Systems and methods for controlling baseball bat swing

Abstract

Systems and methods for controlling a baseball bat swing are disclosed. A system in accordance with a particular embodiment includes an upper arm portion, a lower arm portion pivotably connected to the upper arm portion, and at least one releaseable attachment device carried by the upper arm portion and positioned to releasably attach to the user's arm. The system can further include an adjustment element operatively coupled to the upper arm portion and the lower arm portion, with the adjustment being manipulatable to control an angle between the upper arm portion and the lower arm portion. The system can be employed to train the user to achieve a consistent baseball bat swing.

1 . A system for controlling a user's baseball bat swing, comprising:
 an arm-mounted device that includes:
 an upper arm portion; 
 a lower arm portion coupled to the upper arm portion and defining an angle therebetween; and 
 at least one releasable attachment device positioned to releasably attach to the user's arm; 
   a light source carried by the arm-mounted device, the light source having a light emission axis that is adjustable relative to the arm-mounted device; and   a plurality of indicators positionable relative to the arm-mounted device to receive light from the light source, wherein the indicators are configured to provide an indication of at least one of a load position and a throw position.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a stowable pad having a swing line indicator, and wherein the indicators are positioned on the stowable pad. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the stowable pad includes:
 an array of light detectors positioned to receive light from the light source, the light detectors having an off state and an on state, the on state being associated with light received from the light source, the light detectors having a signal transmitter to transmit an output signal corresponding to the state of the light detector; 
 an array of light indicators, with individual light indicators coupled to individual light detectors to receive a corresponding output signal, with individual light indicators being changeable in response to the corresponding output signal between a first state associated with the off state and a second state associated with the on state; and 
 a reset device coupled to the light indicators to reset the light indicators to the first state. 
 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3  wherein the light detectors include photoreceptors and wherein the light indicators include light emitting diodes. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the swing line indicator includes a slot and wherein at least one of the plurality of indicators is slideable along the slot. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an adjustment element operably coupled to the upper arm portion and the lower arm portion, wherein the adjustment element includes a first adjustment element depending from the lower arm portion, a second adjustment element depending from the upper arm portion, and a locking member operatively coupled to the first and second adjustment elements to releasably secure the first and second adjustment elements at a plurality of positions relative to each other. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an adjustment element operably coupled to the upper arm portion and the lower arm portion, wherein the adjustment element includes a hinge having an internal frictional resistance sufficient to support the upper arm portion and the lower arm portion at a non-zero angle relative to each other. 
     
     
         8 . A system for controlling a user's baseball bat swing, comprising:
 an arm-mounted device that includes:
 an upper arm portion; 
 a lower arm portion pivotably connected to the upper arm portion; and 
 at least one releasable attachment device carried by the upper arm portion and positioned to releasably attach to the user's arm; 
   a light source carried by the releasable attachment device, the light source having an emission axis that is adjustable relative to the arm-mounted device;   a load indicator positionable to provide an indication of a load position; and   a swing line indicator positionable to provide an indication of a desired swing.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the at least one releasable attachment device includes multiple straps positioned to encircle the user's upper arm. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the upper arm portion and the lower arm portion each have a thickness extent and a lateral extent greater than the thickness extent, and wherein the upper arm portion and the lower arm portion are pivotable relative to each other about an axis that is generally parallel with the lateral extent of at least one of the upper and lower arm portions. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the upper arm portion and the lower arm portion each have a thickness extent and a lateral extent greater than the thickness extent, and wherein the upper arm portion and the lower arm portion are pivotable relative to each other about an axis that, is generally parallel with the thickness extent of at least one of the upper and lower arm portions. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the adjustment element includes a first adjustment element depending from the lower arm portion, a second adjustment element depending from the upper arm portion, and a locking member operatively coupled to the first and second adjustment elements to releasably secure the first and second adjustment elements at a plurality of positions relative to each other. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the adjustment element includes a hinge having an internal frictional resistance sufficient to support the upper arm portion and the lower arm portion at a non-zero angle relative to each other. 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A method for controlling or instructing control of a user's baseball bat swing, comprising:
 placing or instructing placement of an arm-mounted device adjacent the user's arm;   releasably securing or instructing releasable securement of one of a) an upper arm portion of the arm-mounted device to the user's upper arm, or b) a lower arm portion of the arm-mounted device to the user's lower arm;   positioning or instructing the positioning of the user's arm in a load position with the user's lower arm contacting the lower arm portion and the user's upper arm contacting the upper arm portion;   swinging or instructing the swinging of the user's arm from the load position to a throw position while the user's arm disengages from the other of the upper arm portion and the lower arm portion; and   repeating or instructing the repeating of the positioning and swinging operations multiple times.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the arm-mounted device carries a light source having a light emission axis, and wherein the method further comprises:
 positioning or instructing positioning of the user on or adjacent to a pad having a home plate indicator and a swing line indicator; 
 adjusting or instructing adjustment of a position of the user's feet relative to the home plate indicator and the swing line indicator; 
 adjusting or instructing adjustment of an orientation of the light emission axis; 
 adjusting or instructing adjustment of a position of a load indicator along the swing line indicator to intersect the light emission axis with the load indicator when the user's arm is in the load position; and 
 adjusting or instructing adjustment of a position of a throw indicator along the swing line indicator to intersect the light emission axis with the throw indicator when the user's arm is in the throw position. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising
 observing or instructing observation of light emitted from the light source impinging on the pad, relative to the swing line indicator, as the user executes a swing; and   adjusting or instructing adjustment of the user's swing to align a path of the impinging light along the swing line indicator.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising preserving an indication of a track of the impinging light on a portion of the pad for a period of time after the light has ceased impinging on the portion of the pad. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising adjusting or instructing the adjustment of an included angle between the upper arm portion and the lower arm portion, wherein repeating or instructing the repeating of the positioning and swinging operations multiple times includes repeating or instructing the repeating of the positioning and swinging operations at least 20 times without adjusting or instructing the adjustment of the included angle between the upper arm portion and the lower arm portion. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15  wherein releasably securing or instructing the releasable securement includes releasably securing or instructing the releasable securement of the upper arm portion of the arm-mounted device to the user's upper arm, and wherein the method further comprises not releasably securing or instructing the releaseable securement of the lower arm portion to the user's forearm.