Instructional baseball

Abstract

An instructional baseball used for the art of teaching the proper techniques of throwing a curveball is shown having a spherical body with an integrally formed fin extending from the body in a figure-8 path which extends around the outer surface of the body in a figure-8 path similar to the stitching of a conventional baseball. In other preferred embodiments an elongated V-shaped groove is formed in the outer surface of the body with a fin disposed within the groove also following the same figure-8 path as the V-groove. The fin acts as an air shield creating greater drag forces on the baseball as it is thrown through the air with a spinning motion. The greater drag forces increase the Magnus force on the ball, allowing it to curve move dramatically then that of a conventional baseball. Increasing the curve rate of the baseball will serve to help pitchers more easily see the results of their throwing techniques and ultimately improve their curveball throwing skills. To fill the gap left on each side of the fin in the grooved embodiments and give the pitcher a surface to grasp, cross braces are set perpendicular to the fin member and are spaced evenly along the figure-8 path of the groove and fin.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.