Sports training aid

Abstract

A sports training aid for improving the mechanics of a sports player conducting a sports movement is disclosed. The sports training aid may comprise a foot placement surface or area that is simultaneously inclined in two directions. The sports training aid may be inclined from both the front to the back of the sports training aid and from one side of the sports training aid to the other side of the training aid. When positioning a player's foot on the sports training aid, the toes of the player's foot are raised above the heel of the player's foot and the outsole of the player's foot is raised above the insole of the player's foot. A method for training a sports player using the sports training aid is also disclosed.

1 . A baseball or softball training aid for attaching to a shoe comprising:
 a foot-shaped foot support having a foot placement surface and a ground-contacting surface generally opposite the foot placement surface, wherein the foot placement surface includes a first incline and a second incline, the first incline extending from a heel region of the foot-shaped support up to a toe region of the foot-shaped support and the second incline extends from an insole region of the foot-shaped support up to an outsole region of the foot-shaped support; and   a mound indicator located on the periphery of the baseball or softball training aid and generally in the area between the toe region of the foot-shaped foot support and the outsole region of the foot-shaped foot support;   wherein the ground-contacting surface is generally parallel to the ground.   
     
     
         2 . The baseball or softball training aid of  claim 1 , wherein the mound indicator comprises a column protruding away from the baseball or softball training aid and extending substantially the length between the foot placement surface and the ground contacting surface. 
     
     
         3 . The baseball or softball training aid of  claim 1 , wherein the foot-shaped foot support further comprises a toe restraint located at the toe region of the foot placement surface. 
     
     
         4 . The baseball or softball training aid of  claim 3 , wherein the toe restraint comprises one or more straps secured at one end to a first portion of the toe region and detachably secured at a second end to a second portion of the toe region. 
     
     
         5 . The baseball or softball training aid of  claim 3 , wherein the toe restraint comprises a toe shield extending upwardly away from the toe region and rearwardly towards the heel region. 
     
     
         6 . The baseball or softball training aid of  claim 1 , wherein the first incline has an angle of inclination in the range of from greater than zero degrees to about 30 degrees and the second incline has an angle of inclination in the range of from greater than zero degrees to about 30 degrees. 
     
     
         7 . The baseball or softball training aid of  claim 1 , wherein the first incline has an angle of inclination of from about 16 degrees to about 26 degrees and the second incline has an angle of from about 12 degrees to about 22 degrees. 
     
     
         8 . The baseball or softball training aid of  claim 1 , further comprising a third incline extending from an area between the heel region of the foot-shaped support and the inner sole region of the foot-shaped support up to an area between the toe region of the foot-shaped support and the outer sole region of the foot-shaped support, and wherein the third incline is about 20 degrees. 
     
     
         9 . The baseball or softball training aid of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of stud receptacles located along a periphery of the baseball or softball training aid and opposite the ground contacting surface. 
     
     
         10 . The baseball or softball training aid of  claim 1 , wherein the foot placement surface comprises a plurality of stud pockets or stud holes for receiving a plurality of studs extending downwardly from the sole of the shoe disposed on the foot placement surface. 
     
     
         11 . A method for training a baseball or softball player, the method comprising:
 providing a baseball or softball training aid comprising:
 a foot-shaped foot support having a foot placement surface and a ground-contacting surface generally opposite the foot placement surface, wherein the foot placement surface includes a first incline and a second incline, the first incline extending from a heel region of the foot-shaped support up to a toe region of the foot-shaped support and the second incline extends from an insole region of the foot-shaped support up to an outsole region of the foot-shaped support; and 
 a mound indicator located on the periphery of the baseball or softball training aid and generally in the area between the toe region of the foot-shaped foot support 
   and the outsole region of the foot-shaped foot support; positioning a front foot of the baseball or softball player in a batting stance on the foot placement area such that the baseball or softball player's heel is positioned in the heel region, the baseball or softball player's toes are positioned in the toe region, the baseball or softball player's insole is positioned in the insole region, and the baseball or softball player's outsole is positioned in the outsole region;   securing the baseball or softball training aid to the baseball or softball player's front foot; and   performing a bat swinging motion, wherein the bat swinging motion includes striding forward with the front foot and orienting the front foot such that, at the end of the bat swinging motion, the mound indicator points in a direction generally perpendicular to the direction the baseball or softball player is facing prior to performing the bat swinging motion.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the bat swinging motion is performed one or more times. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the bat swing motion includes rotating the foot.