Swing training device for sports
OwnerDebra R. Reason-Kerkhoffinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device for practicing an address stance and ball-hitting motion in a sport such as softball. A batter stands on a step plate (30) and a swivel plate (31) mounted on a flat base (12). The plates have adjustable separation, and align the user's feet using toe stops (36). The step plate (30) has foot guards (34) that force the user to step towards the pitch. The swivel plate (31) rotates about a vertical axis, and has foot-retaining straps (38, 39) that allow the heel to lift. Swivel stops (18, 20) limit the rotation range between address alignment and a safe maximum swivel. The user learns to step toward the pitch and swivel the back foot while swinging the bat, turning the body, and shifting weight toward the pitch. The foot plates (30, 31) are reversible on the base (12) for right or left-handed use.
Claims9
A swing training device comprising:
- a base;
- a swivel plate rotatably attached to the base, comprising a foot positioning structure for positioning a user's back foot in an address position, the swivel plate rotatable relative to the base as the user's back foot is moved from the address position to a swinging position;
- a step plate removably attachable to the base in any of a plurality of positions relative to the swivel plate in response to a size of the user, the step plate comprising a foot positioning structure for positioning the user's front foot in an address;
- and
- the front foot positioning structure comprising a foot guard comprising a height over which the user must lift the front foot to move the front foot from the address position to a swinging position;
- the foot positioning structure of the step plate further comprises a toe end with a first toe stop;
- the foot positioning structure of the swivel plate further comprises a toe end with a second toe stop;
- and further comprising:
- a first swivel plate stop that stops rotation of the swivel plate in a first angular direction at the address position in which the swivel plate is in substantial alignment with the step plate;
- and
- a second swivel plate stop that stops rotation of the swivel plate in a second angular direction at the swinging position in which the toe end of the swivel plate is angled toward the step plate.
A swing training device comprising:
- a base comprising a length and front and back portions;
- a swivel plate mounted to rotate about a first substantially vertical axis on the back portion of the base;
- a step plate mounted on the front portion of the base at a selectable distance from the swivel plate;
- the step plate having an upper surface that is elongated in general proportion to a human foot transverse to the length of the base, and having a toe end with a toe stop;
- the swivel plate having an upper surface elongated in general proportion to a human foot, and having a toe end with a toe stop;
- a first swivel plate stop that stops rotation of the swivel plate in a first angular direction at an address position in which the swivel plate is in substantial alignment with the step plate;
- a second swivel plate stop that stops rotation of the swivel plate in a second angular direction at a swinging position in which the toe end of the swivel plate is angled toward the step plate;
- further comprising:
- a foot retainer on the swivel plate that allows the heel of a user's foot on the swivel plate to rise, comprising an adjustable ankle strap attached to the toe end of the swivel plate, and an adjustable toe strap attached to the swivel plate;
- and
- a foot guard on the step plate that requires the user's foot on the step plate to step over the foot guard when moving off of the step plate in a direction away from the swivel plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.