Training apparatus and method for ball hitting
A ball hitting practice device includes a shaft having a target at a distal end, a grip at a proximal end, an accelerometer, a microprocessor, and a way of providing feedback to a person hitting the target. A ball hitting practice system includes a ball hitting practice device and a computing device wirelessly communicating with the ball hitting practice device. A method for practicing ball hitting involves striking the target of a ball hitting practice, transferring timed acceleration data to the computing device, correlating ball hitting parameters with a training condition and displaying the correlated ball hitting parameter in a display.
1. A ball hitting practice device comprising:
a flexible shaft;
a grip at a proximal end of the shaft;
a target a distal end of the shaft;
an accelerometer functionally coupled to a microprocessor and a feedback means;
a battery powering the accelerometer and microprocessor; and
an insulating section immediately proximal to the target
wherein:
the accelerometer is disposed in the target or the insulating section and the feedback means comprises a visible indicator, an audible sound generator, a haptic vibration, or any combination of these and said feedback means generates a feedback dependent upon acceleration data from the accelerometer.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the feedback means is disposed in or on the device.
3. The device of claim 1 , further comprising an illumination region proximal to the insulation section, said illumination region comprising a plurality of LEDs that illuminate in response to a magnitude of acceleration measured by the accelerometer.
4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the target comprises an active or a passive indicator.
5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the active or passive indicator is an active indicator comprising a LED that illuminates in response to an acceleration measured by the accelerometer.
6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the shaft comprises sections reversibly attached at a point proximal to the insulation section.
7. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface functionally coupled to the microprocessor and the feedback means.
8. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a flash drive functionally coupled to the microprocessor and configured to store data received from the microprocessor.
9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the microprocessor is functionally coupled to a receiver that receives data from the accelerometer and from a user interface and wherein the microprocessor is functionally coupled to a transmitter that is configured to send data to a remote computing device.
10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the target comprises an array of sensors configured to detect contact with a bat and said array of sensors is functionally coupled to the microprocessor and configured to transmit sensor data to the microprocessor.
11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the target is sized and shaped as a baseball, a softball, a cricket ball, a tennis ball, or a volleyball.
12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the shaft is curved.
13. A ball hitting practice system comprising the device of claim 9 and the remote computing device, said remote computing device comprising a display and training software that receives timed accelerometer data from the device and performs computations using data from individual target hitting events to compute a ball hitting parameter and display representations of said ball hitting parameter.
14. The ball hitting practice system of claim 13 , wherein the training software is programmed to display a change in a ball hitting parameter over time correlated with a training condition.
15. The ball hitting practice system of claim 14 , wherein the target is sized and shaped as a baseball, a softball, or a cricket ball and the ball hitting parameter comprises one or more of: energy transferred from a bat to the target, calculated ball trajectory, computed path of a bat striking the target, and a location on the target struck by a bat.
16. The ball hitting practice system of claim 14 , wherein the training condition comprise one or more of a stance, a bat type, a warm-up duration, and a hand position on a bat.
17. The ball hitting practice system of claim 13 , wherein the training software comprises a control module programmed to control functions of the training device via signals sent from the computing device to the microprocessor.
18. The ball hitting practice system of claim 17 , wherein the signals sent to the microprocessor
alter a threshold value for acceleration data from the accelerometer required to signal one or more LEDs to illuminate,
change a current or voltage from a piezoelectric generator sufficient to illuminate a LED,
initiate transfer of data from the practice device to the computing device,
turn the device on or off,
clear data stored on the microprocessor or a storage media on the practice device, and/or
wake the practice device from a sleep mode or set the practice device to a sleep mode.