Baseball/softball batter training device

Abstract

A pitched device for training baseball players, softball players, and umpires. The device trains batters to help the batter identify when to swing or not swing at a pitch based on a combination of what the ball and strike count is on the batter and where the pitched ball will pass in relation to the strike zone for that batter.

1 . A process of improving the hitting skills of a batter comprising the steps of;
 providing a batter with a batter training device that includes a backstop upon which a plurality of bat swinging zones are identified; and   providing a set of rules to a batter that identify when the batter should swing a bat at a pitched ball, wherein the set of rules includes a correlation between a ball and strike count on the batter and the batter's expectation that the pitched ball will strike a specific bat swinging zone that is included in the plurality of bat swinging zones.   
     
     
         2 . The process of improving the hitting skills of a batter of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of bat swinging zones are indicated by colors that indicate where in a standard strike zone the pitched ball has contacted the backstop. 
     
     
         3 . The process of improving the hitting skills of a batter of  claim 2  wherein the batter training device includes a backstop panel, wherein each of the plurality of swinging zones is at least one of a red panel, a green panel, and yellow panel. 
     
     
         4 . The process of improving the hitting skills of a batter of  claim 3  wherein at least one of the backstop panel, the yellow panel, the green panel, the red panel, and the pitched ball include hook and loop elements that tend to retain the simulated ball when the pitched ball is pitched against at least one of the backstop panel, the yellow panel, the green panel, the red panel. 
     
     
         5 . The process of improving the hitting skills of a batter of  claim 4  further comprising the step of establishing a set of bat swinging rules regarding one of either single pitched ball or a plurality of pitched balls pitched to the batter. 
     
     
         6 . The process of improving the hitting skills of a batter of  claim 5  wherein the step of establishing the set of bat swinging rules about one of either a single pitched ball or a plurality of pitched balls pitched to the batter includes determining whether the batter correctly chose to one of either swing or not swing at the pitched ball based on where the pitched ball contacted at least one of the backstop panel, the yellow panel, the green panel, or the red panel. 
     
     
         7 . The process of improving the hitting skills of a batter of  claim 6  further comprising the step of informing the batter whether the batter has made one of either a good bat swinging decision or a bad bat swinging decision as indicated by the set of bat swinging rules. 
     
     
         8 . The process of improving the hitting skills of a batter of  claim 7  wherein informing the batter whether the set of bat swinging rules indicates the batter is making one of either a good bat swinging decision or a bad bat swinging decision includes the further step of training a batter to swing only at a pitched ball when it appears the pitched ball will contact one of the plurality of colored bat swinging zone indicators depending on a particular ball or strike count that can occur for the batter during a ball game. 
     
     
         9 . The process of improving the hitting skills of a batter of  claim 8  further comprising the step of instructing the batter to swing at all pitches that the batter expects to contact the red panel with the exception that when the ball and strike count includes three balls and zero strikes, the batter is not to swing at a pitch that the batter expects to contact the red panel. 
     
     
         10 . The process of improving the hitting skills of a batter of  claim 9  further comprising the step of instructing the batter to swing at all pitched balls that the batter expects to contact one of either the red panel or the green panel, but only when that batter has a ball and strike count that includes one strike, with the exception that when the ball and strike count includes three balls and one strike, the batter should swing at pitched balls only if the batter believes the pitched ball will land on the red panel. 
     
     
         11 . The process of improving the hitting skills of a batter of  claim 10  further comprising the step of instructing the batter to swing at pitched balls that the batter believes will land on one of either the yellow panel, the green panel, or the red panel, but only when the ball and strike count on the batter includes two strikes. 
     
     
         12 . The process of improving the hitting skills of a batter of  claim 11  wherein the batter training device further comprises a simulated bat handle and a scoring device for tallying the accuracy of the batter's decision to swing or not to swing at a series of pitched balls. 
     
     
         13 . A process of improving the hitting skills of a batter comprising the steps of;
 providing a batter with a batter training device that includes a backstop upon which a plurality of bat swinging zones are identified, wherein the batter training device includes a backstop panel, wherein each of the plurality of swinging zones is identified by at least one of a red panel, a green panel, and yellow panel;   providing a set of rules to a batter that identify when the batter should swing a bat at a pitched ball, wherein the set of rules includes a correlation between a ball and strike count on the batter and the batter's expectation that the pitched ball will strike a specific bat swinging zone that is included in the plurality of bat swinging zones; and   providing a set of bat swinging rules regarding one of either single pitch or a plurality of pitched balls pitched to the batter, wherein the step of bat swinging rules includes determining whether the batter correctly chose to one of either swing or not swing at the pitched ball based on where the pitched ball contacted at least one of the backstop panel, the yellow panel, the green panel, or the red panel.   
     
     
         14 . The process of improving the hitting skills of a batter of  claim 13  wherein at least one of the backstop panel, the yellow panel, the green panel, the red panel, and the pitched ball include hook and loop elements that tend to retain the pitched ball when the pitched ball is pitched against at least one of the backstop panel, the yellow panel, the green panel, or the red panel. 
     
     
         15 . The process of improving the hitting skills of a batter of  claim 14  further comprising the step of establishing a set of bat swinging rules regarding one of either single pitch or a plurality of pitched balls pitched to the batter. 
     
     
         16 . The process of improving the hitting skills of a batter of  claim 15  wherein the step of establishing the set of bat swinging rules about one of either single pitch or a plurality of pitched balls pitched to the batter includes determining whether the batter correctly chose to one of either swing or not swing at the pitched ball based on where the pitched ball contacted at least one of the backstop panel, the yellow panel, the green panel, or the red panel. 
     
     
         17 . The process of improving the hitting skills of a batter of  claim 16  further comprising the steps of:
 informing the batter whether the batter has made one of either a good bat swinging decision or a bad bat swinging decision as indicated by the set of bat swinging rules; and 
 informing the batter whether the set of bat swinging rules indicates the batter is making one of either a good bat swinging decision or a bad bat swinging decision includes the further step of training a batter to swing only at a pitched ball when it appears the pitched ball will contact one of the plurality of colored bat swinging zone indicators depending on a particular ball or strike count that can occur for the batter during a ball game. 
 
     
     
         18 . The process of improving the hitting skills of a batter of  claim 17  further comprising the step of:
 instructing the batter to swing at all pitched balls that the batter expects to contact the red panel with the exception that when the ball and strike count includes three balls and zero strikes, the batter is not to swing at a pitched ball that the batter expects to contact the red panel; 
 instructing the batter to swing at all pitched balls that the batter expects to contact one of either the red panel or the green panel, but only when that batter has a ball and strike count that includes one strike, with the exception that when the ball and strike count includes three balls and one strike, the batter should swing at pitched balls only if the batter believes the pitched ball will land on the red panel; and 
 instructing the batter to swing at pitched balls that the batter believes will land on one of either the yellow panel, the green panel, or the red panel, but only when the ball and strike count on the batter includes two strikes. 
 
     
     
         19 . The process of improving the hitting skills of a batter of  claim 18  further comprising the step of keeping a score of the batter's batting decision that includes:
 increasing the score by one increment if the ball and strike count includes zero strikes and if at least one of the following is true:
 the batter swings at a pitched ball that lands on the red panel, 
 the batter swings when the pitched ball lands at a point that touches both the green panel and the red panel, 
 the batter does NOT swing when the pitched ball does NOT land on the red panel, or when the pitched ball does NOT land at a point that touches both the green panel and the red panel, 
 the batter swings when the pitched ball does NOT land on the red panel, or when the pitched ball does NOT land at a point that touches both the green panel and the red panel, or 
 the batter takes the first pitch thrown to the batter regardless of the hitting zone location and when the ball and strike count includes three balls and zero strikes; 
 
 decreasing the score by three increments if the ball and strike count includes zero strikes and if at least one of the following is true:
 the batter does not swing when the pitched ball lands on the red panel, or 
 the batter does not swing when the pitched ball lands at a point that touches both the green panel and the red panel; 
 
 decreasing the score by one increment if the ball and strike count includes zero strikes and the batter swings when the pitched ball does not land anywhere on the backstop of the training device; 
 increasing the score by one increment if the ball and strike count includes one strike and if at least one of the following is true:
 the batter swings at a pitched ball that lands on either the red panel or the green panel, or 
 the batter does NOT swing at a pitched ball that does not land on either green panel, the yellow panel, or the red panel; 
 
 decreasing the score by one increment if the ball and strike count includes one strike and if at least one of the following is true:
 the batter swings at a pitched ball that does not land on either the red panel or the green panel, or 
 the batter does not swing at a pitched ball that lands on the green panel; 
 
 decreasing the score by three increments if the ball and strike count includes one strike and the batter does not swing at a pitched ball that lands on the red panel; 
 decreasing the score by one increment if the ball and strike count includes one strike and three balls and the batter swings at a pitched ball that does not land on the red panel; 
 increasing the score by one increment if the ball and strike count includes two strikes and if at least one of the following is true:
 the batter swings at a pitched ball that lands on either the yellow panel, the green panel, or the red panel, or 
 the batter does not swing at a pitched ball that does not land on either the yellow panel, the green panel, or the red panel; 
 
 decreasing the score by one increment if the ball and strike count includes two strikes and if at least one of the following is true:
 the batter swings at a pitched ball that does not land on either the yellow panel, the green panel, or the red panel, or 
 the batter does not swing at a pitched ball that lands on either the yellow panel or the green panel; 
 
 decreasing the score by three increments if the ball and strike count includes two strikes and the batter does not swing at a pitched ball that lands on the red panel.