Patent ID: 7520818

Claim:
A ball launching device for launching a ball, the device comprising: a shaft; a head attached to the shaft, the head including a face having a socket for releasably retaining the ball such that when the head is swung, the ball is released; wherein the socket is defined by arcuate side walls provided by the face of the head extending between a toe and a heel of the head, and upper and lower retaining members which are adapted for engaging and retaining the ball; wherein the lower retaining member is generally rigid; and wherein the upper retaining member is sufficiently flexible to permit flexure when the ball is positioned in the socket; and wherein the upper retaining member is positioned from the head sufficiently so that the ball may be engaged by a finger and the lower retaining member is positioned a distance sufficiently from a heel of the head so that the ball may be engaged by another finger sufficiently to grasp and remove the ball from the socket.