WO2006025871A1

WO2006025871A1 - Hitting beam baseball teaching device

Info

Publication number: WO2006025871A1
Application number: PCT/US2005/012897
Authority: WO
Inventors: Scott Robinson; Chad Prosser
Original assignee: Scott Robinson; Chad Prosser
Priority date: 2004-08-31
Filing date: 2005-04-15
Publication date: 2006-03-09

Abstract

A device for assisting baseball players in improving their swing is disclosed. A narrow beam sits approximately three inches off the ground, and causes a user to step directly toward the pitcher while swinging. A step in any other direction will cause the hitter to step off the beam, thereby providing a negative-reinforcing deterrent to repeating the mistake.

Description

TITLE OF THE INVENTION Hitting Plank Baseball Teaching Device

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/605,858, which %έ filed on August 31 , 2004.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] This invention relates generally to a device for assisting baseball players in improving their batting swing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The current market for hitting products is very cluttered. However, the few products that are designed to fix a flaw in a hitters swing have the ability to only fix one problem and can only be used in one type of drill or in one location. A hitter that is unbalanced during the swing often loses track of the ball, steps in the wrong direction, improperly shifts their weight, and they often have a poor bat plane. Many other hitting products are designed to improve only one flaw, or are designed to make it easy to practice hitting without the help of anyone else (i.e. batting practice pitcher).

[0004] Consequently, there is a demand for an invention which addresses these problems.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide a device which assists in developing a correct batting swing. It is another object of the present invention to construct the frame of the device to have holes in which an upward-extending over- rotational device can be removably and selectably inserted. [0006] These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent as the following description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Fig. 1 shows a top view of the hitting beam of the present invention; [0008] Fig. 2A shows a side-view of a first embodiment of that shown in Fig. 1 ; [0009] Fig. 2B shows a side-view of a second embodiment of that shown in Fig.

1 ;

[00010] Figs. 3A-3D show foot-patterns demonstrating the different types of foot rotations that occur during a hitter's swing;

[00011] Fig. 4 shows the embodiment of Fig. 2A but with an over-rotational device inserted therein;

[00012] Figs. 5A-5C shows how the embodiment of Fig. 4 corrects foot rotation during a hitter's swing;

[00013] Figs. 6-9 show additional details of the over-rotational device of Fig. 4, and how it is attached to the beam of Figs. 1-2 and 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [00014] Before explaining the disclosed embodiment of the present invention in detail it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the particular arrangement shown, since the invention is capable of other embodiments. Also, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

[00015] A proper swinging stride must consist only of stepping toward the ball and towards the pitcher. Any foot movement in any other direction is counter-productive to the swing. Accordingly, any foot movement in any direction other than the desired direction will cause the hitter to fall off the plank. In this way, the present invention notifies a hitter that they are making some type of improper stride, either with their front foot or their rear foot.

[00016] The purpose of the present invention is to help baseball and softball hitters of all ages stay balanced throughout their swing. When a hitter is not balanced throughout the swing, it causes many problems. To address this, the present invention forces a hitter to remain balanced, minimize head movement, correct stride direction and over-striding.

[00017] The present invention also corrects over-rotation of the front foot. Hitters using the present invention will be able to hit off a tee, do soft-toss, and even take batting practice while using the present invention. Not only will the present invention correct many problems with the swing and have the ability to be used with a variety of different drills, but it can also be used on a variety of surfaces including: grass, dirt, cement, AstroTurf™, rubber mats, or nearly any other surface. Additionally, the present invention is durable, light-weight, easily transported, has a variety of uses in different drills and locations, corrects many flaws in the hitter's swing, and was created by professional players who developed the product through considerable use and experimentation.

[00018] The present invention can be used by baseball and softball players of all ages, and offers the ability to fix many flaws in a hitter's swing which will help to improve their overall hitting ability. This applies to baseball and softball hitters from Little League all the way through the Major Leagues. The present invention improves a hitter's swing by fixing several mechanical flaws at one time. There is a large demand for hitting tools that can improve a hitters swing, and therefore many products attempt to meet that demand. However, unlike many other inventions, the present invention simultaneously corrects many swing flaws all within one hitting tool. Ideally, the present invention would be incorporated into the everyday practice routine of teams, instructors, and individual hitters.

[00019] The present invention could be used during hitting of a stationary ball on a tee, but could also be used during soft tosses and even used up to full-speed pitching. The beam is specifically fitted to be narrower that most hitter's feet. This way, a hitter must stride forward, and keep all their weight properly balanced in the direction of the ball, or they will fall off. No other result is possible. If they stride correctly, they stay on the invention. If they "bail out" or "step in the bucket", a common problem among even experienced hitters, they fall off the plank. [00020] The target customer group for the present invention is baseball and softball hitters of all ages that have one or more flaws in their swing. These hitters want to improve their swing and their batting average by eliminating any flaws in their swing. The present invention ensures that a hitter will remain balanced, have proper stride direction, keep their head on the ball, maintain good swing path, keep shoulders and hips level, and help smooth out a swing. Customers would buy the present invention because of the many swing flaws it fixes, the ease of use, the variety of locations it can be use in, and the variety of drills in which it can be used. The present invention can fix several swing flaws at once. [00021] The present invention is an elevated board that a hitter stands on while batting. In order to hit a ball while mounted on beam of the present invention, a hitter must maintain good balance, proper stride, and little head movement. If a hitter has good balance, good stride, and little head movement, many other aspects of the swing also come aligned including: bat path, proper use of the legs, staying loose throughout the swing, and many more.

[00022] The present invention must be durable, must support hitter weighing up to 350 pounds, yet must also fit in a car trunk or luggage compartment of a team bus. It must also survive being left outside during rain and dew and therefore must be rust-resistant, and has to work with turf shoes, running shoes, and other types of baseball shoes including rubber or metal spikes. It is desired to not force a hitter to change shoes in order to use the present invention, although the hitter is certainly free to do so. The present invention strives to accomplish all the above yet still be manufactured at relatively low cost.

[00023] Fig. 1 shows a top-down view of the present invention, including a platform mechanism or beam 100 upon which a baseball hitter stands while practicing. The beam 100 is of relatively narrow width, such as but not limited to six inches. This width is intentionally chosen to be narrower than the length of most people's feet, so that a hitter using the present invention must, while swinging, concentrate the bulk of her weight on the toe of her leading foot. It is undesired for a hitter to shift their weight in a flat-footed mode, and the present invention corrects this unwanted habit. [00024] The beam 100 is approximately five feet in length, so as to accommodate the length of a completed stride of even the tallest hitter. However, a smaller version of the present invention can be fabricated that perform the necessary functions yet accommodate children and smaller individuals.

[00025] Through use of offset members 104, the beam 100 stands approximately three inches off the ground. Three inches is not an exact requirement, only that the height be sufficient that a hitter will notice when they step off the beam, but not so tall that an errant hitter will fall off the beam or twist an ankle. A hitter stands on the beam 100 and can practice striding through their baseball swing. Although not drawn as such in Fig. 1 , the offset members 104 can be recessed so as to not interfere with a hitter's feet.

[00026] As shown in Fig. 1 , the present invention comes with a handle or handles 108 for easy transportation. Although not shown this way in Fig. 1 , the handles 108 can also be recessed so that they don't interfere with a hitters feet. Additionally, the handles could be manufactured into the body of the beam 100 as recessed cut¬ aways.

[00027] A hinge mechanism 112 is located at the center of the beam 100 so that the entire invention may be folded in half in order to save space. Like the handles 108, the hinge mechanism 112 is intentionally located so as to not interfere with a hitter's feet. The offset members 104 fold inwardly rather than outwardly, thereby rendering less exposed surfaces to be subject to risk of damage or deformation during transportation, such as in a car trunk or baggage area of a team bus. The beam 100 is also equipped with a group of placement holes 120 for inserting a device that helps with foot rotation as will be described later. [00028] Figs. 2A and 2B show side-horizontal views of the present invention. The frame of the beam 100 should not be limited to that shown in Fig. 2, which is but one exemplary embodiment. From Fig. 2A the support members 104 can clearly be identified. However, Fig. 2B shows another embodiment in which no support members are used, but instead the beam 100 is formed from a rectangular frame which is molded or welded in a single-piece, unibody-style of construction. One example of this can be an aluminum or aluminum alloy composition. The purpose of the holes 616 will be explained in more detail below.

[00029] Figs. 2A and 2B also show an additional feature of the present invention, a non-slip padded top surface 204 which can be made out of rubber as well as other substances. As stated, the present invention must work with turf shoes, running shoes, and other types of baseball shoes including rubber or metal spikes. This is because it is strongly desired to not force a hitter to change shoes in order to use the present invention. Also, the removable top surface 204 can be manufactured to have the effect that the hitters using the present invention get the same foot-grip and traction that they would get on regular ground.

[00030] Figs. 3A-3D show a well-known problem among baseball hitters, over-and (to a lesser extent) under-rotation of the front foot. During a swing, it is important to slightly rotate the front foot. This is known as "opening" a hitter's stance, and affects the amount of leverage a hitter can use from their hips in order to apply power to the ball. Some successful hitters stride directly into a pitch without opening their stance whatsover. However, other hitters find some opening to be advantageous for applying power to the swing, and also to correct for confusion when the pitch does not arrive at the expected speed, yet the hitter has already committed her body weight and cannot go back. Because of this, there exists a continual problem that hitters open up their swing either too much or not enough, and then lose their ability to apply power from their hips to the swing.

[00031] To better explain the concept of opening a hitter's stance, Fig. 3A shows the foot placement of a hitter prior to swinging. Fig. 3B shows the foot placement of a hitter who does not rotate her foot much, or only rotates it marginally. This may or may not be a habit that is desired to correct. The present invention can accommodate either scenario, whether reinforcing the foot rotation or correcting it. Fig. 3C shows an example of too much foot rotation, thereby depriving the hitter of needed power. Fig. 3D shows a median amount of foot rotation that many hitters find satisfactory.

[00032] To address the issue of foot rotation, Fig. 4 shows a side-horizontal view of the present invention with an Over-Rotation Device (ORD) 404 located inside. As alluded earlier, the beam 100 contains a series of placement holes 616 in the front foot half to secure insertion of the ORD 404. Although the ORD 404 is shown in the shape of a rectangle, a variety of shapes could be used, including but not limited to wedge or triangle, so that the present invention should not be considered as limited exclusively thereto. The ORD 404 must be sufficiently durable to allow either a single or a series of firmly-fastened short pegs or posts (for simplicity, not shown in Figs. 4 or 5) to be fixedly secured thereto. Prior to use of the beam 100, this peg or pegs would then be fitted into the placement holes 616 according to a hitter's preference. [00033] Applying the principles and ideas of Figs. 3A-3D and Fig. 4, Fig. 5A shows the foot placement of a hitter prior to swinging. Fig. 5B shows the foot placement of a hitter who does not rotate her foot much, or only rotates it marginally, and how the insert 404 reinforces this rotation. Fig. 5C shows how the present invention addresses the problem of too much foot rotation. With the insert in place, it will simply not be possible for the hitter to continue the habit of over-rotation. Fig. 5C shows an exemplary median amount of foot rotation that many hitters find satisfactory, and how the ORD 404 reinforces and protects the hitter from straying from this satisfactory amount of foot rotation. The specific placement of the ORD 404 shown in Figs. 5A-5C is to be considered only an approximation, for demonstration purposes only, and the present invention should not be considered as limited exclusively thereto.

[00034] For hitters for whom the desired amount of foot rotation is not yet known, the ORD 404 can be removed entirely. A spring can be located inside the ORD 404 so as to lock it in place, and prevent if from being kicked loose, and also provide some physical resistance to the hitter's foot.

[00035] If the ORD 404 is used simultaneously with the non-slip padded top surface 204, the surface 204 must have cuts or apertures located so as to accommodate the ORD 404. Additionally, the present invention can also be formed to have an adjustable length. Finally, the edges of the beam 100 can also be fitted with a clasp (not shown) to hold both halves together when folded [00036] It is an intended that the beam 100 be lightweight for easy transportation, yet heavy enough for stability and solid feeling while standing thereupon. The beam 100 can function on any type of baseball field or surface, including grass, dirt, cement/asphalt, or Astroturf™.

[00037] To reduce hazard during either transportation or use, the corners and edges of the beam 100 can be surfaced with a rubber or plastic softening mechanism. Alternatively, the frame of the present invention can be manufactured or machined to have no sharp edges, but instead have all edges be rounded, beveled, or blunted.

[00038] Figs. 6-9 show additional detail of the beam 100 and the ORD 404. It should be understood that the embodiment shown in Figs. 6-9 is for exemplary purposes only, and the present invention should not be considered as limited exclusively thereto. For example, the ORD 404 shown in Figs. 6-9 is rectangular and hollow, but as state could come in many other shapes and forms. [00039] In Figs. 6-8, a thick bolt 608 within the interior of the beam 100 movably fastens the ORD 404 to the beam 100. The bolt 608 is secured by a nut (not shown) within the interior of the ORD 404. A spring 612 urges the bolt 608 away from the ORD 404, so that the bolt 608 is constantly under tension to grip and secure the ORD 404 to the surface of the beam 100.

[00040] Figs. 6-8 also show a fastening post 604, which is located within a series of holes 616 that are shown in Figs. 7-9. A hitter can reposition the ORD 404 with respect to the beam 100 by lifting the ORD 404 away from the beam 100 a sufficient distance that the post 604 is clear of the surface of the beam 100, turning the ORD 404 along the axis of the bolt 608, and then aligning the post 604 with one of the variety of holes 616. Although Figs. 7-9 show the holes 616 in a semicircle, this is but an exemplary arrangement, so that the present invention should not be considered as limited exclusively thereto. For example, Fig. 1 shows the holes 616 in a grid arrangement. The purpose of the holes 616 is to provide a user of the present invention with a sufficient variety of practice options that a broad spectrum of hitters, each with individuals flaws in their swing, can all use and be accommodated by the present invention in improving their hitting swing.

[00041] It is anticipated that various changes may be made in the arrangement and operation of the system of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the following claims.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A device for improving the swing of baseball hitters, comprising: a frame with a rectangular cross section for supporting the baseball hitter during a hitting stride, wherein said frame is divided into rear foot and front foot portions; and further wherein said frame has sufficient length to accommodate a baseball hitter's stride, and is sufficiently narrow that said hitter must stay on the balls of their feet

2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising: said frame being hollow.

3. The device of claim 2, further comprising: a plurality of support members located underneath and transverse to said frame, for providing a desired height.

4. The device of claim 1 , further comprising: said frame having a rectangular cross-section.

5. The device of claim 1 , further comprising: said frame having a hinge located at or near a midpoint of said frame and joining said front foot and rear foot portions, so that said frame can be folded during non-use.

6. The device of claim 1 , further comprising: said frame having a holes located at periodic intervals therein, wherein an over-rotational device is inserted within said holes according to the hitter's preference.

7. The device of claim 4, wherein said over-rotational device can be removably and selectively positioned within said front foot portion using said holes.

8. The device of claim 1 , further comprising said frame having a non-slip top surface attached thereto.

9. The device of claim 1 , further comprising said frame having horizontal grooves running parallel with said length, said grooves for reducing slippage during wet or muddy conditions.

10. The device of claim 3, further comprising said support members being affixed to said frame through: welds; screws; rivets; nails; or any combination of the above.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein said frame is manufactured from fiberglass or a fiberglass-based composition.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein said frame is manufactured from aluminum or an aluminum alloy.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein said frame is sized to accommodate children rather than adults.

14. The device of claim 6, wherein said over-rotational device is attached to said frame by a bolt.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein said bolt has a spring mounted thereto, for reinforcing said attachment of said over-rotational device.

16. A method of improving a baseball hitter's swing, comprising: positioning an over-rotational device to correct a known error in the hitter's stride; standing on a beam that is narrower than the hitters feet and long enough to accommodate the hitter's stride; striding to hit a ball; forcing the hitter to reinforce a habit of striding directly forward; by causing the hitter to slip off said beam if the hitter strides in any direction other than directly forward. 7. The method of claim 16, wherein said ball can be either moving or stationary.