Baseball practice bat

Abstract

A baseball practice bat having a main bat barrel, a movable handle portion, a fixed handle portion, a shaft running through the handle sections. The shaft may also run through the bat barrel. When properly aligned, a projection on one of the handles impacts the other handle, thereby creating a sharp crack, indicating that the practice swing was good. If the handles are not properly aligned, instead a soft thud is created indicated that the practice swing was not properly executed. The handles take the form of tubes surrounded by resilient grips. In one embodiment, a post extends from the movable handle and a resilient washer with a cut-away portion is located at the top of the fixed handle. When the handles are properly aligned, the post can impact the tube portion exposed by the cut-away portion of the washer. In another embodiment, projections extend from the tubes of the fixed handle and movable handle. When the handles are properly aligned, the two projections impact, creating the sharp crack.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A baseball practice bat, comprising: 
 a bat barrel,    a shaft extending from said bat barrel,    a fixed handle located around said shaft,    a movable handle located around said shaft between said bat barrel and said fixed handle, said movable handle configured to slid along and rotate about said shaft,    a projection extending from at least one of said fixed handle and said movable handle,    wherein, when said movable handle is rotationally aligned with said fixed handle and moved toward said fixed handle, said projection connects with a first portion of the other of said fixed handle and said movable handle, thereby creating a first sound,    and wherein, when said movable handle is rotationally unaligned with said fixed handle and moved toward said fixed handle, said projection connects with a second portion of the other of said fixed handle and said movable handle, thereby creating a second sound.    
     
     
         2 . The baseball practice bat of  claim 1 , wherein said first portion is a second projection.  
     
     
         3 . The baseball practice bat of  claim 1 , wherein said projection extends from said fixed handle.  
     
     
         4 . The baseball practice bat of  claim 1 , wherein fixed handle includes a first metal tube located around said shaft and a first resilient grip located around said tube.  
     
     
         5 . The baseball practice bat of  claim 4 , wherein said projection is a portion of said tube.  
     
     
         6 . The baseball practice bat of  claim 4 , wherein said movable handle includes a second metal tube located around said shaft and a second resilient grip located around said tube.  
     
     
         7 . The baseball practice bat of  claim 6 , wherein said projection is a portion of one of said tubes.  
     
     
         8 . The baseball practice bat of  claim 6 , wherein said first and second resilient grips each have a flange extending outward from said shaft, said flanges oriented such that when said movable handle is moved against said fixed handle, said flanges meet.  
     
     
         9 . The baseball practice bat of  claim 1 , wherein said movable handle includes a metal tube located around said shaft and a resilient grip located around said tube.  
     
     
         10 . The baseball practice bat of  claim 9 , wherein said projection is a portion of said tube.  
     
     
         11 . The baseball practice bat of  claim 1 , further comprising a resilient washer attached to one of said fixed handle and said movable handle, said resilient washer being said second portion, said resilient washer having a cut-out portion, said cut-out portion located over said first portion.  
     
     
         12 . The baseball practice bat of  claim 1 , wherein said bat barrel and shaft are formed of a single piece of formed metal.  
     
     
         13 . The baseball practice bat of  claim 1 , further comprising a stop located around said shaft and protruding therefrom.  
     
     
         14 . A baseball practice bat, comprising: 
 a bat barrel,    a handle extending from said bat barrel, said handle including: 
 a shaft,  
 a fixed handle portion located around said shaft, fixed handle including a first metal tube located around said shaft and a first grip located around said first tube,  
 a movable handle portion located around said shaft between said bat barrel and said fixed handle, said movable handle portion configured to slid along and rotate about said shaft, said movable handle including a second metal tube located around said shaft and a second grip located around said second tube,  
 a projection extending from at least one of said fixed handle portion and said movable handle portion,  
   wherein, when said movable handle portion is rotationally aligned with said fixed handle portion and moved toward said fixed handle portion, said projection connects with a first portion of the other of said fixed handle portion and said movable handle portion, thereby creating a first sound,    and wherein, when said movable handle portion is rotationally unaligned with said fixed handle portion and moved toward said fixed handle portion, said projection connects with a second portion of the other of said fixed handle portion and said movable handle portion, thereby creating a second sound.    
     
     
         15 . The baseball practice bat of  claim 14 , wherein said first portion is a second projection.  
     
     
         16 . The baseball practice bat of  claim 14 , wherein said projection extends from said fixed handle.  
     
     
         17 . The baseball practice bat of  claim 14 , wherein said projection is a portion of one of said tubes.  
     
     
         18 . The baseball practice bat of  claim 6 , wherein said projection is a portion of one of said tubes.  
     
     
         19 . The baseball practice bat of  claim 14 , wherein said first and second resilient grips each have a flange extending outward from said shaft, said flanges oriented such that when said movable handle is moved against said fixed handle, said flanges meet.  
     
     
         20 . The baseball practice bat of  claim 14 , wherein said bat barrel and shaft are formed of a single piece of formed metal.