Weight holder attachable to athletic ball striker to be swung

Abstract

A weighting device for use on an athletic ball striker as during swinging of the striker, the striker having a handle, comprising in combination: a receptacle having an opening via which the striker ball striking portion is receivable into the receptacle, with the handle projecting from the receptacle; a retainer positioned for retaining the receptacle to the striker ball striking portion; and weighting structure carried by the receptacle to add substantial weight to the striker, for use as in striker practice swinging, the retainer including a holder that is applied in a retaining position proximate a local portion of the receptacle, to effect retention of the receptacle to the striker during practice swinging.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A weighting device for use on an athletic ball striker as during swinging of the striker, the striker having a handle, comprising in combination: 
 a) a receptacle having an opening via which the striker ball striking portion is receivable into the receptacle, with the handle projecting from the receptacle,    b) a retainer positioned for retaining the receptacle to the striker ball striking portion,    c) and weighting structure carried by the receptacle to add substantial weight to the striker, for use as in striker practice swinging,    d) said retainer including a holder that is applied in a retaining position proximate a local portion of the receptacle, to effect retention of the receptacle to the striker during said practice swinging.    
     
     
         2 . The combination of  claim 1  wherein the receptacle tapers along its length in a direction toward the holder to fit the striker along its length, whereby the receptacle is self retaining to the striker during practice swinging.  
     
     
         3 . The combination of  claim 1  wherein said weighting structure includes multiple weights located proximate a portion or portions of the receptacle remote from the holder.  
     
     
         4 . The combination of  claim 1  wherein the holder comprises a flexible wrapper carried by the receptacle to be wrapped about an end portion of the receptacle and fixed in binding position.  
     
     
         5 . The combination of  claim 1  wherein said holder is a security strap carried by the receptacle to be wrapped about an end portion of the receptacle and fixed in binding position.  
     
     
         6 . The combination of  claim 5  including a looping holder on the receptacle, the strap extending through the looping holder, and having hook and pile material on different portions of the strap to be affixed together when the strap is tightened.  
     
     
         7 . The combination of  claim 1  including said striker having a knob end, a second receptacle removably retained to said knob end, and at least one weight carried by the second receptacle.  
     
     
         8 . The combination of  claim 1  wherein said receptacle is elongated and said opening includes a slit extending lengthwise of the receptacle, there being a closure carried proximate the slit to close the slit along its length.  
     
     
         9 . The combination of  claim 8  wherein said closure includes at least one of the following: 
 i) hook and pile material  
 ii) a zipper having an end closely retained to the receptacle  
 iii) a drawstring.  
 
     
     
         10 . The combination of  claim 1  wherein the receptacle has the general outline form of one of the following: 
 i) a baseball bat  
 ii) a tennis racket  
 iii) a squash racket  
 iv) a lacrosse looping net carrier, the binder being a flap carried to fold and bind to a surface of the receptacle  
 v) a cricket bat  
 vi) a polo head  
 vii) a hockey stick head  
 viii) a racquet ball racket.  
 
     
     
         11 . The combination of  claim 1  wherein said receptacle has multiple wall portions and said weighting structure is located at or proximate at least one of said wall portions.  
     
     
         12 . The combination of  claim 11  wherein said weighting structure is located at or proximate one of the following: 
 i) at least one of said wall portions  
 ii) at least two of said wall portions  
 iii) at least three of said wall portions,  
 iv) at least four of said wall portions.  
 
     
     
         13 . The combination of  claim 1  wherein said weighting structure includes one of the following: 
 a) metallic material,  
 b) flowable metallic material,  
 c) non-metallic material,  
 d) flowable non-metallic material.  
 
     
     
         14 . The combination of  claim 13  wherein said material is concealed by said receptacle.  
     
     
         15 . The combination of  claim 12  wherein said weighting structure includes separate local metallic portions.  
     
     
         16 . The combination of  claim 13  wherein said material is held in a pocket or pockets provided by the receptacle.  
     
     
         17 . The combination of  claim 13  including said striker ball striking portion received in the receptacle, said striker comprising one of the following: 
 i) a baseball bat  
 ii) a tennis racket  
 iii) another swingable ball striking device having a handle  
 iv) a racquet ball racket.  
 
     
     
         18 . The combination of  claim 17  wherein said material is received in a pocket provided by the receptacle.  
     
     
         19 . The combination of  claim 1  including a clip attached to the strap or receptacle, and including supporting structure in the form of a mesh, to which the clip is also attached.  
     
     
         20 . The combination of  claim 1  including means adjustably connecting said weighting structure to the receptacle.  
     
     
         21 . The combination of  claim 1  including the striker, and including slip-resistant material adhering the receptacle to the striker.  
     
     
         22 . The combination of  claim 1  including the striker, and said receptacle consisting of stretchable fabric material.  
     
     
         23 . The combination of  claim 1  wherein the receptacle includes hard plastic material covering a major portion of the striker.  
     
     
         24 . The combination of  claim 1  wherein the weighting structure is presented upwardly to provide angular momentum when the striker is swung, for exerting rotary force on the wrist of the user.  
     
     
         25 . A weighting device for use on an athletic ball striker as during swinging of the striker, the striker having a handle, comprising in combination: 
 a) a receptacle having an opening via which the striker ball striking portion is receivable into the receptacle, with the handle projecting from the receptacle,    b) a retainer positioned for retaining the receptacle to the striker ball striking portion,    c) and including said striker with said ball striking portion received into the receptacle,    d) said retainer including a holder that is applied in a retaining position proximate a local portion of the receptacle, to effect retention of the receptacle to the striker during said practice swinging.    
     
     
         26 . The combination of  claim 25  wherein said holder includes at least one of the following: 
 i) a flap associated with receptacle, to be folded and held in position for endwise retaining the receptacle to the striker  
 ii) a strap associated with the receptacle to be wrapped about an end of the striker  
 iii) a drawstring associated with the receptacle to be tightened about an end of the striker  
 iv) a zipper associated with the receptacle to close the receptacle about the striker.  
 
     
     
         27 . The method of providing a weighting device on an athletic ball striker for use as during swinging of the striker, that includes 
 a) providing a receptacle having an opening via which the striker ball striking portion is receivable into the receptacle, with the handle projecting from the receptacle,    b) providing a retainer positioned for retaining the receptacle to the striker ball striking portion,    c) providing weighting structure carried by the receptacle to add substantial weight to the striker, for use as in striker practice swinging,    d) said retainer including a holder, and including the step of applying the holder in a retaining position proximate a local portion of the receptacle, and manipulating the holder to effect retention of the receptacle to the striker and against dislodgement from the striker during practice swinging.    
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27  including one of the following having a ball striking portion received into the receptacle: 
 i) a baseball bat  
 ii) a tennis racket  
 iii) a squash racket  
 iv) a lacrosse looping net carrier, the binder being a flap carried to fold and bind to a surface of the receptacle  
 v) a cricket bat  
 vi) a polo head  
 vii) a hockey stick head  
 viii) a racquet ball racket.  
 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the receptacle is provided to have bag shape.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 27  wherein said weighting structure is provided at opposite sides of the receptacle adapted to extend adjacent opposite faces of the striker.