Grip For A Ball Bat

Abstract

A handle grip can be used as a training aid in conjunction with a swinging implement, such as a baseball bat. The handle grip can be a single member that can provide a modified handle for gripping the swinging implement. The handle grip can have an inner surface cross-section that generally conforms in shape to a cross-section of a handle of the swinging implement. The handle grip can have an outer surface cross-section that approximates an oval or ellipsoid cross-section that can dictate an advantageous knuckle alignment on the grip. When used in conjunction with the swinging implement, such as a baseball bat, the handle grip can dictate a handling technique where the swinging implement handle with the modified grip can be held predominantly in a user's fingers rather than deep in a user's palms.

Description

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 62/689,732, filed Jun. 25, 2018.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In all of sports, hitting a fast pitched baseball is arguably one of the most difficult tasks. A professional baseball player is considered successful if only hitting one base hit in three at bats. New or young players will have an even lower success rate.

In order to successfully achieve base hits in the game of baseball, it is readily apparent that the hitter must make contact with the pitched ball. Increasing the statistics of contact by hitters of the pitched ball with the bat has been studied. The hitter's body mechanics, the equipment employed, or a combination of factors have been considered. A level swing of the baseball bat provides a greater likelihood of striking the ball.

A typical baseball bat comprises a handheld cylinder that tapers from a distal barrel shaped end to a handle that is gripped in a batter's two hands. The bat may be manufactured from a number of materials, such as metal or wood. A prevalent hitting success theory encourages the hitter to grip the handle of the baseball bat with aligned knuckles. Attempts have been made to modify the handle portion of the bat or to provide a separate grip for installing on the handle portion in order to train the batter to retain the most effective gripping arrangement of the player's hands, or to dictate the most effective gripping arrangement of the player's hands.

Prior proposals have included hand-to-bat gripping interfaces to increase hitting success. Such proposals include providing a non-slip grasping surface, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,270. Additionally, devices designed to dictate placement of a hitter's fingers, knuckles, or palms have been proposed to achieve more effective batting. Raised surface formations, such as diamonds or domes, have been added to a handle gripping surface to dictate knuckle alignment, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,572,198. Also, providing a handle grip to accommodate knuckle alignment is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,983.

Other US patents and US patent application publications that describe baseball bat training grips or handles include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,088,733; 5,322,286; 5,588,651; 7,125,353; 7,537,532; 8,602,925; D598,513; 2007/0254753; and 2009/0312125.

The present inventors have recognized that it would be desirable to provide a handle grip training aid that allows knuckle alignment while retaining the game usability of the bat.

SUMMARY

The exemplary embodiment apparatus of the invention includes a handle grip that can be used as a training aid in conjunction with a swinging implement, such as a baseball bat. The handle grip can be a single member that can provide a modified handle for gripping the swinging implement. The handle grip can have an inner surface cross-section that generally conforms in shape to a cross-section of a handle of the swinging implement. The handle grip can have an outer surface cross-section that approximates an oval or ellipsoid cross-section that can dictate an advantageous knuckle alignment of the grip. When used in conjunction with the swinging implement, such as a baseball bat, the handle grip can dictate a handling technique where the swinging implement handle with the modified grip can be held predominantly in a user's fingers rather than deep in a user's palms.

The handle grip can generally be a tube-like member with slots in a sidewall thereof and can be made of any natural or synthetic flexible and resilient material, such as rubber, vinyl, silicone, or plastic. The handle grip can include gaps parallel to a longitudinal axis of the implement to permit a resilient opening up of the handle grip for adding or removing the grip to the swinging implement. The handle grip can include a varied surface to prevent slipping in the user's hands.

The approximately oval or elliptical shape of the exemplary embodiment grip mounted on a baseball bat forces the user to line up the proper knuckles and also forces the user to hold the bat in the fingers rather than deep ion the user's palms. By doing this, the user swings through the hitting zone with the proper palm up/palm down hitting technique, and the user does not roll over wrists until after contact with the baseball. Also, by having the bat controlled in the fingers of the top hand rather than the down in the palm, the user has increased bat speed in the user's swing and is not dragging the bat through the hitting zone.

Although the exemplary embodiment is described as useful for a baseball bat, the invention also encompasses uses with other swinging implements, including softball bats, golf clubs and other sports gear, and even non-sports implements such as tools. Numerous other advantages and features of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the embodiments thereof, and from the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a grip for a ball bat apparatus of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the grip apparatus of FIG. 1 wherein a varied surface is displayed;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the grip apparatus of FIG. 1 wherein cut-out sidewalls and handle-parallel gaps are shown;

FIG. 4 is a cross-section view of the grip apparatus taken generally along line 4-4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a simplified sectional view taken generally along line 5-5 of FIG. 2 with the ball bat included.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings, and will be described herein in detail, specific embodiments thereof with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit this invention to the specific embodiments illustrated.

This specification incorporates by reference U.S. Provisional Application 62/689,732, filed Jun. 25, 2018, in its entirety.

FIG. 1 illustrates a grip 20 for a swinging implement handle that is particularly useful in training baseball or softball batters, but can also be useful in other operations. The grip 20 is shown mounted onto a baseball bat 21.

The grip 20 includes a tube-like member 23 that can be installed onto to the swinging implement handle, such as a handle 24 of the bat 21. The tube-like member 23 can include collar portions 26, 27 that allow a snug fit to the baseball bat handle 24, as further explained below. The tube-like member 23 can include side-wall slots 31 that can allow a batter to maintain tactile contact with the bat handle 24 through the slots 31. The tube-like member 23 can include a varied surface 41, such as having ridges, pebbling, absorbent material or other surface treatment to allow the batter to grasp the grip 20 with less slip and/or more comfort when swinging a bat.

FIG. 2 illustrates the grip 20 can have a gradual reduction in diameter of the tube-like member 23, through a first tapered region 25, moving from the collar portion 26 to a middle portion 46 of the grip 20 where the sidewall slots 31 are present. The tube-like member 23 can gradually increase in diameter through a second tapered region 29, from the middle portion 46 as into the collar portion 27. The sidewall slots 31 transition from the middle portion partly into the collar portions 26, 27. The varied surface 41 can allow the batter to grasp the grip 20 with less slip when swinging the bat and/or provide tactile information to the batter regarding orientation of the grip 20 in the batter's hands.

FIG. 3 illustrates the grip 20 with the collar portion 26 transitioning to an open space 55 that is defined by the sidewall slot 31. The sidewall slot 31 of the grip 20 can terminate at the collar portion 27. The two sidewall slots define two lengthwise bar portions 52, 56 on opposite sides of the grip 20, and which transition into the two collar portions 26, 27.

When grip 20 is installed onto the bat 21, a width of the bat handle 24 added to thicknesses 62 and 66 of the two bar portions 52, 56 of the grip 20, provides a lengthwise region 68 (FIG. 1) having a complex cross-section (see FIG. 5), generally approximating an oval or ellipse cross-section with a major dimension 70. A minor dimension 72 of the complex cross-section of the lengthwise region 68 is equivalent to a width of the handle 24, exposed in the slots 31.

A first gap 76 in the collar portion 26, and a second gap 79 in the collar portion 27, permits resilient opening of the grip 20 at the sections 26, 27 to install the grip 20 onto the bat handle 24. As shown for example in FIG. 4, the gaps 76, 79 split the otherwise continuous generally cylindrical cross section of each collar portion, and the gaps are open to one of the slots 31 (see FIG. 3), so that the entire tube-like member 23 can be resiliently spread open at the gaps 76, 79 to receive the handle 24 of the bat 21 into the tube-like member 23, and then resiliently close back around the handle 24.

Although the grip 20 described is configured to fit over an existing baseball bat, with the advantage of being usable over a range of bats and being able to be sold as an accessory, the invention also encompasses such a grip being pre-installed at the time the baseball bat is manufactured and sold as part of the bat. Also, even though the grip 20 described above has gaps 76, 79 for installing the grip onto a bat, it may be possible to fit the grip over the bat in alternate ways such as by stretching the grip, without gaps 76, 79 being needed, over an end knob of the handle and onto the bat. Alternatively, the grip 20 could be molded onto a bat without need for the gaps 76, 79.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate the minor dimension 72 of the complex cross-section can correspond to an inner diameter 83 of the grip 20, and the outer diameter of the bat handle 24. The major dimension 70 of the complex cross-section can correspond to the inner diameter 83 plus the adjacent thicknesses 62 and 66 of the bar portions 42, 46 of the grip 20. The bar portions 52, 56 have rounded outer surfaces 52a, 56a having the varied surface 41. The bar portions 52, 56 have a width perpendicular to the bat longitudinal axis of W. The width W can be chosen to allow some touching of the bat by the user's hands when gripping the bat around the grip. In FIG. 5 an imaginary oval or ellipse 95 is shown in dashed line, illustrating the approximation of the complex cross-section to an oval or ellipse.

According to one exemplary embodiment, the grip 20 has an overall length of about 8.5 inches, the collar portion 26 has a diameter of about 1.5 inches, the collar portion 27 has a diameter of about 1.3 inches, a length of the slots 31 is about 6.7 inches, the major dimension 70 is about 1.4 inches, the minor dimension 72 is about 1 inch, and the width W of the bar portions 52, 56 can be about 0.63 inches.

According to another exemplary embodiment, the grip 20 has an overall length of about 8.5 inches, the collar portion 26 has a diameter of about 1.8 inches, the collar portion 27 has a diameter of about 1.5 inches, a length of the slots 31 is about 5.8 inches, the major dimension 70 is about 1.6 inches, the minor dimension 72 is about 1 inch, and the width W of the bar portions 52, 56 can be about 0.75 inches.

A typical use sequence can be:

The flexible and resilient collar portion 27 is stretched opened at the handle-parallel gap 79 accommodating the lower portion of the baseball bat handle 24;

The flexible and resilient collar portion 26 is stretched opened at the handle-parallel gap 76 accommodating a portion of the baseball bat further along the bat toward the distal barrel end;

The tube-like member 23 conforms to the bat handle dimensions sufficiently to fit snugly;

An oval-like cross section created by an outside dimension of the grip 20 with the exposed handle 24 of the bat through the slot sidewall portions 31 provides a batter in training with a tactile stimulus to establish an aligned knuckle grip with the bat being held primarily in the batter's fingers rather than the batter's palms;

The grip 20 is used for batting practice; The grip 20 is removed from the bat by spreading the collar portions 26, 27; The batter steps into a batter's box, grips the bat with knuckles aligned and held in the fingers as a conditioned response from the prior use of the grip training aid, and swings the barrel of the bat substantially horizontally across the plate; and

The batter increases the probability of hitting a baseball with a bat.

From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred.

Claims

1. A grip for a bat, comprising:

a tube-like member having collar portions at opposite ends and two diametrically opposed longitudinal slots through the tube-like member defining longitudinal bar portions, the tube-like member sized to fit tightly over a handle of a bat, wherein the bat is exposed in the longitudinal slots.

2. The grip according to claim 1, wherein each collar portion has a gap to allow the grip to be opened up and installed onto a bat.

3. The grip according to claim 1, wherein the tube-like member has a varied surface for enhanced gripping.

4. The grip according to claim 1, wherein the tube-like member is installed onto a bat handle, a width of the bat handle added to thicknesses of the two bar portions provides a lengthwise region having a complex cross-section, generally approximating an oval cross-section with a major dimension, and a minor dimension equivalent to a width of the bat handle exposed in the slots.

5. The grip according to claim 4, wherein tube-like member has an overall length of about 8.5 inches, one collar portion has a diameter of about 1.8 inches, another collar portion has a diameter of about 1.5 inches, a length of the slots is about 5.8 inches, the major dimension is about 1.6 inches, the minor dimension is about 1 inch, and the width of the bar portions is about 0.75 inches.

6. The grip according to claim 5, wherein each collar portion has a gap to allow the grip to be opened up and installed onto a bat.

7. The grip according to claim 1, wherein the tube-like member has a gradual reduction in diameter through a first tapered region, moving from one collar portion to a middle portion of the tube-like member where the longitudinal slots are present and wherein the tube-like member gradually increases in diameter through a second tapered region as the middle portion transition into another collar portion.

8. The grip according to claim 7, wherein the tube-like member is installed onto a bat handle, a width of the bat handle added to thicknesses of the two bar portions provides a lengthwise region having a complex cross-section, generally approximating an oval cross-section with a major dimension, and a minor dimension equivalent to a width of the bat handle exposed in the slots.

9. The grip according to claim 8, wherein tube-like member has an overall length of about 8.5 inches, one collar portion has a diameter of about 1.8 inches, another collar portion has a diameter of about 1.5 inches, a length of the slots is about 5.8 inches, the major dimension is about 1.6 inches, the minor dimension is about 1 inch, and the width of the bar portions is about 0.75 inches.

10. The grip according to claim 9, wherein the tube-like member has a varied surface to allow the batter to grasp the tube-like member with tactile information to the batter regarding orientation of the tube-like member in the batter's hands.

11. The grip according to claim 1, wherein each collar portion tapers toward a longitudinal center of the tube-like member.