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[0001] The present invention relates to training aids for baseball including a truncated and hinged bat-like device comprised of a first handle portion hinged to a barrel portion so that swinging the device grooves and fortifies a motion consistent with a pro batting swing.
[0002] The advent of ultra-light aluminum bats are giving youths learning the art or science of hitting a baseball bad habits because these light bats can be easily swung without proper body and arm motion. Especially in fast-pitch hard ball, neophytes who do not have proper training have a tendency to become accustomed to an abbreviated arm and wrist motion to just make contact with the ball. Especially as the velocity of the pitches increases, the rebound effects of modem aluminum bats allows the ball to travel far even without the proper flat swing.
[0003] This is in contrast to the old days of heavier wood bats when participants had to use their bodies and muscles in a coordinated swing fully utilizing their shoulders, hips, thighs, arms and torso. These modem bad habits magnify and create barriers to proper development especially when participants make the jump from grade school (Little League or Pony League) to high school where the rules require the use of a heavier aluminum bat; and even more apparent when participants go from college to professional leagues where players must transition to even heavier wood bats. Accordingly, the participants who have never been properly trained and try to make the transition from light to heavy bats are most likely to be handicapped, washed out or not to succeed.
[0004] Accordingly, the present inventions allows participants to train to use the proper body and arm motion and emphasize the rotation of the arms, torso, hips and thighs as well as facilitate the follow through to prepare an individual for a proper high school, college or pro swing.
[0005] In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a baseball training aid having a first portion hinged to a second portion. The first portion includes a handle portion which is connected by means of a hinge or resilient member to the second portion having a weighted barrel.
[0006] The barrel can be either cylindrical in cross-section or can have a flat portion to encourage or facilitate a flat level swing. This can be further encouraged by having a hinge with pivot points designed to restrict the motion in the horizontal direction.
[0007] Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to facilitate proper body, arm and shoulder rotation, weight distribution, and follow through to prepare participants for advanced baseball.
[0008] Accordingly, there is described herein, a batting training aid comprising of a first portion having a proximal and distal end, a hinge mechanism, pivotally attached to the distal end of the first portion; a second portion with a second proximal and second distal end, the proximal end being connected by said hinge to said first portion; said first barrel being of sufficient length so that when the batting training aid is swung and the second portion swings and collapses upon the first, the handle is cleared and the batter's hands are not hit.
[0009] There is also described a baseball training aid comprising, a bat handle member, a barrel member, a hinge pivotally connecting the bat handle member and barrel member to one another, the barrel member having a flat striking surface to encourage a flat swing. Additionally described is a baseball training aid comprising a bat with a knob at its proximal end and a flat striking surface at its distal end, and an annular grip member positioned over the handle and suitably moveable thereon so that the annular member can be gripped near the hinge area when the practice swing is initiated and towards the knob when the swing progress is finished.
[0010] These and further options and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for the purpose of illustration only, several embodiments in accordance with the principle of the present invention.
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[0026] Referring to
[0027] In the preferred embodiment and as shown in
[0028] As mentioned previously, a typical flawed swing is often caused by kids being spoiled by the ultra-light nature of the aluminum bat and the trampoline effect of these bats which drive the ball great distances without proper arm and body rotation. Especially as the kids get older, and the velocity of the pitches increase, participants using these ultra-light bats have a tendency to just stick the bat out in the way of the ball to just make contact and not properly use their wrists and not their arms, hips, thighs and torsos. In contrast, the same swing with a wooden bat would not produce nearly the same impact or distance. In many instances, the problems with these hand swings are also compounded by hitting the ball too much in front, which is worsened by, in many instances, the participant stepping frontward, causing the body to be pivoted on the front foot and the swing deprived of the benefits of the push from the back foot followed by rotation of the trunk and arms and fully utilizing the hips, thighs, and torso. During the days when heavier bats were used, participants had to use their bodies, their hips and their arms as if they were swinging an ax to cut down a tree. Indeed, it is reported that the legendary player Ted Williams practiced his baseball swing by chopping down trees with an ax. Accordingly, one of the purposes of the invention is to build up good habits as was done with the wooden bat and as illustrated in
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[0032] In Position
[0033] Going now to Position
[0034] In operation, when the participant practices using this training aid, the participant builds up his/her muscles and grooves a horizontal swing using the correct muscle groups with the knob of the bat pulled through the swing first and the flip of the wrist occurring only after the knob is generally over the front foot, followed by a progressive follow through which automatically occurs because of the momentum of the second portion of the bat and the pendulum action caused by the hinging movement.
[0035] Other embodiments encompassed by this invention is shown in
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[0037] In the embodiment of
[0038] Yet another embodiment is shown in
[0039] In the embodiment in
[0040] While we have shown and described various embodiments in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without the parting of the scope and spirit of this concept.