Baseball and softball hitting training device

Abstract

The present invention is a baseball and softball hitting training device that prevents early arm extension, early wrist release, swinging the bat from the outside to the inside, throwing the back shoulder toward the plate, or otherwise casting the hands during a swing. The device comprises a support block with one or more grooves, a horizontal bar mounted perpendicular to the support block, a flag indicator connected perpendicular to the horizontal bar, and one or more attachment straps.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A baseball and softball hitting training device comprising:
 a support block with a groove on one vertical face extending from the top surface of the support block to the bottom surface of the support block;   a horizontal bar extending perpendicular to the support block, comprising one or more openings on the top surface;   a flag indicator comprising a flag portion and a base portion, wherein said base portion releasably attaches to said horizontal bar through one of said one or more openings on the top surface; and   one or more attachment straps that releasably connect to the support block.   
     
     
         2 . The baseball and softball hitting training device according to  claim 1 , wherein said support block further comprises a second groove on an opposing vertical face. 
     
     
         3 . The baseball and softball hitting training device according to  claim 1 , wherein said support block is made from a material selected from the group consisting of: plastic, hard rubber, metal, wood, or a combination of said materials. 
     
     
         4 . The baseball and softball hitting training device according to  claim 1 , wherein said support block is between 1.0 and 6.0 inches in height, between 1.0 and 6.0 inches in width, and between 1.0 and 4.0 inches in depth. 
     
     
         5 . The baseball and softball hitting training device according to  claim 1 , wherein one or more vertical edges of said support block is rounded or beveled. 
     
     
         6 . The baseball and softball hitting training device according to  claim 1 , wherein the walls of said groove are angled toward one another from the outside face of the support block toward the center of the support block. 
     
     
         7 . The baseball and softball hitting training device according to  claim 1 , wherein said horizontal bar is made from a material selected from the group consisting of: plastic, hard rubber, metal, wood, or a combination of said materials. 
     
     
         8 . The baseball and softball hitting training device according to  claim 1 , wherein said horizontal bar extends from said support block in a continuous single piece. 
     
     
         9 . The baseball and softball hitting training device according to  claim 1 , wherein said horizontal bar is between 0.5 and 2.0 inches in height, between 3.0 and 15 inches in length, and between 0.5 and 2.0 inches in width. 
     
     
         10 . The baseball and softball hitting training device according to  claim 1 , wherein said horizontal bar has a single opening on the top surface, comprised of an elongated slot. 
     
     
         11 . The baseball and softball hitting training device according to  claim 1 , wherein said horizontal bar has two to seven openings on the top surface. 
     
     
         12 . The baseball and softball hitting training device according to  claim 1 , wherein said flag portion has a cross section that is round or oval and is between 0.25 and 2.0 inches in diameter, and between 4.0 and 20.0 inches in length. 
     
     
         13 . The baseball and softball hitting training device according to  claim 1 , wherein said attachment straps are made from rubber or other elastic material. 
     
     
         14 . The baseball and softball hitting training device according to  claim 1 , wherein said attachment straps further comprise a plurality of holes. 
     
     
         15 . The baseball and softball hitting training device according to  claim 14 , wherein said support block further comprises one or more protrusions and wherein said holes are sized to fit over said protrusions.