Swing plane tee apparatus and method
View Patent ↗There is provided herein an apparatus and method for teaching a baseball participant how best to swing a bat in order to urge a struck ball to fly in a particular direction. More particularly, various embodiments provide immediate feedback to the batter make proper corrections for a properly hit baseball by forcing the batter to swing the bat at a predetermined angle appropriate for a desired ball trajectory.
1. A device for training a batter to hit a ball, comprising:
(a) a planar surface having at least one aperture therethrough,
said planar surface being rotatably mounted on a base, wherein said planar surface can be rotatably adjusted to have a predetermined tilt angle between 12° and 75° with respect to a horizontal surface on which the base is placed; and
(b) a ball tee extending upward through said aperture, said ball tee at least for receiving the ball thereon.
2. A device for training a batter to hit a ball according to claim 1 , wherein said ball tee is slideably and rotatably mounted to an underside of said planar surface.
3. A device for training a batter to hit a ball according to claim 2 , wherein said ball tee is adjustable in length to allow a height of the ball above said planar surface to be increased or decreased.
4. A device for training a batter to hit a ball according to claim 2 , wherein said ball tee is adjustable in height to allow a height of the ball above said planar surface to be varied.
5. A device for training a batter to hit a ball according to claim 1 , wherein said ball tee is free-standing and wherein said ball tee is supported by a base positionable to be underneath said planar surface.
6. A device for training a batter to hit a ball according to claim 1 , wherein said planar surface has one or more indicia representative of a home plate imprinted thereon.
7. A method of training a batter to hit a ball, wherein is provided the apparatus of claim 6 , comprising the steps of:
(a) determining a desired field to hit;
(b) using said desired field to determine a desired training angle of said planar surface;
(c) adjusting an angle of said planar surface to at least approximately equal said desired training angle;
(d) positioning the ball atop said ball tee;
(e) positioning the batter with respect to one of said indicia representative of a home plate; and
(f) after the angle of said planar surface has been adjusted to at least approximately equal said desired training angle, allowing the batter to hit the ball with a bat without contacting said planar surface, thereby training the batter to hit the ball to the desired field.
8. A device for training a batter to hit a ball according to claim 1 , wherein said aperture is circular.
9. A method of training a batter to hit a ball, wherein is provided the apparatus of claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
(a) determining a batter's desired field to hit;
(b) determining whether the batter is a right-handed batter or a left-handed batter;
(c) using said desired field to hit and said determined right or left handedness of the batter to determine a training angle of said planar surface;
(d) rotatably adjusting an angle of said planar surface to at least approximately equal said training angle;
(e) positioning the ball atop said ball tee;
(f) positioning the batter with respect to the ball; and
(g) after said planar surface has been rotatably adjusted to at least approximately equal said training angle, allowing the batter to hit the ball with a bat without contacting said planar surface, thereby training the batter to hit the ball to the desired field.
10. A method according to claim 9 , wherein step (c) comprises the steps of:
(c1) if the determined handedness of the batter is right-handed and the desired field to hit is right field, determining that the training angle should be between 12 and 25 degrees;
(c2) if the determined handedness of the batter is left-handed and the desired field to hit is left field, determining that the training angle should be between 12 and 25 degrees;
(c3) if the determined handedness of the batter is right-handed and the desired field to hit is left field, determining that the training angle should be between 25 and 40 degrees; and
(c4) if the determined handedness of the batter is left-handed and the desired field to hit is right field, determining that the training angle surface should be between 25 and 40 degrees.
11. A device for training a batter to hit a ball, comprising:
(a) a planar surface having at least one aperture elongated in a direction away from the batter therethrough, said planar surface being rotatably mounted on a base and rotatably adjustable to have a tilt angle between 12° and 70′; and
(b) a ball tee extending upward through said aperture, said ball tee at least for receiving the ball thereon and said ball tee being adjustable to a plurality of different heights above said planar surface.
12. A device for training a batter to hit a ball according to claim 11 , wherein said ball tee is movable laterally within said aperture toward and away from the batter.
13. A device for training a batter to hit a ball according to claim 12 , wherein said ball tee is movably mounted on a lateral support member affixed to an underside of said planar surface.
14. A method of training a batter to hit a ball, wherein is provided
(i) a planar surface having at least one aperture therethrough, said planar surface being rotatably mounted on a base; and
(ii) a ball tee extending upward through said aperture, said ball tee at least for receiving the ball thereon,
said method comprising the steps of
(a) determining a desired field for the batter to hit;
(b) using said desired field to determine a training angle range of said planar surface, wherein
(b1) if the batter is a right-handed batter and the desired field to hit is right field, determining said training angle range is between 12 and 25 degrees;
(b2) if the batter is a left-handed batter and the desired field to hit is left field, determining that said training angle range is between 12 and 25 degrees;
(b3) if the batter is a right-handed batter and the desired field to hit is left field, determining that said training angle range is between 25 and 40 degrees; and
(b4) if the batter is a left-handed batter and the desired field to hit is right field, determining that said training angle range is between 25 and 40 degrees; and
(c) rotatably adjusting an angle of said planar surface to a batting angle within said training angle range;
(d) positioning the ball atop said ball tee;
(e) positioning the batter with respect to the ball; and
(f) after said angle of said planar surface has been rotatably adjusted to the batting angle, allowing the batter to hit the ball with a bat without contacting said planar surface, thereby training the batter to hit the ball to the desired field.