SWING TRAINING AID

• US 20090011871A1
• Filed: 07/03/2008
• Published: 01/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lawrence A. Kelly
• Original Assignee: Lawrence A. Kelly
• Inventors: KELLY, LAWRENCE A.
• Application Number:
  US12/167,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20090011871A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/453
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 15/00 Clubs for gymnastics or the like , e.g. for swinging exercises
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2069/0008 for batting
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/222 by overcoming gyroscopic forces, e.g. by turning the spin axis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0002 for baseball
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/00 Gyroscopes; Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses; Turn-sensitive devices without moving masses; Measuring angular rate using gyroscopic effects

Abstract

A gyroscope assembly is mounted within a sports instrument swing aid. A motor is connected to a rotor within the gyroscope assembly. A power source drives the motor to rotate the rotor. During a forward swing of the swing aid, an angular momentum of the rapidly spinning rotor tends to maintain the swing aid parallel to a plane of the swing. A reaction torque from the gyroscope assembly may be sensed by a player if a player'"'"'s wrists are rotated in a release, and may also be sensed if a parallel relationship of the swing aid to a plane of the swing is not maintained. The swing aid may be in the form of a bat or racket.

Claims

1. A swing training aid assembly comprising:

a ball bat having a grip at one end and a hitting zone at the opposite end; and

a gyroscope mounted in the bat adjacent the hitting zone.

2. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising a power source in the bat adjacent the hand grip for supplying power to the gyroscope.

3. The assembly of claim 2 further comprising circuitry extending through the bat to provide an electrical connection between the gyroscope and the power source.

4. The assembly of claim 3 further comprising an on/off switch on the bat adjacent the hand grip for activating and deactivating the gyroscope.

5. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the gyroscope generates a reaction torque when a player'"'"'s wrists release during a swing of the bat.

6. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising a cover removably mounted on the hitting zone of the bat to provide access to the gyroscope.

7. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the cover includes a target.

8. A swing training aid assembly comprising:

a racket having a grip at one end and a hitting zone at the opposite end; and

a gyroscope mounted in the racket adjacent the hitting zone.

9. The assembly of claim 8 further comprising a power source in the racket adjacent the hand grip for supplying power to the gyroscope.

10. The assembly of claim 8 further comprising circuitry extending through the racket to provide an electrical connection between the gyroscope and the power source.

11. The assembly of claim 10 further comprising an on/off switch on the racket adjacent the hand grip for activating and deactivating the gyroscope.

12. The assembly of claim 8 wherein the gyroscope generates a reaction torque when a player'"'"'s wrist releases during a swing of the racket.

13. A method of training a person for optimum swing of a sport instrument for hitting a moving ball, comprising:

activating a gyroscope mounted in a hitting zone of the instrument;

swinging the instrument in a substantially horizontal plane;

releasing the swinger'"'"'s wrist or wrists so as to generate a reaction torque by the gyroscope; and

sensing the time of the reaction torque relative to hitting the ball.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising gripping the instrument with both hands.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising gripping the instrument with one hand.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising hitting a baseball or softball.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising hitting a tennis ball, racquetball, or squash ball.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising hitting a ball at an elevation between the knees and shoulders.