Baseball pitching aid

Abstract

A portable, easy to use (e.g., baseball) pitching aid is disclosed to provide an audible indication of the arm motion, position and speed of a pitcher during a practice pitch. The pitching aid includes a real or replica ball having seams extending therearound. A flexible flap attachment is coupled to the ball by a connecting strap. Without releasing his grip on the ball during the practice pitch, the flap attachment is subjected to an increased velocity during the pitcher's delivery in response to an accelerated arm motion so as to emit a cracking sound and thereby provide confirmation that the pitcher has achieved proper biomechanics. The ball has first and second pairs of holes extending therethrough. First and opposite ends of the connecting strap extend from the flap attachment through respective ones of the first pair of holes to be detachably connected together when the pitcher wishes to grip a first set of the seams of the ball to practice a first pitch. The first and opposite ends of the connecting strap extend from the flap attachment through respective ones of the second pair of holes to be detachably connected together when the pitches wishes to grip a second set of the seams to practice a different pitch.

1 . A pitching aid to provide an audible indication of the arm mechanics of a pitcher during a practice pitch, said pitching aid comprising a ball to be gripped and held by the pitcher's fingers and a flap attachment to be coupled to said ball so as to be subjected to an increased velocity during the pitcher's delivery, said flap attachment adapted to emit an audible cracking sound in response to an accelerated arm motion to confirm that the pitcher has achieved predetermined arm mechanics during the practice pitch.  
   
   
       2 . The pitching aid recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a connecting strap to couple said flap attachment to said ball.  
   
   
       3 . The pitching aid recited in  claim 2 , wherein said connecting strap extends between said flap attachment and said ball.  
   
   
       4 . The pitching aid recited in  claim 3 , wherein said connecting strap has first and opposite ends extending through said ball and detachably connected together to form a closed loop so as to surround the pitcher's fingers which grip the ball.  
   
   
       5 . The pitching aid recited in  claim 4 , further comprising first and opposing fasteners located on said first and opposite ends of said connecting strap, said first and opposing fasteners being mated to one another by which to detachably connect the first and opposite ends of said connecting strap together to form said closed loop.  
   
   
       6 . The pitching aid recited in  claim 5 , wherein each of said first and opposing fasteners is a piece of hook and loop fastener material.  
   
   
       7 . The pitching aid recited in  claim 2 , wherein said ball has a first pair of holes extending therethrough and said connecting strap has first and opposite ends, the first end of said connecting strap extending from said flap attachment through one of said first pair of holes, and the opposite end of said flap attachment extending from said flap attachment through the other one of said first pair of holes.  
   
   
       8 . The pitching aid recited in  claim 7 , wherein said ball also has a second pair of holes extending therethrough, the first and opposite ends of said connecting strap extending through respective ones of said first pair of holes or said second pair of holes depending upon the pitch to be practiced by the pitcher.  
   
   
       9 . The pitching aid recited in  claim 8 , wherein said ball has a plurality of seams extending therearound, a first set of said plurality of seams located adjacent said first pair of holes to be gripped by the pitcher's fingers when the first and opposite ends of said connecting strap extend through respective ones of said first pair of holes so that the pitcher can practice a first pitch, and a second set of said plurality of seams located adjacent said second pair of holes to be gripped by the pitcher's fingers when the first and opposite ends of said connecting strap extend through respective ones of said second pair of holes so that the pitcher can practice a different pitch.  
   
   
       10 . The pitching aid recited in  claim 1 , wherein said flap attachment is manufactured from a flexible material that is adapted to emit said audible cracking sound in response to an acceleration of said flap attachment at the conclusion of the pitcher's practice pitch.  
   
   
       11 . A pitching aid to provide an audible indication of the arm mechanics of a pitcher during a practice pitch, said pitching aid comprising: 
 a ball to be gripped and held by the pitcher's fingers;    a flexible flap attachment coupled to said ball so as to be subjected to an increased velocity during the pitcher's delivery, said flap attachment adapted to emit an audible cracking sound in response to an accelerated arm motion so as to provide confirmation that the pitcher has achieved predetermined arm mechanics during the practice pitch; and    a connecting piece having first and opposite ends by which to couple said flexible flap attachment to said ball,    said ball having a pair of holes extending therethrough, the first end of the said connecting piece extending from said flap attachment through one of said pair of holes, and the opposite end of said connecting piece extending from said flap attachment through the other one of said pair of holes.    
   
   
       12 . The pitching aid recited in  claim 11 , wherein the first and opposite ends of said connecting piece are connected together to form a closed loop.