Patent ID: 7134967

Claim:
A training aid configured to strike a ball, comprising: an opaque and malleable material that is configured to receive at least one impression formed upon impact with said ball and a hitting instrument, said impression comprising a ball pattern having a depth, a strike zone and at least one ridge, wherein said at least one impression that is generated after striking the ball provides information about how the ball was struck; a deformable sheet that is thicker than said opaque and malleable material having a front face that is adhesively attached to said opaque and malleable material, said deformable sheet additionally having a back face with an adhesive material that is configured to be affixed to said hitting instrument; said adhesive backing configured to permit removing the training aid from the hitting instrument with little or no adhesive residue remaining on the hitting instrument; and a tab section disposed on one edge of the training aid that does not conform to the shape of the hitting instrument and projects in one direction, said tab section configured to facilitate the removal of the training aid from the hitting instrument; wherein said opaque and malleable material is a metallic material comprising one or more metals and wherein said training aid is adapted for use in a sport selected from the group of sports that consists of golf, baseball and hockey.