U.S. patent application number 09/817863 was filed with the patent office on 2001-12-27 for training bat and method.
Invention is credited to Gallagher, Brian.
Application Number | 20010056001 09/817863 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26887932 |
Filed Date | 2001-12-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010056001 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Gallagher, Brian |
December 27, 2001 |
Training bat and method
Abstract
The training bat of the present invention has a length and
weight substantially equivalent to that of a conventional bat. The
training bat is comprised of a barrel section, a handle, and a
transition section intermediate to the barrel section and the
handle section. The barrel section has a diameter which is smaller
than that of a conventional bat. However, the barrel section also
includes a weighted member such that the training bat has a weight
which is substantially equivalent to that of a conventional bat.
The present invention also provides a swing training method which
utilizes the training bat described above. The method involves a
batter swinging at a baseball with the training bat having the
reduced diameter barrel section. Next, the batter swings at the
baseball with a conventional bat. That step is followed by the
batter swinging at a ball having a smaller diameter such as a golf
ball using the training bat and then using the conventional
bat.
Inventors: |
Gallagher, Brian; (Branch
Hill Guinea, OH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
P. Andrew Blatt, Ph.D.
Wood, Herron & Evans, L.L.P.
2700 Carew Tower
441 Vine Street
Cincinnati
OH
45202-2917
US
|
Family ID: |
26887932 |
Appl. No.: |
09/817863 |
Filed: |
March 26, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60192287 |
Mar 27, 2000 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
473/564 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 59/50 20151001;
A63B 69/0002 20130101; A63B 60/00 20151001; A63B 2102/18 20151001;
A63B 2069/0008 20130101; A63B 2208/12 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/564 |
International
Class: |
A63B 059/06 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A training bat comprising: a barrel section having a diameter,
said diameter being smaller than that of a conventional bat; and a
handle section operatively connected to said barrel section;
wherein said training bat has a length and a weight which are
substantially equivalent to the length and weight of a conventional
bat.
2. The training bat of claim 1, further wherein said barrel section
includes a weighted member such that the weight of the training bat
is substantially equivalent to that of a conventional bat having a
length substantially equivalent to the length of said training
bat.
3. The training bat of claim 1, said barrel section made from a
material selected from the group consisting of wood, aluminum,
aluminum-titanium alloys, beryllium, and plastic composite.
4. A training bat comprising: a barrel section having a diameter,
said diameter being smaller than the diameters of the barrel
sections of respective conventional Little League, baseball, and
softball bats, where the diameters of said respective conventional
bats range between about 2 1/4 inches and about 2 3/4 inches; and a
handle section operatively connected to said barrel section;
wherein said training bat has a length and a weight which are
substantially equivalent to the length and weight of said
respective conventional bats.
5. The training bat of claim 4, further wherein said barrel section
includes a weighted member such that the weight of the training bat
is substantially equivalent to that of said respective conventional
bats having a length substantially equivalent to the length of said
training bat.
6. The training bat of claim 4, said barrel section made from a
material selected from the group consisting of wood, aluminum,
aluminum-titanium alloys, beryllium, and plastic composite.
7. A training bat comprising: a barrel section having a diameter in
the range between about 1 1/2 inches and about 1 1/4 inches; and a
handle section operatively connected to said barrel section;
wherein said training bat has a length and a weight which are
substantially equivalent to the length and weight of a respective
conventional Little League, baseball, or softball bat.
8. The training bat of claim 7, further wherein said barrel section
includes a weighted member such that the weight of the training bat
is substantially equivalent to that of said respective conventional
bats having a length substantially equivalent to the length of said
training bat.
9. The training bat of claim 7, said barrel section made from a
material selected from the group consisting of wood, aluminum,
aluminum-titanium alloys, beryllium, and plastic composite.
10. A swing training method, comprising: swinging at a first ball
having a first diameter with a training bat having a barrel section
with a diameter, the training bat having a weight and length
substantially equivalent to the weight and length of a respective
conventional Little League, baseball, or softball bat; swinging at
said first ball with one of the respective conventional bats;
swinging at a second ball having a second diameter smaller than
said first diameter with said training bat; and swinging at said
second ball with the same one of the respective conventional
bats.
11. A swing training method, comprising: swinging at a first ball
having a first diameter with a training bat having a barrel section
having a diameter, said diameter being smaller than the diameters
of the barrel sections of respective conventional Little League,
baseball, and softball bats, where the diameters of said respective
conventional bats range between about 2 1/4 inches and about 2 3/4
inches, the training bat having a weight and length substantially
equivalent to the weight and length of a conventional bat; swinging
at said first ball with one of the respective conventional bats;
swinging at a second ball having a second diameter smaller than
said first diameter with said training bat; and swinging at said
second ball with the same one of the respective conventional
bats.
12. A swing training method, comprising: swinging at a first ball
having a first diameter with a training bat having a barrel section
with a diameter in the range between about 1 1/2 inches and about 1
1/4 inches, the training bat having a weight and length
substantially equivalent to the weight and length of a respective
conventional Little League, baseball, or softball bat; swinging at
said first ball with one of the respective conventional bats;
swinging at a second ball having a second diameter smaller than
said first diameter with said training bat; and swinging at said
second ball with the same one of the respective conventional bats.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] Pursuant to 37 C.F.R. .sctn. 1.78(a)(4), this application is
a continuation of, claims the benefit of and priority to prior
filed Provisional Application No. 60/192,287, filed Mar. 27, 2000,
which is expressly incorporated herein by reference.
Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention is directed to a training bat and
method for baseball, especially a training bat having a reduced
diameter barrel section yet still retaining the length and weight
of a conventional bat. The training bat and method of this
invention are intended to enhance the performance of baseball
players at all levels, from experienced pros down to beginners,
including children.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] In the field of athletic performance enhancement, raw
strength and explosive power may be sufficient to succeed in some
sports. Baseball, however, is a sport which requires explosive
power coupled with pinpoint accuracy. An explosive swing, poorly
timed, may result in a mishit in the wrong direction or a failed
attempt to make contact.
[0004] A batter's swing is basically comprised of three components:
power/velocity, accuracy, and timing. A deficiency in any of these
components diminishes the effectiveness of the batter's swing. One
approach to improving the batter's swing entails focusing on one
component of the swing at a time. For example, a batter may train
with a bat which is heavier than a conventional bat. The use of the
heavier bat focuses on improving the power/velocity component of
the batter's swing. That is, the heavier bat does little to enhance
the accuracy and timing of a batter's swing. In contrast, bats
which are lighter than conventional bats focus the batter's
attention only on swing accuracy and not timing. In essence,
training bats that change the weight of the conventional bat focus
on only one component of the batter's swing. What is needed,
therefore, is a training bat that is configured to enhance at least
two of the swing components simultaneously.
[0005] Another important feature of the batter's swing is the
batter's entire visual system, including the eyes, brain, and body.
In sports, the purpose of the visual system is to gather
information about what is going on around the athlete and guide the
appropriate movement pattern. A batter can improve the
effectiveness of his swing if he also trains his visual system to
move the bat at the proper time and location.
[0006] By way of background, the following description relates to
the visual aspects of athletics in general and baseball in
particular. Many so-called physical mistakes may be attributed to
visual deficits. Some academic weaknesses may also be a function of
poor visual skills or undue fatigue. According to Dr. Paul Planer,
an optometrist and on the board of The International Academy of
Sports Vision, too often the only concern of coaches, trainers, and
some athletes with the visual system is with static visual ability
(SVA). This statistical measurement is the ability of the athlete
to resolve (identify) a certain sized letter/number on the highest
contrast target available (black letters on a white background) on
your standard eye chart (i.e., 20/20, etc.). The ability to discern
detail in an object is called visual acuity. There are many factors
that affect visual discrimination including contrast, lighting,
motion, time, color, age, attention ability.
[0007] There are a variety of visual abilities utilized by athletes
and non-athletes alike whenever there is a decision to be made
involving the coordinated efforts of hand and eye. The following is
a synopsis of some of these visual abilities, a couple of easy to
administer assessments, visual enhancement exercises to train the
athlete's eyes, and how the training bat and method of the present
invention address some of these particular visual abilities.
[0008] Static Visual Acuity--the ability to resolve various sizes
of letters/numbers from a standard distance. Although the
importance of this stationary ability is minimal in other sports,
for baseball it is desirable that the athlete have at least 20/15
to 20/10 acuity for resolving the size of the baseball from a
standard distance (length of bat), and determining spatial
relationships.
[0009] Dynamic Visual Acuity--the ability to maintain clarity of an
object while either the object or the athlete, or both, are in
motion (as in a pitched baseball). Deficits in this ability can
cause perceptions of the viewed object to vary. Deficits in
clearness can affect timing during a swing.
[0010] Contrast sensitivity--this is the ability of the visual
system to discriminate variations in color of the object looked at
in comparison with the color of the background the object may be
against. In baseball, a white baseball against a dark outfield wall
such as when the baseball is pitched provides for a sharp contrast
and allows the batter to more readily see the pitched baseball. As
the brightness and color of background merge closer (as in tracking
a baseball against a light colored outfield wall), the contrast of
the baseball becomes less. In baseball, the ability to track the
baseball in flight or on the ground is of significant value as the
player attempts to intercept the baseball. This sensitivity is the
smallest amount of distinction between object and background that
can exist while still being distinguishable by the athlete. It may
be possible to enhance the ability to see a pitched white baseball
by taking batting practice in front of a light colored
background.
[0011] Eye Movement (Ocular Motility)--this is the ability of the
athlete to physically shift his eyes from place to place in space
rapidly, and accurately without hesitation or fatigue. Athletes
keen in this ability can quickly make decisions such as whether to
swing at a particular pitch. An athlete deficient in this ability
may commit to swinging at a bad pitch without time to change the
decision. Thus, eye movement is a key element in baseball.
[0012] Fusion--the eyes send information to the brain where the
information is integrated and interpreted as a three-dimension
(3-D) phenomenon. The integration of visual information from both
eyes into a 3-D image is called fusion. The integretion of visual
information is termed fixation. Typically, a person's focusing
ability is limited to 3 degrees. To get an idea of the size of this
visual field, one can extend his arm straight and forward with his
thumb pointing vertically. The width of the thumb in this position
is an approximation of the size and focus of your visual field.
[0013] Focus Flexibility (Accommodation)--the ability that allows
the athlete to change focus from one point in space to another and
to maintain precise clarity such as shifting from home plate to the
pitching mound during a pitch.
[0014] Fusion Flexibility (Binocularity)--this is the ability to
accurately "team" the two eyes together so they perform as one as
the athlete glances around, shifts focus, and follows the ball.
[0015] Depth Perception--the ability of the athlete to rapidly and
accurately utilize fused images from the eyes to judge distance
from the ball. Obviously this is closely related to the former
three abilities.
[0016] Visual Reaction Time--the time required to perceive and
respond to visual stimulation. Involved in this ability is the
effectiveness of the athlete to utilize auditory (sound)
information to assist in any visual stimulation.
[0017] Central Peripheral Awareness--sometimes referred to as side
vision. This is the ability of the athlete to maintain a "hard
focus" on the central task such as striking the ball while
screening out the activity to the side such as movement in the
surrounding stands. Other sports rely on the athlete's ability to
maintain an awareness or soft focus on "side" activity, baseball
demands that this activity is eliminated from the only task at
hand-focusing on the ball.
[0018] Eye-Hand-Body Coordination--this ability is related to
proprioception, or the ability to have a sense of where limbs are
in space without looking at them. This ability is key when swinging
at a pitched baseball. The batter must "feel" where the hands and
feet are without looking. Eye-hand-body then is an integration of
the eyes, the hands, and the body as a unit. While the eyes must
lead and guide the motor (movement) system, sense of limb awareness
is paramount.
[0019] Visual Adjustability--this relates to the athlete's ability
to have a visual system flexible enough to rapidly adjust and guide
the body's motor responses quickly and accurately as the
surrounding environment changes. A lack of being "tuned into" the
body's responses is exemplified in an inability to adjust to
unfamiliar ballparks, surfaces, brightness, time zones, etc. A
batter plays at opponents' fields for nominally half of the season,
which is why batting practice before an "away" game is so
important.
[0020] Visualization--familiar to many coaches, the ability to
mentally imagine and rehearse situations, actions, and responses
that can occur during play, and modify them to be more efficient
and correct. As anything, the exercise gets better with practice,
and therefore should be done year-round, during games and
practices, and away from games and practices. If an athlete cannot
visualize, they may be deficient in the ability to learn from
mistakes.
[0021] Eye (Sighting) Dominance--everyone has a dominant eye that
sends information to the brain slightly faster than the other. This
dominant eye directs the movement and fixation of the other eye.
Therefore it is prudent for the batter to stand in the batter's box
so his head has an unobstructed and aligned view of the baseball
with the dominant eye. In order to test which eye is dominant, one
may extend his arms straight and forward and form about a 1"
diameter triangular hole by connecting both thumbs and index
fingers. That person should pick a distance object on a wall, and
center it between the triangle. Without moving head or hands, the
person should close one eye, then the other. The eye that has the
object lined up closest to the hole is the dominant eye.
[0022] Visual Search Patterns (Saccades)--how an athlete watches
the motion of an object being tracked may help determine what is
seen and not seen by an athlete. The types of eye movements used in
tracking an object is actually a very complex process. Sports like
volleyball rely on Saccadic eye movements in order to observe
action. Eyes can follow an object smoothly up to visual angular
velocities of about 70 degrees per second. Volleyball, for example,
requires visual angular velocities in excess of 500 degrees per
second in order to follow the trajectory of a spike. While saccades
can reposition eyes to track an object at angular velocities
exceeding 700 degrees per second, the eyes "turn off" briefly as
they saccade or move to the next fixation. In other words, the eyes
move in frames perhaps exemplified in baseball when a batter's eyes
attempt to track a 95 MPH fastball coming from the pitcher's
mound.
[0023] The athlete should be tested in order to probe for visual
deficits and to provide a baseline set of measures to integrate
into a visual enhancement program. Tests and measures from a
strength, conditioning, movement, or sport standpoint should
reflect the movement, energy system, and task-specific demands of
the sport. Visual assessments which do not take a dynamic
environment into consideration are inadequate to assess visual
abilities.
[0024] It is important now to introduce the concept of Divided
Attention. During assessments and drills the athlete should be
required to perform an additional task (balancing, solving math
problems, game situations, etc.) known as the "soft focus" while
maintaining a "hard focus" on the central task (in this case the
visual assessment or exercise).
[0025] The following description relates to various test probes
which may be utilized to assess visual acuity.
[0026] SVA or Static Visual Acuity--although the testing only
begins here, it is still important. This can be done by a team
physician, usually monocularly first, then binocularly at a
distance of 20 feet with moderate lighting.
[0027] Ocular Motility Near (Testing "oneness" of eyes).
[0028] Pursuits (Near Vision)--goal: to test and train visual
accuracy for tasks occurring in a close visual hemisphere such as
blocking and setting
[0029] 1. Target: small bell on a clear string of nylon or thin
black thread.
[0030] 2. Technique: move the target in front of the athlete in a
random motion in various positions of gaze from arm's reach
distance to his forehead
[0031] 3. Observe: watch for loss of fixation on the bell (hint:
eyes will wander), head movement, crossing or closing one or both
eyes.
[0032] 4. Divided Attention: have the athlete solve math problems,
game situational tactics, balance on two tennis balls or one leg,
etc. on top of the requirement and record the effects.
[0033] Saccades (Near Vision)
[0034] 1. Target: same as pursuits except use at least two of them
requiring the athlete to shift eyes on command back and forth to
each bell.
[0035] 2. Observe: same as pursuits, but look at eyes to determine
if they "overlook" or "undertook" the target and how quickly they
get back to the central target bell. Does it just take a glance
(through visualizing the previous position, or is there time spent
looking).
[0036] 3. Divided Attention: same as above.
[0037] Near To Far
[0038] 1. Target: Use the dangled bell as the near target. The far
target can be any small target at least 10 feet away such as a
snellen chart (typical eye chart), clock's hand, person holding
fingers or juggling numbered/colored balls, people on the street
and the clothes they are wearing, other miscellaneous targets, etc.
Upon direction, the athlete is to shift his visual attention from
the bell to the distant target, etc. The goal is to train the
athlete to obtain more information from a glance as in lining up a
putt.
[0039] 2. Divided Attention: same as above and use your
imagination. Just reproduce when re-testing.
[0040] Binocularity--Near Point of Convergence (Eye Teaming)
[0041] 1. Target: Block on a string
[0042] 2. Technique: the athlete holds the end of a string with two
colored beads on the tip of his or her nose. The athlete should
focus on one of the beads. Record how many strings the athlete
reports and if possible where the strings meet (if at all) within
the field of vision. The athlete should see two strings at all
times, in all distances, in all directions of the string, and for
them to meet each other at the bead as opposed to in front or
beyond the bead. At times one of the strings may cross the other
further/closer or above/below the other or one string may disappear
or crossing points may fluctuate. Start with the string attached in
a straight line to a fixed location, then proceed downward which is
more specific to the game of golf.
[0043] 3. Evaluate: record if the strings cross beyond where the
bead is located, in front where the bead is located. If the string
seen by the athlete coming from the left side appears above the
plane, record this as right hyper. If the string appearing above
the plane appears above the plane of the bead, record as left
hyper. Note if the string disappears, record when and where.
[0044] 4. Distances: distance bead is at 20 feet, the intermediate
bead is at 10 feet, and the near bead is at 3 feet from the
athlete's face.
[0045] The next category, visualization, will include not only an
assessment, but how the "assessment" can then be used as a
task-specific visual training aid for a batter.
[0046] Visualization--the ability to mentally rehearse and perform
an athletic situation. In this situation, the athlete will quickly
process information and physically perform a movement. Since the
athlete may have to perform a different action than what he or she
sees--they must--in a matter of milliseconds, mentally rehearse
that movement. The batter mentally rehearse swinging at pitches of
various styles, such as fast balls, sliders, curve balls, and the
like. The batter should make a mental note on the feel of a
properly struck baseball.
[0047] Central Peripheral Awareness--maintaining focus on a central
task while screening out information to the sides is especially
good for batters.
[0048] It is also important for any athlete to practice in order to
mimic gamelike situations such as movement patterns in a very
focused and controlled environment. Training by design is done to
show the mind and body that they are capable of operating at higher
levels.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0049] The training bat of the present invention has a length and
weight substantially equivalent to that of a conventional bat. The
training bat is comprised of a barrel section, a handle, and a
transition section intermediate to the barrel section and the
handle section. The barrel section has a diameter which is smaller
than that of a conventional bat. However, the barrel section also
includes a weighted member such that the training bat has a weight
which is substantially equivalent to that of a conventional
bat.
[0050] The present invention also provides a swing training method
which utilizes the training bat described above. The method
involves a batter swinging at a baseball with the training bat
having the reduced diameter barrel section. Next, the batter swings
at the baseball with a conventional bat. That step is followed by
the batter swinging at a ball having a smaller diameter such as a
golf ball using the training bat and then using the conventional
bat.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0051] FIG. 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of the training bat
of the present invention; and
[0052] FIG. 2 is a cross section of the training bat of FIG. 1
taken along lines 2-2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0053] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a training bat 10 in
accordance with the principles of the present invention has a
barrel section 12, a transition section 14, and a handle section
16. The barrel section 12 has a diameter D which is substantially
constant along the entire length of the barrel section 12. The
handle section 16 has a diameter d which is substantially constant
over the length of the handle section 16. Transition section 14 has
a non-constant diameter to accommodate the change in diameter
between diameter D of the barrel section 12 and diameter d of the
handle section 16. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, barrel section
12, transition section 14, and handle section 16 are constructed of
wood. It will be appreciated that these sections could be
constructed of any suitable material having the necessary weight
and strength requirements. For example, these sections could be
constructed of plastic composite, aluminum and its alloys,
aluminum-titanium alloys, beryllium and the like.
[0054] The training bat 10 of the present invention is constructed
to have a weight and length substantially equivalent to a
conventional bat. However, the diameter D of barrel section 12 is
reduced in size relative to the barrel section of a conventional
bat. The typical diameter of the barrel section of a conventional
baseball bat is 2 3/4 inches and 2 1/2 inches for the barrel of a
softball bat. Youth bats such as those used in Little League
typically have a barrel diameter of 2 1/4 inches. In contrast, the
diameter D of the barrel section 12 of the training bat 10 ranges
between about 2 1/2 inches to about 1 3/4 inches, and is preferably
1 5/8 inches.
[0055] Because the diameter D of the barrel section 12 is smaller
relative to a conventional baseball or softball bat, the training
bat must be augmented with additional weight so that its weight is
substantially equivalent to that of a conventional baseball or
softball bat. To that end, the end of the training bat 10 is
drilled out and an elongated rod 18 is inserted into the drilled
out portion of the barrel section 12. The size, i.e., length and
diameter, of rod 18 should be chosen such that it replaces both the
weight of wood eliminated because of the reduced diameter D of
barrel section 12 and the weight of wood removed when the barrel
section 12 is drilled out. Using the elongated rod 18 helps to
maintain the proper weight distribution along the length of the
training bat 10 relative to a conventional bat. The rod 18 may be
constructed of any suitable material having the appropriate weight
and strength, such as steel, for example. Table 1 shows
representative length/weight combinations of conventional bats.
Because the training bat 10 of the present invention will match the
weight/length combinations of conventional bats, Table 1 also
applies to the training bat 10.
1TABLE 1 Length/Weight Combinations LENGTH WEIGHT LENGTH WEIGHT
LENGTH WEIGHT (inches) (ounces) (inches) (ounces) (inches) (ounces)
25 14 31 22 34 25 15 23 26 16 24 27 26 15 25 28 16 26 29 17 27 30
27 16 28 31 17 29 32 18 30 33 28 17 31 34 18 32 35 19 32 24 36 29
18 25 35 27 19 26 28 20 27 29 30 20 28 30 21 29 31 22 30 32 23 31
33 24 32 34 25 33 35 33 25 36 30 26 31 27 32 28 33 29 34 30 35 31
36 32 33 34 35
[0056] The length/weight combinations of Table I would be used in
order to size rod 18 so that the weight of training bat 10 can be
modified to meet the batter's preference.
[0057] The training bat 10 is most effective if used in conjunction
with a structured training program. The training bat 10 of the
present invention teaches the batter to hit the optimal sweet spot
of the training bat 10 as well as establish an exact swing tempo.
By isolating the sweet spot of the training bat 10 and forcing
precise accuracy and concentration, while maintaining swing weight
integrity, the training bat 10 teaches the batter how to carry out
a very accurate and timely swing.
[0058] Tables 2-5 provide a representative structured training
program for batters. The training can be accomplished using tee
work, ball toss, cage work or batting practice and combinations
thereof.
2TABLE 2 Tee Work # of Hits # of Hits w/Acuity Bat: w/Game Bat:
Start: Baseballs 5 Followed by 15 Move to: Golf balls 5 Followed by
15 Finish: Baseballs 5 Followed by 15
[0059]
3TABLE 3 Ball Toss # of Hits w/ # of Hits w/ Acuity Bat: Game Bat:
Start: Baseballs 5 Followed by 15 Move to: Golf balls 5 Followed by
15 Finish: Baseballs 5 Followed by 15
[0060]
4TABLE 4 Cage Work # of Hits w/ # of Hits w/ Acuity Bat: Game Bat:
Start: Baseballs 5 Followed by 15 Move to: Golf Balls 5 Followed by
15 Finish: Baseballs 5 Followed by 15
[0061]
5TABLE 5 Batting Practice # of Hits w/ # of Hits w/ Acuity Bat:
Game Bat: Baseballs 5 Followed by 15
[0062] The structure of the training program is similar regardless
of the type of batting practice. For example, for cage work (Table
4) the batter starts the training session by swinging the training
bat 10 five times at baseballs. This step is followed by fifteen
swings at baseballs using a conventional bat. Following that, the
batter swings the training bat 10 five times at golf balls. The
batter then swings a conventional bat fifteen times at golf balls.
The next phase repeats the first phase of the training. A similar
methodology is used for each of the different methods of batting
practice: tee work, ball toss, cage work, or batting practice. With
the cage work and batting practice, the pitches are thrown
initially at moderate speeds with the speed increasing as the
batter's hitting improves.
[0063] The above mentioned training program consists of exercises
that improve the athlete's vision by systematically teaching the
entire visual system (eyes to brain to body) how to operate at
higher levels. The training bat 10 takes visual training into the
highest realm of "integrated specificity" where the athlete
combines visual training and specific skill development. Integrated
specificity selectively controls the amount of information received
during training to force the athlete to execute a sport specific
movement with precise form, focus, and accuracy. Typically the
athlete starts with a very small and controlled movement pattern
and then gradually increases the movement along a series of
progressions. At any time which form, focus or accuracy is lost the
movement is reduced until they are regained. In short, integrated
specificity recreates game situations in a highly stressful but
controlled environment. The training bat 10 combines visual
training designed to improve visual skills such as eye teaming,
binocular coordination, depth perception, focus flexibility, acuity
(clarity of sight), "hand-eye" or "visual-body" coordination with
actual hitting skills such as swing, tempo, and timing.
[0064] While the invention has been described with specific
examples in reference to specific dimensions, persons skilled in
the art will appreciate that various modifications and changes may
be made to the invention as described herein without departing from
the spirit and scope thereof which are defined by the appended
claims.
* * * * *