Batting swing trainer and method

Abstract

A baseball batting swing trainer teaches proper bat swinging and ball hitting technique. The swing trainer includes a first handle attached to the first end of a shaft. The second end of the shaft includes a head having a diameter greater than the shaft diameter and less than the diameter of the head of a conventional baseball bat. A cylindrical second handle slidable between the first and second shaft ends. The second handle is sized to accommodate all five fingers on one of the user's hands in a batting grip. A process for teaching a person the proper technique for swinging a baseball bat using the swing trainer is also provided. When performed properly, the process produces an audible sound by striking the second handle against the stop while the head of the bat is passing through the user's strike zone and directly over the user's forward foot.

1 . A swing training device comprising: 
 a shaft having a first end, a second end, and a hollow core extending through the shaft from the first end to the second end;    a handle connected to the shaft at the first end;    a stop oriented adjacent to the first handle and between the first handle and the second end of the shaft;    a graspable cylindrical slide slidably connected to the shaft between the stop and the second end of the shaft, the slide including a first buffer connected to a first slide end and a second buffer connected to a second slide end, the slide being slidable along the shaft and the first buffer being engagable with the stop when the slide moves toward the stop to prevent further sliding of the slide toward the first end of the shaft;    a first weighted member connected to the shaft; and    a second weighted member connected to the shaft, the second weighted member being separate from the first weighted member.    
   
   
       2 . The swing training device of  claim 1 , wherein the first weighted member is positioned in the hollow core of the shaft when connected to the shaft.  
   
   
       3 . The swing training device of  claim 2 , wherein the second weighted member is connected to the shaft at the second end of the shaft.  
   
   
       4 . The swing training device of  claim 1 , wherein the first weighted member is connected to the shaft by inserting the first weighted member into the hollow core of the shaft from the first end of the shaft.  
   
   
       5 . The swing training device of  claim 4 , wherein the second weighted member is connected to the second end of the shaft.  
   
   
       6 . The swing training device of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second weighted members are simultaneously connected to the shaft.  
   
   
       7 . The swing training device of  claim 1 , wherein the second weighted member is interchangeably connected to the shaft with the first weighted member.  
   
   
       8 . The swing training device of  claim 1 , wherein the first weighted member is one of a plurality of first weighted members that are interchangeably connected one-at-a-time to the shaft within the hollow core, and wherein the second weighted member is one of a plurality of second weighted members interchangeably connected one-at-a-time to the shaft at the second end of the shaft.  
   
   
       9 . The swing training device of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of first weighted members are of varying weights and lengths.  
   
   
       10 . The swing training device of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of first weighted members are of varying weights and the plurality of second weighted members are of varying weights.  
   
   
       11 . The swing training device of  claim 1 , wherein the shaft is composed of aluminum.  
   
   
       12 . The swing training device of  claim 1 , wherein the stop is separate from the handle and connected to the shaft.  
   
   
       13 . A method of using the swing training device of  claim 1 , comprising: 
 grasping the handle with a first hand;    grasping the slide with a second hand;    positioning the slide a distance away from the handle;    positioning the swing training device over a user's shoulder in a conventional batting stance; and    swinging the swing training device from a position over the user's shoulder to a position in front of a user while simultaneously sliding the slide along the shaft toward the handle until the first buffer engages the stop.    
   
   
       14 . A swing training device comprising: 
 a shaft having a first end, a second end, and a hollow core extending through the shaft from the first end to the second end;    a graspable cylindrical handle connected to the shaft at the first end, the handle being fixed in position relative to the shaft when connected to the shaft;    a graspable cylindrical slide slidably connected to the shaft between the handle and the second end of the shaft and having a first slide end and a second slide end, the slide including a first buffer connected to the first slide end and a second buffer connected to the second slide end, the slide being slidable along at least a portion of the shaft between the handle and the second end;    a plurality of first weighted members interchangeably connected to the shaft, the plurality of first weighted members being insertable into and removable from the hollow core of the shaft from the first end of the shaft, the plurality of first weighted members having varying weights and lengths; and    a plurality of second weighted members interchangeably connected to the second end of the shaft, the second weighted members having varying weights.    
   
   
       15 . The swing training device of  claim 14 , wherein one of the plurality of first weighted members and one of the plurality of second weighted members are simultaneously connected to the shaft.  
   
   
       16 . The swing training device of  claim 14 , wherein the shaft is composed of aluminum.  
   
   
       17 . A method of using the swing training device of  claim 14 , comprising: 
 grasping the handle with a first hand;    grasping the slide with a second hand;    positioning the slide a distance away from the handle;    positioning the swing training device is a position over a user's shoulder in a conventional batting stance; and    swinging the swing training device from the position over the user's shoulder to a position in front of a user while simultaneously sliding the slide along the shaft toward the handle.