Sports swing training system, apparatus, and method

Abstract

A swing training apparatus comprises a base section and one or both of a swing plane training section and a hip attachment section. The base section can be adapted to rest on a support surface and include a first horizontal member, a second horizontal member extending from a first side of the first horizontal member at a first end of the first horizontal member, and a third horizontal member extending from the first side of the first horizontal member at a second end of the first horizontal member opposite the first end of the first horizontal member. A batter area can be defined between the second horizontal member and the third horizontal member. The swing training apparatus can be configurable with a swing plane training section and/or a hip attachment training section.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A baseball batter swing training system comprising:
 a base section adapted to rest on a support surface, the base section including:
 a first horizontal member, 
 a second horizontal member extending from a first side of the first horizontal member at a first end of the first horizontal member, and 
 a third horizontal member extending from the first side of the first horizontal member at a second end of the first horizontal member opposite the first end of the first horizontal member, 
 wherein a batter area is defined between the second horizontal member and the third horizontal member; 
   a swing plane training section including:
 a vertical member extending vertically from the first horizontal member of the base section between the first and second ends of the first horizontal member, and 
 a fourth horizontal member extending from the vertical member in a direction of the batter area; and 
   a hip attachment training section including an angled member extending at an angle from the first horizontal member of the base section between the first and second ends of the first horizontal member, the angled member extending at the angle in the direction of the batter area,   wherein the angled member of the hip attachment training section is closer to the third horizontal member than the vertical member and the fourth horizontal member of the swing plane training section are to the third horizontal member.   
     
     
         2 . The baseball batter swing training system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the second horizontal member extends perpendicularly from the first horizontal member, and   wherein the third horizontal member extends either perpendicularly or at an obtuse angle from the first horizontal member.   
     
     
         3 . The baseball batter swing training system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the baseball batter swing training system is ambidextrous and configurable for left-hand and right-hand batters,   wherein the vertical member of the swing plane training section is adapted to be rotated toward the batter area and have the fourth horizontal member removed to convert to the hip attachment training section, and   wherein the angled member of the hip attachment training section is adapted to be rotated away from the batter area so as to be vertical and to have the removed fourth horizontal member provided thereon so as to extend therefrom in the direction of the batter area to convert to the swing plane training section.   
     
     
         4 . The baseball batter swing training system according to  claim 1 , wherein the fourth horizontal member is rotatable in either direction from perpendicular to the first horizontal member of the base section in an overhead plan view of the baseball batter swing training system. 
     
     
         5 . The baseball batter swing training system according to  claim 1 , wherein the fourth horizontal member is adjustable in a height direction along a length of the vertical member. 
     
     
         6 . The baseball batter swing training system according to  claim 1 , wherein the vertical member of the swing plane training section is slidably adjustable along at least a portion of a length of the first horizontal member. 
     
     
         7 . The baseball batter swing training system according to  claim 1 , wherein the angled member of the hip attachment training section is slidably adjustable along at least a portion of a length of the first horizontal member. 
     
     
         8 . A method comprising:
 providing a swing training apparatus including:
 a base section adapted to rest on a support surface, the base section including:
 a first horizontal member, 
 a second horizontal member extending from a first side of the first horizontal member at a first end of the first horizontal member, and 
 a third horizontal member extending from the first side of the first horizontal member at a second end of the first horizontal member opposite the first end of the first horizontal member, 
 wherein a batter area is defined between the second horizontal member and the third horizontal member; and 
 
 a swing plane training section including:
 a vertical member extending vertically from the first horizontal member of the base section between the first and second ends of the first horizontal member, and 
 a fourth horizontal member extending from the vertical member in a direction of the batter area, 
 
   wherein the vertical member is closer to the second horizontal member than the third horizontal member,   wherein the second horizontal member extends perpendicularly from the first horizontal member, and   wherein the third horizontal member extends either perpendicularly or at an obtuse angle from the first horizontal member.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising adjusting the swing plane training section based on size and/or skill level of a batter using the swing training apparatus. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the swing training apparatus further includes a hip attachment training section having an angled member extending at an angle from the first horizontal member of the base section between the first and second ends of the first horizontal member, the angled member extending at the angle in the direction of the batter area. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising adjusting the hip attachment training section based on size and/or skill level of a batter using the swing training apparatus. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising electronically capturing swing data during use of the swing training apparatus. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 8 ,
 wherein the swing training apparatus is ambidextrous and configurable for left-hand and right-hand batters, and   wherein the vertical member of the swing plane training section is repositionable along a length of the first horizontal member to be positioned closer to the third horizontal member than the second horizontal member to change handedness.   
     
     
         14 . A swing training apparatus comprising:
 a base section adapted to rest on a support surface, the base section including:
 a first horizontal member, 
 a second horizontal member extending from a first side of the first horizontal member at a first end of the first horizontal member, and 
 a third horizontal member extending from the first side of the first horizontal member at a second end of the first horizontal member opposite the first end of the first horizontal member, 
   wherein a batter area is defined between the second horizontal member and the third horizontal member,   wherein the swing training apparatus is configurable with a swing plane training section and/or a hip attachment training section,   wherein the swing plane training section includes:
 a vertical member extending vertically from the first horizontal member of the base section between the first and second ends of the first horizontal member, and 
 a fourth horizontal member extending from the vertical member in a direction of the batter area, and 
   wherein the hip attachment training section includes an angled member extending at an angle from the first horizontal member of the base section between the first and second ends of the first horizontal member, the angled member extending at the angle in the direction of the batter area.   
     
     
         15 . The swing training apparatus according to  claim 14 ,
 wherein the second horizontal member extends perpendicularly from the first horizontal member, and   wherein the third horizontal member extends either perpendicularly or at an obtuse angle from the first horizontal member.   
     
     
         16 . The swing training apparatus according to  claim 14 ,
 wherein the swing training system is ambidextrous and configurable for left-hand and right-hand batters,   wherein the vertical member of the swing plane training section is adapted to be rotated toward the batter area and have the fourth horizontal member removed to convert to the hip attachment training section, and   wherein the angled member of the hip attachment training section is adapted to be rotated away from the batter area so as to be vertical and to have the removed fourth horizontal member provided thereon so as to extend therefrom in the direction of the batter area to convert to the swing plane training section.   
     
     
         17 . The swing training apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the fourth horizontal member is adjustable in a height direction along a length of the vertical member. 
     
     
         18 . The swing training apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the angled member of the hip attachment training section is adjustable so as to change an angle thereof relative to the support surface. 
     
     
         19 . The swing training apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the first horizontal member is longer than each of the second horizontal member and the third horizontal member. 
     
     
         20 . The swing training apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the swing training apparatus is adapted to be operational with moving baseballs provided at unknown planes prior to pitching.