Method and system for improving athletic swinging motion

Abstract

Various embodiments for a swing training system are described that include a resistance garment with air resistance components for providing resistance to, or to control and guide, a biomechanical swinging motion. A shoulder harness system includes an athlete attachment area and at least one coupling member having a first end configured to couple to a swing device attachment and a second end configured to couple to the athlete attachment area, where the shoulder harness system is configured to maintain, or monitor, a location of the swing device and detach from shoulder harness system in response to a predefined amount of force being exerted by an athlete during a swinging motion of the bat while training.

Therefore, the following is claimed: 
     
         1 . An athletic training garment, comprising:
 a front;   a back;   wherein the garment includes at least one resistance mechanism located at a predetermined location on the garment configured to provide controlling resistance to the performance of a specific biomechanical motion of an athlete wearing the garment while training; and   wherein the predetermined location of the at least one resistance mechanism is based on the specific biomechanical motion of the athlete.   
     
     
         2 . The athletic training garment of  claim 1  wherein the at least one resistance mechanism is a pocket, and wherein the pocket defines an opening that faces a direction of movement as the athlete performs the specific biomechanical motion. 
     
     
         3 . The athletic training garment of  claim 1  further comprising at least one sleeve;
 wherein the specific biomechanical motion is the swinging of a baseball bat; and 
 wherein the location of the at least one resistance mechanism is on the at least one sleeve. 
 
     
     
         4 . The athletic training garment of  claim 2  wherein the pocket is removably attached to the garment such that the opening faces the direction of movement. 
     
     
         5 . The athletic garment of  claim 4  wherein the opening of the pocket is removably attached to the garment with hook-and-loop material at a resistance location area of the garment, wherein the resistance location area of the garment is made with hook-and-loop material that is complementary to hook-and-loop material of which the pocket comprises. 
     
     
         6 . The athletic garment of  claim 1  further comprising at least one sleeve;
 wherein the sleeve includes an arm motion resistance attachment portion; 
 wherein a resistance-generating device is removably attachable to the arm motion resistance attachment portion such that performance of the specific biomechanical motion is controllingly resisted by the resistance-generating device when the resistance-generating device is attached to the arm motion resistance attachment portion. 
 
     
     
         7 . The athletic garment of  claim 6  wherein the resistance-generating devices is at least one of a spoiler, a parachute that couples with the sleeve via a flexible material that removably attaches to the arm motion resistance attachment portion, a parachute that couples with the sleeve via a rigid strut that removably attaches to the arm motion resistance attachment portion, an airfoil, a sail, a motorized fan that is driven by a motor that is self-powered with a battery, or a motorized fan that is driven by a motor that receives power from electrical conductors connected to an external power source. 
     
     
         8 . The athletic garment of  claim 1  further comprising a begin swing location guide. 
     
     
         9 . The athletic garment of  claim 1  wherein the specific biomechanical motion is one of: swinging a baseball bat, swinging a golf club, swinging a racquet, throwing a discus, pole vaulting, throwing a javelin, weight lifting, or running. 
     
     
         10 . An athlete training system, comprising:
 an athlete attachment; and   a resistance-generating device that is configured to be removably attached to the athlete attachment such that performance of a specific biomechanical motion is controlled by the resistance-generating device when the resistance-generating device is attached to the athlete attachment.   
     
     
         11 . The athlete training system of  claim 10  further comprising a training garment that includes a sleeve wherein the resistance-generating devices is at least one of a pocket, a spoiler, a parachute that couples with the sleeve via flexible material that removably attaches to the athlete attachment, a parachute that couples with the sleeve via a rigid strut that removably attaches to the arm motion resistance attachment portion, an airfoil, a sail, a motorized fan that is driven by a motor that is self-powered with a battery, or a motorized fan that is driven by a motor that receives power from electrical conductors connected to an external power source. 
     
     
         12 . The athlete training system of  claim 10  further comprising a shoulder harness wherein the shoulder harness defines the athlete attachment;
 at least one coupling member having a first end configured to detachably couple to a swinging device attachment and a second end configured to couple to one of a shoulder portion or a chest portion of the shoulder harness, wherein the coupling member is configured to maintain a chest-to-arm position of an operator and wherein the coupling member is configured to detach from the one of the shoulder portion or the chest portion of the shoulder harness in response to a predefined amount of force being exerted during a swing motion of a swinging device to which the at least one coupling member is attached. 
 
     
     
         13 . The swing training system of  claim 10  further comprising a shoulder harness wherein the shoulder harness defines the athlete attachment and wherein the at least one coupling member is configured to removably attach to a swing device placement object and wherein the swing device placement object is removably attached to the shoulder harness. 
     
     
         14 . The swing training system of  claim 10  further comprising a shoulder harness wherein the shoulder harness defines the athlete attachment and wherein the at least one coupling member is configured to couple to a swinging device attachment at a first end of the coupling member and wherein a second end of the coupling member is configured to removably attach to the athlete attachment. 
     
     
         15 . The athletic training system of  claim 10  wherein the athlete attachment is a wristband and wherein the resistance-generating device is removably attached to the wristband with a coupling having a predetermined preload such that measurement of movement of a wearer's wrist on which the adjustable wristband is attached may be determined. 
     
     
         16 . A method for the training of an athletic swing motion, comprising:
 donning an athletic training garment that comprises:
 a front; 
 a back; 
 wherein the garment includes at least one resistance mechanism located at a predetermined location on the garment configured to provide resistance to the performance of a specific biomechanical motion of an athlete wearing the garment while training; 
 wherein the predetermined location of the at least one resistance mechanism is based on the specific biomechanical motion of the athlete; and 
 a begin-swing location guide; 
   resting a swinging device in the begin-swing location guide in preparation of performing the performance of a specific biomechanical motion; and   maintaining the swinging device in the begin-swing location guide until the athlete wearing the athletic training garment reaches an extension point while performing the specific biomechanical motion.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the specific biomechanical motion is the swinging of a baseball bat, and wherein the swinging device is the baseball bat. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the begin-swing location guide defines a three-dimensional object that further defines a groove that is configured for receiving a portion of the bat. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the begin-swing location guide defines a hemispherical portion wherein the hemispherical portion further defines a groove that is configured for receiving a portion of the bat. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the garment further comprises a sleeve and wherein the sleeve defines a begin-swing location guide attachment portion;
 wherein the specific biomechanical motion is the swinging of a baseball bat, wherein the swinging device is the baseball bat, and wherein the begin-swing location guide attachment portion and the begin-swing location guide are each configured with hook-and-loop material such that the begin-swing location guide removably attaches to the begin-swing location guide attachment portion in an optimal position for training the particular athlete wearing the garment; and wherein the begin-swing location guide is manufactured with at least one of: rubber sponge, rubber foam, expanded neoprene sponge, expanded EPDM sponge, PVC/Nitrile sponge, silicone sponge, polyurethane foam, polyethylene foam, and plastazote foam.