Baseball pitching training device

Abstract

A baseball pitching training deice providing student of pitching with a tool which allows them to visually assists in the development of the proper grip and release of a baseball during pitching. The device consists of a circular soft or hard object having simulated or actual stitching incorporated upon the external surface area such that the circular object is a standard baseball or simulates a standard baseball. A dowel is incorporated within the circular object and the dowel assists in the development of the proper grip and release of a baseball.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A baseball pitching training device, comprising;
 a circular body with a circumference and a diameter of a standard baseball;   the circular body being made of a firm and soft material with an external surface area;   a plurality of simulated or conventional baseball stitching extending across the external surface area of the body as positioned on the standard baseball wherein a horseshoe is defined upon each side of the body by a front parabola, a backside parabola, a topside parabola and a bottom side parabola;   a dowel comprising a shaft extending a pre-determined length and defined by a front end and a back end; and   the front end of the dowel coupled to the topside parabola and extending linearly upward to the pre-determined length.   
     
     
         2 . The training device of  claim 1  wherein the dowel have a pre-determined length of at least 3 inches. 
     
     
         3 . The training device of  claim 1  wherein the dowel further comprising:
 an extension member defined by a top end and a lower end; 
 the extension member having a pre-determined length; 
 the back end of the dowel being removably engaged with a lower end of the extension member wherein the dowel length is adjustable. 
 
     
     
         4 . The training device of  claim 1  wherein the body further comprising:
 a cavity extending linearly downward into the body from the external surface area of the horseshoe formed by the topside parabola and being positioned between the horseshoe formed by the topside parabola and the bottom side parabola; 
 a rod with a pre-determined length attached to the lower end of the dowel; and the cavity configured to cooperatively engaged with the rod and to receive the rod therein. 
 
     
     
         5 . The training device of  claim 1  wherein the body further comprises a plurality of indicia corresponding to a user's finger placement of a particular type of pitch incorporated upon the external surface of the body. 
     
     
         6 . The training device of  claim 5  wherein the plurality of indicia corresponds to a user's finger placement for a hand grip configuration according to a particular type of baseball pitch from the group consisting of a circle change pitch, a straight change pitch, a 2-seam pitch, a 4-seam pitch, a curveball pitch, and a slider pitch. 
     
     
         7 . The training device of  claim 1 , wherein the body further comprises a plurality of protruding tactile surfaces corresponding to a user's finger placement of a particular pitch and the protruding tactile surfaces incorporated thereon. 
     
     
         8 . The training device of  claim 7  wherein the plurality of tactile surfaces corresponds to a user's finger placement for a hand grip configuration according to a particular type of baseball pitch from the group consisting of a circle change pitch, a straight change pitch, a 2-seam pitch, a 4-seam pitch, a curveball pitch, and a slider pitch. 
     
     
         9 . The training device of  claim 7 , wherein the body further comprises a marking on the external surface area of the body indicating the tactile surfaces corresponding to a pitch from the group from the group consisting of a circle change pitch, a straight change pitch, a 2-seam pitch, a 4-seam pitch, a curveball pitch, and a slider pitch. 
     
     
         10 . The training device of  claim 9 , wherein the marking indicates an orientation for a finger placement of a user. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the dowel is centrally mounted within the topside parabola. 
     
     
         12 . A method of training a pitcher using the device as claimed in claim one, the method comprising selecting a specific pitch; rotating the device wherein the topside parabola and bottom side parabola is set according to the specific pitch; placing a user's fingers on the device to accommodate a grip of the specific pitch; releasing the device wherein the dowel rotates toward the batter according to the specific pitch. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the dowel rotates according to the specific pitch from the group consisting of a curve ball, a straight change, a 4-seam, a 2-seam, a circle change and a slider. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein releasing the device further comprises: for the curve ball, rotating the dowel vertically forward toward batter; for he 4-seam, rotating the dowel vertically backward toward batter; for the 2-seam rotating the dowel vertically backward toward batter;
 for the 2-seam, rotating the dowel diagonally downward toward the batter; 
 for the right hand circle change, rotating the dowel left to right horizontally; and 
 for the left hand circle change rotating the dowel right to left horizontally. 
 
     
     
         15 . A training baseball comprising:
 conventional baseball stitching along the surface of the training baseball;   a dowel extending from the surface of the training baseball in relation to the conventional baseball stitching in a manner effective to provide rotational information regarding the baseball stitching when the training baseball is thrown.   
     
     
         16 . The training baseball of  claim 15  further including a cavity for receiving part of the dowel therein. 
     
     
         17 . The training baseball of  claim 15  further including finger training indicia on the surface of the training baseball. 
     
     
         18 . The training baseball of  claim 15  wherein the length of the dowel extending from the surface is less than the diameter of the training baseball.