Patent ID: 7303494

Claim:
A ball hitting trainer for allowing a user to practice hitting a ball, the ball hitting trainer comprising: a base assembly for resting on a support surface; and a ball support assembly supporting a ball to be struck by a bat swung by the user to allow the user to practice swinging the bat; and a stanchion assembly connecting the ball support assembly to the base assembly; wherein said ball support assembly comprises an armature that is rotatable with respect to said stanchion assembly and said base assembly, said armature having a neutral position, said armature being rotatable out of said neutral position in opposite rotational directions from said neutral position; wherein said ball support apparatus comprises biasing means for biasing said armature toward said neutral position when said armature is rotated out of said neutral position in either of said opposite rotational directions; wherein said ball support assembly comprises a housing mounted to said stanchion assembly, said neutral position being characterized by said armature being oriented substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said housing; wherein said armature includes an arm, a ball being mounted on a distal end of said arm; wherein said arm extends substantially horizontally from said housing to said ball; wherein said armature comprises an axle rotatably mounted to said housing such that said axle rotates about an axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said housing, said axle extending upwardly from said housing; wherein said biasing means of said ball support assembly comprises a pinion being coupled to said axle of said armature, said pinion being positioned in said housing such that said pinion is rotatable with respect to said housing when said axle of said armature is rotated with respect to the housing.