WO2010048669A1

WO2010048669A1 - Game and training bat

Info

Publication number: WO2010048669A1
Application number: PCT/AU2009/001412
Authority: WO
Inventors: Cameron Stuart Waddell
Original assignee: Cameron Stuart Waddell
Priority date: 2008-10-29
Filing date: 2009-10-29
Publication date: 2010-05-06
Also published as: GB201107062D0; GB2476761A; AU2009310628A1

Abstract

A game and training bat specially adapted to train cricket batting skills consisting of a training bat, resembling in most aspects a regulation cricket bat, having a void or indentation in the nominal sweet spot region. An elastic membrane or a face of strings are woven across the void or indentation, such that in use a ball struck with the strung face, is given increased trajectory and noise from the elastic recoil of the strings. Such recoil and noise contribute to training the skill of striking the cricket ball in the sweet spot region of a regulation cricket bat.

Description

GAME AND TRAINING BAT

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to sporting apparatus in particular but not limited to a game and training bat for use in training cricket batting skills.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The sport of cricket has been developing in recent years with the advent of one day cricket and more recently 20/20 cricket and international beach cricket competitions. Excitement has been added to the game by media and commercial television coverage. The field boundaries tend to be getting shorter and thus 'big hits' are a lot more prevalent in the game today. However, very few fans, young and old, have the ability to emulate the feats of their heroes and idols of world cricket by being able to hit the ball as they do.

Every existing cricket bat has a sweet spot, such that when a cricket ball is struck by the bat, it will be driven off the sweet spot at an optimum speed and will either travel quicker along the ground or travel much further through the air than a ball struck outside the sweet spot. This however, is not as obvious or as effective when using a ball similar to a tennis ball.

Children and newcomers to the sport are often satisfied with merely hitting the ball. Striking the ball out of the sweet spot area of the bat is not a high priority and many people do not get the feeling or satisfaction of hitting the ball sweetly. There is very little incentive or need to actually aim for a particular part of a bat and it is difficult to explain the difference to someone who has never experienced the feel of a ball coming off the sweet spot. When using a ball such as a tennis ball with a timber bat, the difference between striking the ball on the sweet spot and out of the sweet spot is not prominent. However, there are many problems with playing with a cricket ball and regulation cricket bat.

When a cricket ball is hit out of the sweet spot area in a confined space for example in a normal back yard, the damage to person and property is a fairly high risk.

Further, a cricket ball on the beach is fairly useless as the ball does not bounce well on sand, and there is a fear of injuring fellow beach-goers. A cricket ball is not a great performer in the water and this makes the traditional variety of the game impractical in such situations.

Safety equipment required to prevent injury, for example knee pads, turns the

'fun game' into an arduous task and as traditional back-yard cricket games tend to involve entire families, both young and old, levelling the playing field is important to everyone's enjoyment.

In cricket training, particularly with youth, facing a cricket ball at pace for a period of time increases the risk of the batsmen being struck and hurt. This is not only a physical danger, but is also damaging to their confidence. To train with a lighter ball and cricket bat usually has a diminished effect as the difference in feel of a shot from the sweet spot is barely distinguishable from a shot outside the sweet spot.

The cost of a good cricket bat similar to the ones used by today's elite cricketers can be upwards of $300.00. Cost is correlated with a particular feel and placement of the sweet spot in the region of the bat which is used to most commonly hit the ball. This is an expense which average people cannot afford for a game bat or something for enjoyment in a social setting. Existing cricket bats are a fairly distinct and specialised piece of sporting equipment of standard (regulation) shape, but can be made from different materials, and in different weights and sizes. The different sizes of bat cater for people of all heights and ages. The lighter bats for example, which are made of plastic, can be used by someone who is not strong enough to swing a heavier timber bat or by someone who just wants to hit a ball for fun. Plastic bats are lighter and have a different feel to timber bats. Some plastic bats are made with different compounds in the sweet spot to try to enhance the power of the strike. There are also lighter timber bats with blades usually consisting of a single plank of timber. These bats are usually not suitable for use with a cricket ball. There are bats made from other materials all of which are made to help with remedying individual batting flaws or to enhance a certain style of play. The bat can be switched for a racquet such as a tennis racquet which allows the batsmen to hit the ball a lot further with less effort or skill.

In the backyard variation of the game, anything from a PVC pipe to a stump may be used in place of a cricket bat, all of which would usually be used with a tennis ball and not a cricket ball. Many methods have been used to train batsman into hitting the sweet spot of the bat. Exercises include putting a cricket ball into a stocking and tying in to the clothes line or to a bar above head height and letting the ball swing at around shin height and repetitively moving your foot to the ball and hitting out of the centre. Another practice technique is to throw a cricket ball against a wall and then play a selected shot as it rebounds toward the batter. A more advanced method involves throwing a golf ball against a wall and to hit it back with the middle of a stump.

In net practice, many bowlers will bowl at batsmen in a confined net area and allow the batsmen to practice finding the sweet spot of the bat through repetition. This can also be done using a bowling machine to continually simulate a particular bowling trajectory. Many players who are serious about their cricket will also get video footage of themselves batting to see how consistently they will hit the sweet spot of the bat.

To practice catching and fielding at all levels of cricket, a tennis racquet and ball are used to simulate a game situation and to help with fielding and catching skills. This greatly reduces the possibility of injury and allows for a good strike off the face of the racquet on most occasions without the unpredictability of using a thinner bat with a smaller sweet spot.

To allow for bigger hitting in a backyard style of game a heavier rubber ball may also be used, which will rebound a lot further off the face of the bat than a standard tennis ball struck with the same power, but with less power than a cricket ball.

The speed of bowling of the ball can also be limited in some games to allow younger or amateur players a chance to hit the ball harder and further.

DISADVANTAGES OF THE PRIOR ART

Hollow plastic bats do not have the same feel of a ball hitting a normal cricket bat and are primarily to help very young children who are too little and not yet strong enough to hold a proper cricket bat. Hollow plastic bats may also have a short lifespan if misused, or weather damaged; and the ball striking the bat limits the bats life. These bats are susceptible to splitting, bending and warping in weather. A solid plastic bat is of a better quality than the hollow counterpart but similarly feels different to a wooden bat. The sweet spot in a timber bat is not at all similar to a plastic bat which, though thicker in the sweet spot area, does not have the same dynamic as the wooden bat. Plastic bats are usually weighted differently and have a different shape. The edges on plastic bats tend to be more rounded. The bottom of the bat is more susceptible to wear and tear as they are a softer material to timber.

The use of a stump or PVC pipe is often an improvised bat for back yard play, but has the significant disadvantage of width, as very few people have the ability to be able to hit a ball with a thin object. The game can only be played with a pipe small enough to hold, resulting that the smaller the person, the smaller the pipe and this of course becomes a problem with the ball being even harder to hit. When practicing with a bowling machine, or in the nets it is hard to ascertain exactly how often the ball is coming out of the middle of the bat as sometimes this is not apparent, even to the batsman. The risk of injury is also a real one when practicing with a proper cricket ball.

The cost involved in video analysis is usually too great for the average person and is limited by the availability of such sophisticated technology. Further, video analysis is also expensive to have correctly apprised by expert batsmen. To change the type of ball to a heavier style although increasing the ability to hit harder and further also increases the risk of injury to person and property.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to ameliorate some or all of the above disadvantages of the prior art by providing a novel and inventive game and training bat to develop cricket batting skills or to at least provide the public with a useful choice.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION

In one aspect therefore the invention resides in a game and training bat specially adapted to train cricket batting skills including in combination, a bat having an elongated and substantially rectangular blade portion, a longitudinal cylindrical handle attached to and extending from the blade portion; said training bat resembling in most aspects a regulation cricket bat, with the improvement residing in the blade portion having a void or indentation in the nominal sweet spot region of a regulation cricket bat; an elastic membrane or a face of strings woven across the void or indentation, wherein in use, a ball bowled or tossed in the direction of a batter and intentionally struck with the elastic membrane or strung face, such that the contact noise and trajectory of the ball is determined by the elastic recoil of the membrane or strings, contribute to training the skill of striking a cricket ball in the sweet spot region of a regulation cricket bat.

Preferably the game or training bat is a regulation cricket bat but with the modification of the void or indentation.

Preferably the bat is made of timber but can be made of a synthetic material such as plastic or graphite, or can be of a metal such as aluminium.

Suitably the void or indentation is of an elliptical or ellipsoid configuration extending over the nominal sweet spot region of a regulation cricket bat.

In another version, the void or indentation may substantially span the whole blade portion of the bat, whereby the largest sweet spot can be attained.

Preferably there are holes drilled in at least two directions around the void or indentation for stringing a strung face with an interwoven pattern. In a preferred example, the strings can be synthetic or natural cat gut as used to string tennis racquets, or any flexible material for example nylon, rubber or gutta percha which can be woven with a certain amount of give to allow a ball to rebound with pace off the face of the strings.

In an alternative example, the strings may be supported in a separate frame that is inserted into the bat.

Suitably the designated tension of the strings can be used to determine the velocity or speed of a ball being struck.

Where individual lengths of string are used to comprise the strung face, the individual strings may be strung at varying tensions to obtain a desired rebound effect or sweet spot characteristic.

In a preferred example, a reverberating membrane can also be placed behind the strung face so that it creates a distinctive sound when the ball is struck.

Preferably the game or training bat as herein described is used with a tennis ball and not a regulation cricket ball.

It will be apparent that due to the elastic recoil properties of the woven face, that a batsman or batswoman of diminutive stature can still strike a ball with some force with an increased trajectory over that of the same ball struck with a normal cricket bat.

As discussed in the aforementioned statements, the sweet spot area could be made of different materials other than tennis, squash or badminton racquet strings for a similar result, for example of a rubber material such as rubber band type material or perhaps the same materials that an archery bow may incorporate. This stringed area could be made with any flexible material, which can be woven that has a certain amount of give to allow a ball to gather pace off the face of the strings.

Another way that this effect could be emulated would be if in the area that is drilled out, a thin rubber or elastic material be placed over or again inserted and fixed into the void area to create the same type of effect.

The area cut out could be modified so that it was smaller or larger or even encompassing the entire bat and made to have a much larger stringed area. The stringed area of the bat could be modified so that the spacings between the strings are smaller or larger. As previously mentioned, instead of the holes for the stringed area to be drilled all the way through the thickness of the timber bat, they could be drilled or a piece taken out, that does not go through the entire thickness of the bat, but still allows for whatever the material in the face to have some give. Instead of using one singular string to string the face of the sweet spot area, it would be possible to use individual strings passing through each hole to cover the intended area. These could be tensioned at different amounts to get a desired reaction of the ball off the sweet spot area.

The bat could be made of many materials, ranging from timber to plastic, not excluding any possible material available, with the stringed sweet spot installed in a plethora of different ways. The fixing of the strings could also be done in a variety of different fashions, including, but not limited to, drilling all the way through the bat and running the strings on the face of the bat, drilling through the thickness of bat and tying the strings off at the back of the bat, running the strings in a fashion other than horizontal and vertical (i.e. running at diagonals). BRIEF DESCRIPTION DRAWINGS

In order that the invention may be better understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings wherein, Figure 1 shows a preferred game and training bat for use to train cricket batting skills according to invention, and

Figure 2 shows detail of the strung face of the bat of Figure 1 , and Figure 3 shows a preferred alternative game and training bat according to invention wherein the entire blade comprises a strung face to obtain the optimum or maximum size sweet spot, and Figure 4 shows detail of the strung face of a lower portion of the bat of Figure 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings Figures 1 and 2 there is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention. Wherever possible, constant numbering has been used for all Figures.

In its purest form, the game and training bat has the same dimensions as a normal regulation cricket bat usually constructed from timber, but could be made of any type of material currently used for bat manufacture. The game and training bat 10 has one major difference to a regular bat. Down at the lower half of the bat there is a hole 12 in the bat which is oval shaped, preferably approx 20 cm x 15cm in dimension. The hole extends all the way through the depth of the bat. There are a series of stringing holes 14, 16, 18 and 20, 22, 24 respectively drilled on the horizontal as well as on the vertical parts of this oval shape. These stringing holes are preferably approx 1/6^th of an inch (approx. 4mm diameter) in size, positioned about a centimetre apart, covering the full circumference of the oval cut-out 12. Tennis racquet string is woven through the holes to create a look similar to a tennis or squash racquet in the lower half of the bat. Figures 3 and 4 show detail of a bat 30 with the entire blade 31 comprising a strung face to obtain the optimum or maximum size sweet spot. The bat may also be protected at the holes with string protectors 32 so that when the strings are tensioned they do not rip through the timber frame 34 of the bat. The strings are tensioned, creating a surface area 36 that is taut. The strings are as close as possible to or at the front face of the bat. This has many advantages. This bat has the ability to allow the person who is batting to hit the ball further than previously possible when hitting out of the sweet spot. Consequently someone who is not as powerful striking with ball with this spot will see the ball travel further. Similarly, this result is replicated when a child uses the bat. This also gives the batsmen an incentive to 'play straight', not only at the beginners level but up to the elite level. Playing straight is an important and integral part of the game and is a technique encouraged by cricket trainers world-wide and a stroke that is extremely important in a batsman's arsenal. When offering the full face of the bat to the ball as it is delivered, there is more chance of the ball cleanly hitting the sweet spot and therefore getting maximum distance and power from the shot. This has the in-game application of greater run per shot value. The difference between hitting the timber part of the bat and the centre of the strings is obvious in the speed of the ball off the bat and the sound that it makes. It gives some incentive to the non cricket player or to the backyard player to hit the ball out of the optimum part of the bat in order to hit the ball as far as possible. This creates an interest in the game for those that may have otherwise lost interest as they could not hit the ball particularly far before. Hence, a lot of people who watch the one-day, 20/20 or beach cricket, and have seen the shots that clear the rope or boundary, may now be able to emulate these feats in a much less competitive environment, thereby adding to the overall enjoyment of the game for everyone.

This bat can be used in the backyard for fun, the beach, the park, and pretty much anywhere that cricket is played at the moment without the fear of being hit with a real cricket ball, and without changing the dynamics or tradition of the game, as would be the case if a racquet were used. It still employs the same skills that any cricketer must use to bat and still gives the bowler the same opportunities of dismissing the batsman.

In training it gives any coach the opportunity to work with someone on technique, without fear of injury from being hit by a real cricket ball, but still being able to reinforce the true cricket batting values that makes a quality player. The ability to gauge exactly where a batsman is hitting the ball on the bat without expensive video analysis is an advantage to strengthen the player's technique. A batsman gets an immediate feel for whether or not they are hitting the ball well and out of the correct area of the bat. The potential is there to place a material behind the sweet spot strings either directly on or about a centimetre or so behind, such that when hit, makes a sound similar to that of a drum being beaten so that the user and any onlookers, whether they be coaches or friends or family, are completely aware of the consistency of hitting the ball in the correct area. The capacity of the sweet spot idea is to include a bat made from timber with a sweet spot to a bat made of a lighter framed material, e.g. graphite. The scope of this invention would include another style of bat, with a normal cricket bat handle, but with the bat hitting surface being made with the same dimensions as a cricket bat, but comprising a frame similar to a tennis racquet. This would then be strung from top to bottom, increasing the sweet spot area, and making the bat much lighter. This would allow for people who want to play cricket as a purely social game whilst keeping the tradition of cricket, i.e. using a bat and not a racquet, and still be able to hit the ball as far as possible just for fun. This also would be an advantage for people and children who find it difficult to hit an isolated sweet spot, and where the weight of the bat is a prohibitory factor. COMMERCIAL ADVANTAGES

- There are currently 154 countries/political units where cricket is played or has a presence.

- There were 16 countries' teams represented at the last cricketing one day world cup competition.

- There are 22 full members of or part of full member nations of the ICC.

- The new bat has global export potential. Strong commercial markets exist in Australia, India, Pakistan, West Indies, England, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, South Africa and New Zealand as cricket is one of the top 4 sports in each of these countries.

- The facts above do not take into account other modifications of the game of cricket, who would benefit from this invention for example indoor cricketers or, on a social level: kanga cricket, French cricket, and other social varieties of cricket. This includes some varieties of cricket that are in the school curriculum or played in physical education.

- This bat will have a function that no other bat on the market has. - The bat, although similar in appearance to a normal bat, is significantly different.

- The consumer will immediately understand the potential of the bat upon first sighting the bat.

- The training benefits of the bat are unique.

- The social cricketer and backyard player now has the aim to hit the ball correctly without constant coaching about technique.

- Children have the opportunity to hit the ball further than they could before with a bat of similar dimensions to a normal cricket bat.

- Cricket bats tend to be just that; no matter what materials they are made from. This design is new and something completely different in looks and in function.

- Should the strings of the bat break there is the potential to re-string or re- tension the bat.

- It allows all ages and ability groups to play and just have a go.

- The bat can take the competitive "win-at-all-costs" feeling out of the game and make the focus on hitting a ball out of the sweet spot, therefore bringing enjoyment to more participants and emphasizing the fun aspect of the game. Consequently, it can be played as competitively as individuals would like.

- The bat itself can be manufactured locally with parts being readily available.

- People who have never had an introduction to cricket may identify with the unique bat design, therefore introducing new people to the sport.

- After manufacture, the cost of the bat should be relatively affordable to most.

- The potential is there for a similar system to be implemented into other sports bats or clubs.

- It prepares people for the real game without the angst of being hit with a real cricket ball.

- The game can be played with little or no protective gear.

VARIATIONS

It will of course be realised that while the foregoing has been given by way of illustrative example of this invention, all such and other modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as is herein set forth.

In the specification the terms "comprising" and "containing" shall be understood to have a broad meaning similar to the term "including" and will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps. This definition also applies to variations on the terms "comprising" and "containing" such as "comprise", "comprises", "contain" and "contains".

Claims

1. A game and training bat specially adapted to train cricket batting skills including in combination, a bat having an elongated and substantially rectangular blade portion, a longitudinal cylindrical handle attached to and extending from the blade portion; said training bat resembling in most aspects a regulation cricket bat, with the improvement residing in the blade portion having a void or indentation in the nominal sweet spot region of a regulation cricket bat; an elastic membrane or a face of strings woven across the void or indentation, wherein in use, a ball bowled or tossed in the direction of a batter and intentionally struck with the elastic membrane or strung face, such that the contact noise and trajectory of the ball is determined by the elastic recoil of the membrane or strings, contribute to training the skill of striking a cricket ball in the sweet spot region of a regulation cricket bat.

2. The game and training bat as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the bat is a regulation cricket bat but with the modification of the void or indentation.

3. The game and training bat as claimed in Claim 1 , wherein the bat is made of timber or a synthetic material such as plastic or graphite, or a metal such as aluminium.

4. The game and training bat as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the void or indentation extending over the nominal sweet spot is of an elliptical or ellipsoid configuration.

5. The game and training bat as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the void or indentation substantially spans the whole face of the blade portion of the bat, whereby the largest sweet spot can be attained.

6. The game and training bat as claimed in Claim 1 , wherein there are holes drilled in at least two directions around the void or indentation for stringing a strung face with an interwoven pattern.

7. The game and training bat as claimed in Claim 1 , wherein the strings are synthetic or natural cat gut as used to string tennis racquets, or any flexible material including nylon, rubber or gutta percha which are woven with an amount of give to allow a ball to rebound with pace off the face of the strings.

8. The game and training bat as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the strings are supported in a separate frame that is inserted into the bat.

9. The game and training bat as claimed in Claim 1 , wherein the designated tension of the strings are used to determine the velocity or speed of a ball being struck.

10. The game and training bat as claimed in Claim 1 , wherein individual lengths of string are used to comprise the strung face, the individual strings strung at varying tensions to obtain a desired rebound effect or sweet spot characteristic.

11. The game and training bat as claimed in Claim 1 , wherein a reverberating membrane is placed behind the strung face so that it creates a distinctive sound when the ball is struck.

12. The game and training bat as claimed in Claim 1 , wherein the void or indentation is covered by a thin rubber or elastic material.