Eye-hand coordination training apparatus

Abstract

An eye-hand coordination training apparatus which includes a bat having a handgrip portion and a ball striking portion. The ball striking portion has at least two discrete ball striking surfaces. Each of the discrete ball striking surfaces differs in degree of difficulty from the other discrete ball striking surfaces due to physical differences.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An eye-hand coordination training apparatus, comprising:
 a bat having a handgrip portion and a ball striking portion, the ball striking portion having at least two discrete ball striking surfaces, each of the discrete ball striking surfaces differing in degree of difficulty from the other discrete ball striking surfaces due to physical differences.   
     
     
         2 . The eye-hand coordination training apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the discrete ball striking surfaces are flat strips which differ in width. 
     
     
         3 . The eye-hand coordination training apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the discrete ball striking surfaces are rounded strips which differ in both width and radius of curvature. 
     
     
         4 . The eye-hand coordination training apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the discrete ball striking surfaces differ in surface area. 
     
     
         5 . The eye-hand coordination training apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the discrete ball striking surfaces are rounded and differ in radius of curvature. 
     
     
         6 . The eye-hand coordination training apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the discrete ball striking surfaces are disks which differ in diameter. 
     
     
         7 . The eye-hand coordination training apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the ball striking portion of the bat has at least three sides, and not all of the discrete ball striking surfaces are positioned on the same one of the at least three sides. 
     
     
         8 . The eye-hand coordination training apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein each of the discrete ball striking surfaces are positioned on a different one of the at least three sides. 
     
     
         9 . The eye-hand coordination training apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cross-sectional dimension of the ball striking portion is round and each of the discrete ball striking surfaces is positioned on a body mounted tangentially the ball striking portion. 
     
     
         10 . The eye-hand coordination apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a digital counter is incorporated into the bat, the digital counter having a readout which advances when a ball strikes the ball striking portion of the bat. 
     
     
         11 . The eye-hand coordination apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a telescopic extension slides in and out of a remote end of the bat, the telescopic extension defining supplemental ball striking surfaces. 
     
     
         12 . A method of eye-hand coordination training, comprising:
 providing a bat having a handgrip portion and a ball striking portion, the ball striking portion having at least two discrete ball striking surfaces, each of the discrete ball striking surfaces differing in degree of difficulty from the other discrete ball striking surfaces due to physical differences;   holding the bat by the handgrip portion;   rotating the bat about a longitudinal axis to select one of the discrete ball striking surfaces providing a desired degree of difficulty; and   using the selected one of the discrete ball striking surfaces to strike a ball with a view to propelling the ball vertically in a controlled manner through the use of a subtle wrist or arm movement with an object of determining a number of consecutive times the ball can be struck.   
     
     
         13 . An eye-hand coordination training apparatus, comprising:
 a bat having a handgrip portion and a ball striking portion, the ball striking portion having only two discrete ball striking surfaces, each of the discrete ball striking surfaces differing in degree of difficulty from the other discrete ball striking surfaces due to physical differences.   
     
     
         14 . A method of eye-hand coordination training, comprising:
 providing a bat having a handgrip portion and a ball striking portion, the ball striking portion having only two discrete ball striking surfaces, each of the discrete ball striking surfaces differing in degree of difficulty from the other discrete ball striking surfaces due to physical differences;   holding the bat by the handgrip portion;   rotating the bat about a longitudinal axis to select one of the discrete ball striking surfaces providing a desired degree of difficulty; and   using the selected one of the discrete ball striking surfaces to strike a ball with a view to propelling the ball vertically in a controlled manner through the use of a subtle wrist or arm movement with an object of determining a number of consecutive times the ball can be struck.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein a telescopic extension slides in and out of a remote end of the bat, the telescopic extension defining supplemental ball striking surfaces.