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  shows two different sizes of weights, weighted leather bags, that can be added to the hitting aid; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a training apparatus in the form of a golf club having a visual hitting aid attached to the ball contact portion of the golf club head within the target wallop zone. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0016]    The invention will now be described in reference to the preferred embodiments of the invention for purposes of illustration only. It will be understood by one skilled in the art that numerous modifications or alterations may be made in and to the illustrated embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 
         [0017]    Reference is now made to the figures wherein like parts are referred to by like numerals throughout. With reference to  FIGS. 1-5 , a training apparatus  10 ,  110  is provided to assist a user to visualize successfully hitting a ball or puck for a particular sport with a hitting sport club. 
         [0018]    As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 5 , the training apparatus  10 ,  110  preferably comprises a hitting sport club  20  and a visual hitting aid  25 . The club  20  preferably includes an elongate body  30  having a first end  34  and a second end  38 . The elongate body  30  defines a handle portion  40  proximate the first end  34  and a ball or puck contact portion  45  proximate the second end  38 . The contact portion  45  of the club  20  comprises a preferred ball or puck contact portion, referred to herein as a target wallop zone  50 . The hitting aid is securely attached to the club  20 , most preferably within the target wallop zone  50 . 
         [0019]    The target wallop zone  50  is the zone in which the user is attempting to hit the ball or puck with the club  20 . A preferred target wallop zone  50  is a location range on a hitting sport club  20  in which the user&#39;s efforts are maximized, for example, resulting in the ball or puck traveling farther from the same exerted effort or in a more controlled manner. The wallop zone  50  on a baseball or softball bat  20 , for example, is typically approximately 5 cm to 30.5 cm from the second end  38 , more typically between 7.5 cm and 28 inches, and most typically between 10 cm and 23 cm from the second end  38 . 
         [0020]    In a preferred embodiment the hitting aid  25 , as show in  FIGS. 2A-C , is substantially in the form and size of a ball or puck that is conventionally hit by the club  20 , e.g. a baseball/softball visual aid  25  attached to a baseball/softball bat  20 ; or a golf ball visual aid  125  attached to golf club  120 . The visual hitting aid  25  assists the user in visualizing hitting the ball or puck successfully in the club&#39;s  20  wallop zone  50 . The hitting aid  25  is also preferably removable. Also, to further assist in training, the hitting aid  25  may have a substantially flat hitting surface  57 . This specific embodiment is typically helpful with training younger users to visualize, for example, having the users attempt to hit a ball off a batting tee, or during soft toss drills, with the flat surface of the hitting aid. 
         [0021]    The hitting aid  25  can be openable having a hollow portion  55  as shown in  FIG. 2C . Training weights  60 , e.g., in the form of leather weight bags of various sizes and weights shown in  FIG. 4 , can be added to the hitting aid to further assist in training and warming up. 
         [0022]    The training apparatus  10 ,  110  may take many forms including that of a baseball bat  20 , softball bat  20 , hockey stick (not shown), golf club  120 , sports racket (not shown), or any other sport club that is swung to hit a ball or a puck during the course of participation in the sport. The hitting aid  25  can likewise take many forms including a baseball  25 , a softball  25 , hockey puck (not shown), a golf ball  125 , etc. 
         [0023]    Thus, the following description of specific embodiments are for a training apparatus in the form and size of a baseball bat  20  or softball bat  20  ( FIGS. 1-3 ) and a golf club  120  ( FIG. 5 ) and should be considered exemplary and not limiting in nature. 
         [0024]    In a particular embodiment as shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , the invention is directed to a baseball or softball training apparatus  10 . The training apparatus  10  comprises a baseball or softball bat  20  and a visual hitting aid  25 . The baseball or softball bat includes an elongate body  30 . The elongate body  30  having a first end  34  and a second end  38 , which define a handle portion  40  proximate the first end  34  and a hitting contact portion  45  proximate the second end  38 . The ball contact portion  45  advantageously has a preferred ball contact portion referred to as a target wallop zone  50 . The hitting aid  25  is securely attached to the bat  20  within the target wallop zone  50  to allow the user to swing the bat with full force without concern that the hitting aid  25  will become detached. In this embodiment, the hitting aid  25  is substantially in the form and size of a baseball or softball. In a particular embodiment the hitting aid may be in the form of a baseball or softball, but with a substantially flat hitting surface on one side to assist the user in hitting a ball off a tee with the hitting aid. This helps the user visualize where to hit the ball on the bat. The training apparatus  10  can be made of many materials, for example, composites, wood, metal, etc., however, in this embodiment it is preferable that the training apparatus  10  be made of aluminum. In many instances the hitting sports club  20  is also advantageously hollow. 
         [0025]    The baseball/softball training apparatus  10  could comprise a weighted bat  20  used to warm up in the on deck circle or a conventional bat used in other training exercises. The visualization hitting aid  20  can be permanently or temporarily attached to the bat  20 . The hitting aid  20  can be made to look exactly like a baseball or it can be any number of colors and shapes. The key is for the visualization hitting aid  20  to attract the attention of the user while training or warming up to help the user focus and visualize hitting the ball in the right form and spot on the bat  20 , preferably the ball contact portion, or more preferable the target wallop zone  50 . 
         [0026]    In a non-limiting embodiment, the invention is directed to a training attachment  65  for a hitting sport club  20 . The training attachment comprises a visual hitting aid  25  and an attachment means  70  for securely attaching the hitting aid  25  to a hitting sport club  20 . The sport club  20  has ball or puck contact portion  45 , and within the contact portion a preferred contact portion, referred to as a target wallop zone  50 . The attachment means  70  can be anything that is sufficient to securely attach the hitting aid  25  to the club  20  within the target wallop zone  50  with adequate hold so that the user can swing the club with full force without detaching the hitting aid  25 . Preferably, the attachment means  70  is a bolt  70 , screw  70  or, not shown, a sleeve, belt and/or clamp. For instance, in a non-limiting embodiment the attachment means  70  is a bolt  70  or screw  70  that extends out from the hitting aid wherein the hitting aid  25  bolts or screws into the club  20 ; or alternatively the attachment means  70  is a sleeve which slips over the club  20  and the hitting aid together to secure the hitting aid onto the sport club  20 , preferably within the target wallop zone  50 . The sleeve preferably is made of an elastic type material. 
         [0027]    As in the embodiments above, the hitting aid  25  of the training attachment  65  is preferably substantially in a form and size of a regulation ball or puck hit by the club  20  to assist the user in actually visualizing the successful hitting of the ball or puck with the club  20 . As shown in  FIGS. 1-3  and  5 , the training attachment  65  is substantially in the form of a baseball  25 , a softball  25 , hockey puck (not shown), or a golf ball  125 . As can be seen in  FIG. 1 , the training attachment  65  is attached to a bat  20 . In this case, the visualization hitting aid  25  is in the form of a baseball or softball. 
         [0028]    With reference to  FIG. 3 , the invention is directed to a sports training assembly  80 . The sports training assembly  80  preferably comprises a hitting sport club  20  and a visual hitting aid  25 . The club  20  preferably includes an elongate body  30  having a first end  34  and a second end  38 . The body  30  defines a handle portion  40  proximate the first end  34  and a ball or puck contact portion  45  proximate the second end  38 . The contact portion  45  preferably comprises a target wallop zone  50 . The hitting aid  25  is substantially in the form of a ball or puck conventionally hit by the club  20 . The training assembly also preferably has an attachment means  70  (as shown in  FIGS. 2A-2C ) for securely attaching the hitting aid  25  to the club  20  within the target wallop zone  50 . The sport training assembly  80  also preferably comprises a travel bag  85 , typically with a handle  86  for ease of carrying the sports training assembly  80 . In this embodiment, it is preferable that the club  20  is separable into two parts, a first handle part  62  and a second ball contact part  63  for easy transport or storage in the travel bag  85 . 
         [0029]    In another embodiment, electronics are added to the training apparatus  10 , e.g., to the visualization hitting aid  25 . These could be used to measure things like swing speed or other attributes. The electronics could also provide sounds or lights to assist the user in concentrating on visualizing success. In accordance with one aspect of the invention not shown herein, the training apparatus  10  may comprise a velocimeter, accelerometer, or the like, for measuring the speed of the bat when swung. Optionally, the measuring means would include a means for displaying the speed of the training apparatus measured by the measuring means. The display means may continue to display the highest speed measured until the ball player resets the display means in a preferred embodiment. 
         [0030]    As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the invention is also directed to a golf training apparatus  110 . The training apparatus  10  comprises a golf club  120  and a visual hitting aid  125  substantially in the form and size of a golf ball. The golf club  120  includes an elongate body  130 . The elongate body  130  having a first end  134  and a second end  138 , which define a handle portion  140  proximate the first end  134  and a golf club head  143  proximate the second end  138 . The golf club head  143  having a hitting contact portion  145 , which advantageously has a preferred ball contact portion referred to as a target wallop zone  150 . The hitting aid  125  is securely attached to the golf club  120  within the target wallop zone  150  to allow the user to swing the golf club  120  with full force without concern that the hitting aid  125  will become detached. In this embodiment, the visual hitting aid  125  is substantially in the form of a golf ball. The golf training apparatus  110  can be made of many materials, for example, composites, wood, metal, etc. 
         [0031]    It is important to note that the present invention can also be used in conjunction with other training aids. In the baseball embodiment, for example, the training apparatus  10  having a visualization hitting aid  25  attached could be used to attempt to hit a ball on a batting tee. In this embodiment, it is preferable that the visualization hitting aid  25  has a flat surface  57  on one side. This would obviously require a very precise swing so that the visualization hitting aid  20  of  FIG. 1  would hit the ball on the tee in precisely the correct spot to deliver a good hit. 
         [0032]    The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be considered to fall within the scope of the invention.