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  Sports swing trainer apparatus and methodUSPTO Application #: 20080102992Title: Sports swing trainer apparatus and method Abstract: Method and apparatus for emulating the striking member and ball of selected sports, the striking member having an end portion including portions covered with a selectively engageable contact material such as Velcro™ brand fastener and further having a mass and size substantially in conformity with the mass and size of the striking member commonly employed in the selected sport, and a target member for emulating the playing object of the selected sport or game, the target member having a target portion similarly covered with a selectively engageable contact material such as Velcro™ brand fastener, where the mass and response of the target member is readily altered to emulate the mass and response of a ball under a variety of conditions by selectively attaching one or more momentum elements of varying size to the target member. (end of abstract) Agent: John M. Novosel, Sr. - Leawood, KS, US Inventor: John Michael Novosel USPTO Applicaton #: 20080102992 - Class: 473425 (USPTO) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080102992. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001]1. Field of the Invention [0002]This invention generally pertains to gaming and sporting apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus, equipment and methods for games, sports and similar activities involving the training and improving of a player's swing for swinging a striking member and striking an unconstrained playing object, such as a ball or a puck. [0003]2. Background Art [0004]There are a number of well-known sports which include an unconstrained playing object driven by the action of a player upon the object. Typically the playing object is a ball and the player acts upon the ball by striking the ball with a striking member such as a bat. In each case, the playing object must be located in a prescribed strike zone, from which it is driven in furtherance of obtaining the goal. Examples of such sports include baseball (hardball or softball), tennis, hockey, and golf. As is generally well known, the playing object and the striking member is different in each sport, and each has different operating, behavioral and response characteristics. Furthermore, each game has its own specific sets of generally well known and easily obtained rules and regulations which control the play of the game and the actions of the player or players. [0005]Generally, the baseball is a hard leather ball sized to fit comfortably in the palm of the average hand and of a suitable weight to be easily thrown. In play, the ball is thrown by one player and passes through a baseball strike zone immediately in front of another player, who swings a striking member in the form of a generally cylindrical bat in an endeavor to strike the airborne ball so as to gain an opportunity to traverse the series of bases and obtain a score. If the player strikes the ball with the bat, it is a "hit", and if the player misses the ball, a "strike" is counted against the player. [0006]In tennis, a net is provided to divide the field of play or tennis court. Each player is provided a striking member in the form of a racquet which includes a head portion and a handle portion for striking a resilient tennis ball to drive the ball across the net and into the opposing player's portion of the field. Each player must return the ball from their respective portion of the tennis court, and the ball must be struck within the court boundaries and while airborne. [0007]Hockey includes a striking member in the form of a hockey stick with a striking head and a handle extending upwardly at an angle to be gripped by the player. In lieu of a ball, the playing object is formed as an annular cylindrical section commonly known as a puck. Each player attempts to strike and drive the puck toward the goal of the opposing team. Each of two opposing teams is provided with a goal at opposing ends of the field of play, an ice covered arena. [0008]In each case, the conformation of the playing object and the methods and rules of the game vary, but the playing object must be driven at the correct speed and in the correct direction to attain the goal and win the game. This can only be accomplished by the player's correctly striking the playing object in the strike zone, whether with bat, racquet or foot. Therefore, it is extremely important that the player seek to improve the skill of correctly and accurately striking the ball. In each respective sport, there is an ideal swing pattern which is preferred as bringing about the most accurate reaction in the playing object, and the player will seek to consistently replicate this pattern. However, this result cannot be casually obtained. The act of striking the swing must be regularly practiced, and the player who attains the status of professional athlete will seek to hone this skill as an integral and important part of a successful career. The player seeking to improve his or her swing will often review printed instructional materials, whether text or photographic, which reduce the ideal swing to a series of component portions or moves. After reviewing these materials, the player will then attempt to replicate these moves. However, it is difficult for the player to ascertain whether in fact his swing has successfully duplicated the requisite moves. Of course, it is generally critical to actually duplicate the moves and not merely to make the attempt. Therefore, some form of feedback from the practice swings is necessary so as to bring the next successive practice swing into greater conformity with the desired swing. [0009]Training feedback, in the prior art, has been accomplished in a number of ways. The player, in some cases may be able to perform the practice swings before a mirror and observe the actual swing. While this method offers instantaneous feedback, it has several substantial disadvantages. Firstly, the player cannot concentrate on the practice swing and concentrate on observing the mirrored swing simultaneously without a real reduction in performance. Secondly, the practice swing often takes place at a high rate of speed, exceeding the ability of the human eye to correctly discern the sequence and correctness of the moves of the swing. Thirdly, the mere presence of the mirror may actually constitute a physical hazard to the player if the mirror is not sufficiently protected from the playing object when propelled by the impact of the striking member. Finally, it is typical to attempt many practice swings during a practice session, which may necessitate the use of a relatively large number of playing objects and a fair amount of time to recover the projected playing objects. [0010]Another method of training requires the player to employ the services of an instructor or personal trainer. This method is better than the former method, since the trainer can observe the swing objectively and the player can concentrate on the practice swing entirely. However, this method still involves the use of a relatively large number of playing objects and the recovery time necessary. Also, the trainer's ability to observe the swing remains limited to the ability of the human eye to interpret the moves. There is also commonly a substantial cost factor involved in the retaining of a personal trainer, and the additional concern regarding the knowledge and qualifications of the trainer to diagnose and teach the correct swing. [0011]The player may also elect to photograph a video record of the practice swings. This allows the player, or an instructor, to review the practice swings with a view to correctness, although this review may be difficult to conduct contemporaneously. Also, the video record may be reviewed at a reduced speed and thereby more accurately analyzed. However, as with the personal trainer, the recording and analyzing process usually involves substantial set-up and operating expense, and may also require a special location providing controlled conditions. [0012]Another method of training involves the use of specially designed mechanical apparatus which provides feedback to the player about the swing. Such apparatus is often expensive and distracting to the player during the practice session, occasionally even hindering the training process. [0013]Furthermore, in all of the foregoing, it is typically necessary to conduct practice sessions at either an actual playing field or a field or facility especially designed for the practice of the selected sport, which often presents difficulties because of scheduling constraints for the player and others, because of travel, or because of weather. [0014]None of the foregoing provide any substantial immediate tactile feedback useful and desirable for immediate correcting of the swing. It is also difficult to determine whether the player has correctly placed the striking member in relation to the playing object and thereby determine the accuracy of the player's swing. Finally, the momentum and response of the ball may vary under different playing conditions, and it is desirable to emulate these conditions and to train the player's physical responses to accommodate these differences with a minimum of discomfiture and thereby to maximize the player's accuracy and power in the strike. [0015]Most current training methods like U.S. Pat. No. 5,980,397 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,021, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,671 utilize some sort of weighting arrangement to provide resistance. Unfortunately they do not increase the resistance at the most critical point of the swing-impact. Nor, do they provide verification of squareness at impact. [0016]One training method and apparatus which overcomes several of these difficulties in training the swing for the various sports is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,026,064, issued to the present inventor, which discloses a golf training club and a specially adapted target resting on a playing surface. [0017]It is therefore an object of the present invention to conveniently provide a method of practicing the swing desired for a selected sport or game. [0018]It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus suitable for providing feedback of the results of the practice swing. [0019]It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a method and apparatus as will permit the player to safely and conveniently practice the desired swing. [0020]It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a method and apparatus as will permit the player to obtain immediate desirable tactile feedback useful in improving each successive practice swing. [0021]It is another object of the present invention to provide such a method and apparatus as will enable the player to improve his swing for a selected sport or game. [0022]It is a still further object of the present invention to provide such a method and apparatus as may be employed either by the player or by the player and an instructor for the improvement of the player's swing. [0023]It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a method and apparatus as may be inexpensively and simply employed by the player. Continue reading... Full patent description for Sports swing trainer apparatus and method Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Sports swing trainer apparatus and method patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. 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