Baseball Hitting Trainer and Method of Use
A baseball hitting trainer and method of use is disclosed where the baseball hitting trainer has a barrel portion, a handle portion, a handle located on the terminal end of the barrel portion and handle located on the terminal end of the handle portion of the trainer. In use the trainer is placed behind a player's head with the players left and right hand grasping the handle portion and the handle portion also resting on the shoulders of the player behind their neck. The player assumes a baseball stance and rotates their body such that the barrel end of the trainer comes into contact with a target or zone thereby teaching a player the proper rotation and angle their body core should travel.
The invention relates to the field of baseball and more specifically equipment that is used to aid a baseball player in proper hitting mechanics and specifically to a baseball hitting training and stretching device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONA major component of the game of baseball is the ability of a player to hit a fast traveling baseball in order to score points to overcome the opposing team. The ability for a player to use a generally narrow device such as a bat to hit a fast traveling baseball is not easy to achieve on a consistent basis without adequate training and practice. While a player's arms and hands hold the bat and are a major component of a proper hitting technique, it is the core of a player's body that is at the center and controls the general direction of arm swing. There are a number baseball hitting training devices in the art, however, there are none that primarily focus on the movement of the body to the exclusion of the hands to begin training of a baseball player in their hitting motion. Further, there are not training devices in the art that allow a third party to control a baseball player's positioning from either behind or in front of the play by use of the device. Additionally, there are no training devices that will accommodate different size players without having to have a different size training device. What is needed in the art is a baseball hitting trainer device that focuses on the central core body movement involved in a proper baseball hit swing, a device that allows one or two third parties to control a baseball player hitters body positioning by themselves behind and/or in front of baseball player and guiding the player's swing, and a trainer that accommodates users of all sizes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe invention is a baseball hitting trainer and stretching device having a barrel on end and an elongated handle on the other end whereby there are a plurality of handle sections that can be installed or removed depending on the size of the person who will use the device. Additionally, there are D handles which are handles shaped like the letter D that are located on either end of the trainer that allow a third party to control the hitting device while a user is training or stretching with the device. The D handles are removable should a user wish not to have them present. The invention herein disclosed is also a method for improving a batter's swing and method of stretching core muscles used when swinging a baseball bat. The trainer is suitable for use by players that are new to the game as well as professionals who may have inadvertently developed a bad habit in their swing.
Specific advantages and features of the present assembly will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and the description of several illustrative embodiments of the present invention.
It should be understood that the present drawings are not necessarily to scale and that the embodiments disclosed herein are sometimes illustrated by fragmentary views. It should also be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited to the particular embodiments illustrated herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONThe invention is generally depicted in
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The trainer 10 can be made of metal, wood, carbon fiber, composite materials and high density plastics. With regards to metal, steel gives the trainer 10 more weight than aluminum and may be preferred by some players as it allows a player to generate more momentum while stretching due to the weight of the trainer 10. However, aluminum is lighter and may be preferred by players with lower levels of physical strength. The trainer 10 can be made using a CNC machine, lathe, injection molding or cast molding method. Wood is also a viable option as it is cheaper and easier to manipulate than metal. Additionally, graphite or some other composite materials could be used in conjunction with a solid core material in the interior of the barrel 12 and handle 14 for proper balance.
The principles, embodiments, and modes of operation of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing specification. The embodiments disclosed herein should be interpreted as illustrating the present invention and not as restricting it. The foregoing disclosure is not intended to limit the range of equivalent structure available to a person of ordinary skill in the art in any way, but rather to expand the range of equivalent structures in ways not previously contemplated. Numerous variations and changes can be made to the foregoing illustrative embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.
Claims
1. A baseball swing training device, comprising: a handle located on a terminal end of the barrel portion and a handle located on a terminal end of the handle portion.
- a barrel portion on an end of the swing training device and a handle portion on an opposite end of the swing training device and whereby the barrel portion tapers into the handle portion;
2. The swing training device of claim 1 wherein the handle portion is formed of a plurality of individual segments that can lengthen or shorten the swing training device by removing or installing individual segments in the handle portion of the swing training device.
3. The swing training device of claim 2 wherein the individual segments of the handle portion have on one end a threaded post and on the opposite end a complementary threaded aperture for receiving a threaded post of another segment.
4. The swing training device of claim 2 wherein the length of the individual segments range between six and twelve inches.
5. The swing training device of claim 1 wherein the handle located on the terminal end of the barrel portion and the handle located on the terminal end of the handle portion can be removed or installed by having a threaded post formed onto each said handle that are installable into a complementary threaded aperture located on the terminal end of the barrel portion and a complementary threaded aperture located the terminal end of the handle portion.
6. The swing training device of claim 1 wherein the handle portion of the trainer is longer than the barrel portion of the trainer.
7. The swing training device of claim 1 wherein the handles located on the terminal end of the barrel portion of the swing training device and terminal end of the handle portion of the swing training device are generally in the shape of the capital letter D.
8. The swing training device of claim 1 wherein the barrel portion of the swing training device has a diameter larger than the handle portion.
9. A method for training teaching a player appropriate batting technique, comprising the steps of:
- providing a swing training device having a barrel portion on an end of the swing training device and a handle portion on an opposite end of the swing training device whereby the barrel portion tapers into the handle portion, and a handle located on a terminal end of the barrel portion and a handle located on a terminal end of the handle portion;
- having a player grasp the swing training device on the handle portion with a players hands and bringing the handle portion of the swing training device to rest on a player's shoulders behind the neck whereby the left hand is grasping the handle portion on the left side of their head and their right hand is grasping the handle portion on the right side of their head;
- having a player assume a proper stance for hitting a baseball;
- placing a target at a desired zone in front of the player; and
- having the player rotate their body and maintain eye contact with a target such that the barrel portion of the swing training device comes into contact with the target and repeating said step a plurality of times.
10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of adjusting the length of the swing training device by removing or installing a segment of handle to accommodate a player's size.
11. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of having an instructor grasp on the swing training device either the handle located on the terminal end of the barrel portion or the handle located on the terminal end of the handle portion and guiding a player through a proper swing path to aid them in contacting a target set in front of them or swinging the barrel through a general zone.
12. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of having an instructor grasp the handle on the terminal end of the barrel portion and having another instructor grasp the handle on the terminal end of the handle portion of the swing training device and simultaneously guiding a player through a proper swing path to aid them in contacting a target set in front of them or swing the barrel through a general zone.
13. A method for stretching a baseball player, comprising the steps of:
- providing a swing training device having a barrel portion on one an end of the swing training device and a handle portion on the an opposite end of the swing training device whereby the barrel portion tapers into the handle portion, and a handle located on the a terminal end of the barrel portion and a handle located on the a terminal end of the handle portion;
- grasping the swing training device on the handle portion with a player's hands and bringing the handle portion of the swing training device to rest on a player's shoulders behind the neck whereby the left hand is grasping the handle portion on the left side of their head and their right hand is grasping the handle portion on the right side of their head; and
- repetitively rotating a player's upper torso from left to right.
14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of having a helper aid the player whereby a helper grasps the handle on the terminal end of the barrel portion of the swing training device and exerting a force on the swing training device in the direction a player has rotated to aid a player in stretching a further distance.
15. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of having a helper aid the player whereby a helper grasps the handle on the terminal end of the handle portion of the swing training device and exerting a force on the swing training device in the direction a player has rotated to aid a player in stretching a further distance.
16. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of having a helper aid the player whereby a helper grasps the handle on the terminal end of the handle portion of the swing training device and another helper grasps the handle on the terminal end of the barrel portion of the swing training device and both helpers exerting a force on the swing training device in the direction a player has rotated to aid a player in stretching a further distance.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 20, 2018
Publication Date: Sep 26, 2019
Inventor: Anthony S. Cobb (Dothan, AL)
Application Number: 15/926,845