Baseball/Softball Batting Glove Training Aid Utilizing Magnets for Correct Knuckle Alignment

Abstract

A pair of interlocking batting gloves which may be worn by a batter during practice and during play to improve the batter's grip on the bat. A first of the two gloves in which each glove has a disc magnet attached to the outer peripheral edge of the index finger and a second of the two gloves has a polar opposite magnet attached to the outer peripheral edge of the little finger. The magnets thus positioned connect and lock together providing the proper grip for the batter, aligning the middle knuckles of the left and right hands. The attractive magnetic force will connect the gloves when the magnets overlap their magnetic fields, thus eliminating the need for the batter to have previous knowledge of how to grip the bat correctly. The magnetic connection draws the left and right hand together aligning the middle knuckles of the left and right hand forming proper grip for swinging a bat. The physical connection of the magnets provides an audible “click” to provide auditory feedback, in addition to physical feedback, to the batter to reinforce correct training.

1 . A sports training aid, the training aid comprising a matched pair of batting gloves, the batting gloves each having a thumb portion and a plurality of finger portions adapted for receiving at least the thumb, index finger, and little finger, of a wearer of the sports training aid, the batting gloves further comprising;
 (a) a first magnet positioned on a first contact finger portion on a first one of the batting gloves, which first contact finger portion is adapted to receive the index finger, the first contact finger portion having an outer peripheral edge proximal to the thumb portion, the first magnet positioned on and attached to the outer peripheral edge of the first contact finger portion, the first magnet having a contact surface having a first magnetic polarity oriented outward from the first contact finger portion; and   (b) a second magnet positioned on a second contact finger portion on a second one of the batting gloves, which second contact finger portion is adapted to receive the little finger, the second contact finger portion having an outer peripheral edge distal to the thumb portion, the second magnet positioned on and attached to the outer peripheral edge of the second contact finger portion, the second magnet having a contact surface having a second magnetic polarity oriented outward from the second contact finger portion, the second magnetic polarity opposite the first magnetic polarity;   wherein when a wearer of the gloves grips a bat, the contact surfaces of the first and second magnets are brought into proximity with each other, whereby the opposite magnetic polarities urge connection between the magnets and thereby facilitate the maintenance of a specific orientation of the hands of the wearer on the bat.   
   
   
       2 . The sports training aid of  claim 1  wherein the first and second magnets are each positioned on an axis generally aligned with the middle knuckles of the wearer's hands. 
   
   
       3 . The sports training aid of  claim 1  wherein the first and second magnets each comprise rare-earth permanent magnets. 
   
   
       4 . The sports training aid of  claim 3  wherein the first and second magnets each comprise neodymium magnets. 
   
   
       5 . The sports training aid of  claim 1  wherein the first and second magnets are each attached to the outer peripheral edges of the first and second contact finger portions respectively, by rivets directed through the magnets and through a layer of material of the batting gloves. 
   
   
       6 . The sports training aid of  claim 1  wherein the first and second magnets each comprise disc shaped magnets and the contact surfaces of the magnets are circular. 
   
   
       7 . A sports training aid, the training aid comprising a matched pair of batting gloves, the batting gloves each having a thumb portion and a plurality of finger portions adapted for receiving at least the thumb, index finger, and little finger of a wearer of the sports training aid, the batting gloves further comprising;
 (a) a first ferromagnetic member positioned on a first contact finger portion on a first one of the batting gloves, which first contact finger portion is adapted to receive the index finger, the first contact finger portion having an outer peripheral edge proximal to the thumb portion, the first ferromagnetic member positioned on and attached to the outer peripheral edge of the first contact finger portion; and   (b) a second ferromagnetic member positioned on a second contact finger portion on a second one of the batting gloves, which second contact finger portion is adapted to receive the little finger, the second contact finger portion having an outer peripheral edge distal to the thumb portion, the second ferromagnetic member positioned on and attached to the outer peripheral edge of the second contact finger portion;   wherein one of the first or second ferromagnetic members comprises a permanent magnet and the other comprises a metallic member, wherein when a wearer of the gloves grips a bat, the first and second ferromagnetic members are brought into proximity with each other, whereby the magnetic field of the magnet urges connection between the magnet and the metallic member and thereby facilitate the maintenance of a specific orientation of the hands of the wearer on the bat.   
   
   
       8 . The sports training aid of  claim 7  wherein the first and second ferromagnetic members are each positioned on an axis generally aligned with the middle knuckles of the wearer's hands. 
   
   
       9 . The sports training aid of  claim 7  wherein the magnet comprises a rare-earth permanent magnet. 
   
   
       10 . The sports training aid of  claim 9  wherein the magnet comprises a neodymium magnet. 
   
   
       11 . The sports training aid of  claim 7  wherein the first and second ferromagnetic members are each attached to the outer peripheral edges of the first and second contact finger portions respectively, by rivets directed through the ferromagnetic member and through a layer of material of the batting gloves. 
   
   
       12 . A method for training a proper alignment of the hands of a batter when gripping a bat, the bat having a neck, the batter having a dominant hand and a non-dominant hand, and the proper alignment of the hands comprising a generally co-axial alignment of the middle knuckles of the hands when positioned one above the other on the bat, the training method comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing the batter with a left hand glove and a right hand glove, each glove including a contact connector for releasably connecting the gloves together, a first contact connector on the glove for the non-dominant hand of the batter positioned on an index finger portion of the glove of the non-dominant hand, and a second contact connector on the glove of the dominant hand of the batter positioned on a little finger portion of the glove of the dominant hand, the first and second contact connectors each positioned in a location on the respective gloves generally aligned with the position of the middle knuckles of the wearer's gloved hands;   (b) having the batter grasp the neck of the bat with the gloved non-dominant hand;   (c) having the batter grasp the neck of the bat with the gloved dominant hand such that the middle knuckles of the batter's hands are generally aligned, with the gloved dominant hand of the batter positioned generally above the gloved non-dominant hand of the batter on the neck of the bat, whereby when the gloved hands of the batter are brought together on the neck of the bat, the first and second contact connectors connect and facilitate the maintenance of the middle knuckle aligned orientation of the gloved hands of the batter on the bat; and   (d) the batter swinging the bat with rotation of the wrists of the batter during the swing, the connected contact connectors serving to urge the maintenance of the middle knuckle aligned orientation of the gloved hands of the batter on the bat throughout the swing.   
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the second in time step of having the batter grasp the neck of the bat with a gloved hand comprises having the batter visually align the first and second contact connectors so as to urge the connection of the contact connectors together. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the first and second contact connectors comprise magnets and the second in time step of having the batter grasp the neck of the bat with a gloved hand comprises having the batter audibly detect the connection between the first and second contact connectors as the magnetic fields of the magnets urge the connection of the contact connectors together. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising the step of the batter releasing the bat with the gloved dominant hand after completing the step of swinging the bat, thereby disconnecting the contact connectors, one from the other, to allow for a follow-through swing of the bat with only the gloved non-dominant hand. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising repeating the steps of having the batter grasp the neck of the bat with the gloved dominant hand and the batter swinging the bat. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the first and second contact connectors comprise magnets and the second in time step of having the batter grasp the neck of the bat with a gloved hand comprises having the batter audibly detect the connection between the first and second contact connectors as the magnetic fields of the magnets urge the connection of the contact connectors together.