Baseball bat grip

#1. Field of the Invention

#The invention relates primarily to the field of sporting equipment. More specifically, the invention relates to the technological area of the development of baseball bat grips—especially baseball bat grips which are used as training devices.

#2. Description of the Related Art

#FIG. 1 is a prospective view of the present invention in use by a batter using the proper knocked knuckles grip.

#FIG. 2 is a prospective view revealing the protrusions and ridges and valleys of the grip.

#FIG. 3 is a top view showing the outline of the upper and lower protrusions.

#The baseball bat of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1–4. A first embodiment of the present invention adapted for use by a right-handed batter is shown. The user is shown properly gripping the bat with right and left hands, the right hand clasping the upper part of the grip, while the left hand grips the lower part of the grip. And upper protrusion 20 and lower protrusion 22 are exposed in the figure. Upper protrusion 20 is received by the V-shaped area 40 between the thumb and pointer finger of the user's right hand. Likewise, protrusion 22 is seen disposed in a second V-shaped portion 42 defined by the area between the user's thumb and pointer finger of the left hand.

#The details of the grip are shown in FIG. 2. As may be seen in the figure, the grip 12 is disposed on a bat 10 as an attached feature by the manufacturer. Other means of forming the grip, however, which still fall within the scope of the present invention. For example, the grip could be formed integrally with the same material of which the bat is comprised. Grip 12 may be used with either metal or wooden type bats. In terms of its composition, the grip shown here is composed of rubber for gripability and ease of manufacture. Other materials, however, could be used as well and still fall within the scope of the present invention. For example, the grip could be manufactured of neoprene or some other kind of like material. Further, the grip could actually be molded with material placed on the bat end and then formed into its desired shape. None of these above materials or processes are critical to the invention, and other materials and/or methods of manufacture could be used and still fall within the scope of the invention.

#We will now discuss the details of the grip, as shown in FIG. 2. Grip 12 comprises a plateau portion 18, a plurality of ridges 14 and valleys 16, top protrusion 20 and bottom protrusion 22. As can be seen in the figure, protrusions 20 and 22, are on opposite sides of grip 12 from ridges 14 and valleys 16. This is so when the user engages protrusion 20 with V-shaped section of the right hand 40, and protrusion 22 with V-shaped opening 42 on the left hand, each of the user's ten fingers may be received in a particular valley 16 so that an appropriate grip may be made.