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Training balls for varying ball speed, methods of use, and systems

Training balls for varying ball speed, methods of use, and systems description/claims

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/917,805, filed May 14, 2007, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

The present invention is directed to balls, methods of use, and systems thereof that employ a foam core disposed within a hard shell of a ball for teaching a person to hit balls at various speeds.

Athletic balls, such as baseballs, softballs, or the like, are typically manufactured in standard sizes and have standard ball densities for maintaining certain aerodynamic characteristics depending on sport requirements. By way of example, when learning to hit a baseball, children traditionally first learn to hit a ball at a relatively constant speed and at a relatively constant position. Indeed the coach or parent will usually release successive pitches at the same velocity (slow) and to a particular position (dead center) over the plate until the batter learns how to track the pitch and strike the ball consistently.

Once the child has learned to track and hit the ball consistently when pitched at the same speed/position, the next step may be to learn how to hit the ball at various locations over the plate. This training should begin as the child's age permits if it is to be effective in improving the child's athletic performance. Indeed, for a player to become a well rounded and resilient batter, the player must learn to anticipate and hit the ball at the various positions over the plate. Thus, the coach will begin pitching successive balls to different plate positions to test or strike out the batter. Up until the age of about 10 years old, the coach will still pitch at a constant speed (no intentional change ups) even though he or she may intentionally change the plate position of the ball with successive pitches.

Typically, when a batter is around ten to eleven years old, the next step during the batting training process is for the batter to anticipate and learn to hit balls at various speeds and different locations. To help the batter learn to hit a ball at different speeds, a coach, pitcher, or the like, will alter his or her pitching motion with successive pitches in order to change the speed of the ball during practice. In order for a batter to maintain striking consistency as the pitchers to which he/she faces become more skilled, the batter must learn to keep his eye on the ball, track and strike balls travelling at different speeds. Batters must learn to hit a myriad of pitches, such as, but not limited to, fast balls, curve balls, knuckle balls, change ups, or the like. As these different types of pitches cannot be anticipated by viewing the way the pitcher grasps the ball prior to the pitch, the young batter must keep close watch on the ball and develop the ability to track the ball all the way to the plate irrespective of how fast the ball is travelling. Prior to developing this skill, a young batter will typically lose sight of the ball within about the last fifteen feet before the plate.

The problem with this learning approach is that typical coaches (or aspiring young pitchers) are not skilled enough to properly alter the speed of travel of the ball without altering their pitching motion in a visible way. Indeed, the pitching motion of a well thrown change-up should not be detectable from the throwing motion itself. Indeed, it is relatively easier for a coach or young player to pitch at a consistent release velocity (given a consistent ball size and density), than to pitch a change-up. Often, the coach must alter the pitching motion in some visible way (e.g., significantly slow down the motion) to achieve a slowly travelling ball. This gives the batter notice that a differing ball speed will be coming and does not test the batter's ball tracking ability. Even when a ball pitching machine is employed during practice, the machine is set to a particular speed and therefore releases the balls at a constant velocity. If the coach wishes to change the pitching speed, a clearly visible action must be taken at the mound, thereby giving the batter advanced notice that a change in pitch is coming. Consequently, young batters are subject to unintended variations in ball speed, and advanced notice of ball speed. Therefore, the traditional learning process is problematic because advances in the child's athletic ability are either unnecessarily delayed, or are arrested altogether.

One or more of the characteristics and problems discussed above with respect to teaching a player to hit a baseball may be applied to other areas of sport, such as softball, tennis, golf, ping pong, etc.

Therefore, there is a need in the art for new methods and apparatus for teaching a person to hit balls at various speeds.

One or more embodiments of the present invention provide a ball, method of use, and system that allow a person to learn how to hit similarly looking balls at various ball specific speeds when the balls are propelled towards the person in the same or similar way.

In accordance with at least one aspect of the present invention, a ball includes: a hard shell of a predetermined size defining an internal volume and including a plurality of apertures therethrough; and a foam core disposed within the internal volume.

A diameter of the foam core may be less than a diameter of the internal volume such that a layer of air is located between an outside surface of the foam core and an inside surface of the hard shell. Alternatively, the foam core may substantially fill the internal volume. When employing an air layer, at least one spacer may be disposed between the outside surface of the foam core and the inside surface of the hard shell, and adapted to position the foam core within the internal volume. The one or more spacers may be adapted to connect the outside surface of the foam core to the inside surface of the hard shell. For example, the at least one spacer may be formed of the core material, and/or the at least one spacer may be integrally formed with the foam core. A size and shape of the at least one spacer is operable to accommodate different distances from the inside surface of the hard shell to the outside surface of the foam core, such that the diameter of the foam core may be increased or decreased relative to the diameter of the hard shell.

At least one of a porosity and a composition of the foam core are preferably predetermined for a desired density.

In one or more embodiments, the foam core includes an inner portion having a first density and an outer portion having a second density surrounding the inner portion. The first density may be substantially higher than the second density. Alternatively or additionally, the inner portion may be formed from a material other than foam. Still further, the outer portion is preferably formed of foam irrespective of the inner portion.

The density is preferably such that it affects at least one aerodynamic characteristic of the ball, such as the speed that the ball travels through air when released at a predetermined velocity. When the structure of the ball is correctly established, the density may be linearly related to the speed. When an air layer is employed, the density of the foam core may be varied (from ball to ball) or may be fixed, however, the volume of the layer of air may be inversely related to the speed at which the ball travels when released at the predetermined velocity.

In accordance with one or more further aspects of the present invention, a method for teaching a person to hit a ball may include: providing a plurality of balls, each ball comprising: (i) a hard shell defining an internal volume and including a plurality of apertures therethrough, and (ii) a foam core disposed within the internal volume; and propelling the balls toward the person by releasing them, in turn, at a substantially constant velocity.

The construction of one or more of the balls may be as discussed above such that at least two of the balls travel through air at different speeds despite being released at the substantially constant velocity. Preferably the at least two balls travel through the air at speeds differing by at least about 10%, or least about 10% to about 20%. This simulates different pitches.

In accordance with one or more further aspects of the present invention, a system includes: a plurality of balls, each ball comprising: (i) a hard shell defining an internal volume and including a plurality of apertures therethrough; and (ii) a foam core disposed within the internal volume, wherein the foam core of at least one of the plurality of balls is adapted to cause such ball to travel through air at a substantially different speed as compared to at least one other of the plurality of balls despite the balls being released at the substantially constant velocity.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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