A baseball pitching training device providing students of pitching with specific finger placement indicia on the cover of a baseball thus allowing the student to precisely emulate the grasp of the baseball utilized by another pitcher. The indicia provide instruction in several different types of pitches for both right handed and left handed students while maintaining the structural integrity of a regulation baseball thus permitting accurate duplication of actual baseball movement.
A baseball pitching training device providing students of pitching with one or more tactile surfaces, preferably on the seam, thus providing the with tactile input for development of the students proprioceptive senses. In addition, finger placement indicia may be provided, preferably on the cover of the baseball, to indicate a proper finger placement orientation for one or more baseball pitches. The tactile surface(s) and finger placement indicia provide tactile stimuli and instruction for several different types of pitches for either right handed or left handed students.
A spherical ball, for projection through the air to deviate from an expected trajectory, has a first hemisphere (12) and a second hemisphere (14). The surfaces (52, 54) of the first hemisphere (12) and the second hemisphere (14) are generally smooth, except for the provision of a simulated seam (53) which gives the ball the appearance of a baseball. An insert (40) of felt-like material is provided in the second hemisphere (14) with the surface of the insert (40) flush with the surface (54) of the hemisphere (14). When the ball is projected along the plane of the line (16) between the hemispheres (12, 14), it will deviate from that plane in the direction of the first hemisphere (12). The ball is manufactured by locating the insert (40) in a mould (60) and injecting polyurethane foam (64) into the mould (60) with the insert (40) bonding with the foam, (64).
A decorative baseball and method for making the same provides a conventional baseball having a covering over a core that includes seams and laces. The covering has a decorative pattern applied thereto that extends through the seams in substantial alignment and covers substantially an entire surface of the ball. The decorative pattern is formed by applying a pattern, initially, to a conventional ball, cutting the laces of the ball to separate the two sections of covering, reproducing the pattern from the sections and forming new sections with the pattern for application to ball cores using conventional laces.
A training ball for use by a pitcher in practicing throwing a curve ball and a method for using the training ball as described. The training ball has a first ball having approximately the size, weight, and surface of a regulation baseball, for being held and thrown by the pitcher, and a counterweight connected to the first ball at a fixed distance and position, to provide a mass balancing the mass of the first ball at a balance point approximately at the surface of the sphere defined by the surface of the first ball. The first ball may be a modified regulation baseball. The counterweight may be a second ball approximately identical in size and weight to the first ball. The method for using a training ball includes gripping and throwing the first ball as a curve ball, whereby the training ball will fly with a 12-6 spin toward the pitcher's target if the training ball is properly thrown.
A device for training a pitcher or thrower, the device having a form that simulates the ball for which the pitcher is to be trained, examples being a softball or baseball. The device is constructed to allow one part of it to visibly rotate while one or more additional parts of the device visibly do not. It has a surface similar to the surface of the ball for which the pitcher would train, and a means to emit a distinctive and easily audible sound when it is properly thrown.
