Ball for teaching pitching and throwing skills
AssigneeVelocity Gravity Spin Innovations LLC
InventorKenneth Richard Fountain, III
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ball for use in teaching proper throwing or pitching techniques in baseball or softball is disclosed. The ball provides an internal mechanism by way of a snap device or a channel having a shiftable weighted material to provide both an audible and visible indication of when a proper wrist snap release of the ball has occurred. The internal mechanisms disclosed can be incorporated into newly manufactured baseballs or softballs or placed into preexisting balls.
Claims14
A ball for teaching pitching and/or throwing skills, the ball comprising:
- a ball core, the ball core comprising:
- a first passageway located within the ball core and oriented along a first axis of the ball core;
- a second passageway located within the ball core and oriented along a second axis of the ball core, the first passageway intersecting the second passageway such that the first passageway and the second passageway are in communication with each other;
- a counterweight pocket;
- a predetermined amount of shiftable weighted material positioned in at least one of the first passageway and the second passageway;
- and
- a predetermined amount of counterweight positioned in the counterweight pocket,
- wherein the shiftable weighted material and the counterweight are in isolated portions of the ball core,
- wherein the shiftable weighted material is movable through the first and second passageways, and
- wherein, when the ball is thrown, the shiftable weighted material moves into contact with a sidewall of at least one of the first passageway and the second passageway, creating an audible sound.
A ball having an audible indicating device for teaching pitching and/or throwing skills, the ball comprising:
- a ball core comprising:
- a vertically oriented passageway located in the ball core and extending along a first axis of the ball core;
- a horizontally oriented passageway located in the ball core and extending along a second axis of the ball core, wherein the horizontally oriented passageway intersects the vertically oriented passageway;
- a counterweight pocket formed in the ball core;
- shiftable weighted material positioned in at least one of the vertically oriented passageway and the horizontally oriented passageway;
- and
- counterweight positioned in the counterweight pocket,
- wherein the counterweight and the shiftable weighted material are in isolated portions of the ball core,
- wherein the shiftable weighted material is movable through the vertically oriented passageway and the horizontally oriented passageway,
- wherein, when the ball is thrown, the shiftable weighted material moves into contact with a sidewall of at least one of the vertically oriented passageway and the horizontally oriented passageway, creating an audible sound, and
- wherein the audible sound comprises either:
- a first audible sound indicating a proper release of the ball when it is thrown, or
- a second audible sound indicating an improper release of the ball when it is thrown.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.