Sports training device

Abstract

A sports training device is provided for use with hand held sporting equipment of the type including an elongated shaft portion. The sports training device includes an elongated hollow tubular body having an inside wall, open first and second ends communicating with the hollow of the body, and an outer gripping surface. The nominal dimension of the inside wall is contemplated to be greater than a maximum outer dimension of the elongated shaft, so that the tubular body is capable of fitting over the end of the shaft and of moving both longitudinally along the shaft and rotationally around the shaft. The outer hand-gripping surface includes dimensional contours extending longitudinally along the outer surface of the body for promoting hand grip and proper hand position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sports training device to be used with hand held sporting equipment of the type including an elongated shaft, the sports training device comprising:
 an elongated hollow tubular body having an inside wall, open first and second ends communicating with the hollow of the body, and an outer gripping surface,   the nominal dimension of the inside wall being greater than a maximum outer dimension of the elongated shaft, such that the tubular body fits over the elongated shaft and may move longitudinally along the shaft and rotationally around the shaft, and   the outer hand-gripping surface having dimensional contours longitudinally extending along the outer surface for promoting hand grip.   
     
     
         2 . The sports training device of  claim 1 , wherein the inside wall is cylindrical and the openings at the first and second ends are circular 
     
     
         3 . The sports training device of  claim 1 , wherein the inside wall has uniform dimension along the longitudinal length of the device. 
     
     
         4 . The sports training device of  claim 1 , wherein the dimensional contours of the outer gripping surface comprises a plurality of longitudinally extending flat surfaces and plurality of ridges positioned there between. 
     
     
         5 . The sports training device of  claim 4 , wherein adjacent flat surfaces within the plurality of flat surfaces are positioned at an acute angle with respect to one another to form the ridges. 
     
     
         6 . The sports training device of  claim 4 , wherein the dimensional contours of the outer gripping surface form a hexagonal cross section. 
     
     
         7 . The sports training device of  claim 4 , wherein the dimensional contours of the outer gripping surface form an octagonal cross section. 
     
     
         8 . The sports training device on  claim 4 , wherein two flat surfaces are each separated by a curved ridge section. 
     
     
         9 . The sports training device of  claim 1 , wherein the elongate tubular body is rigid. 
     
     
         10 . The sports training device of  claim 1 , wherein the sporting equipment is selected from the group consisting of an ice hockey stick, a field hockey stick and a lacrosse stick. 
     
     
         11 . The sports training device of  claim 1 , wherein the dimensional contours of the outer gripping surface comprise a tapered portion positioned between the first and second outer ends, and wherein the outside diameter of the first and second outer ends is greater than the outside diameter at the tapered portion. 
     
     
         12 . The sports training device of  claim 11 , wherein the respective outside diameters of the outer ends are equal. 
     
     
         13 . The sports training device of  claim 11 , wherein the outer surface smoothly transitions along the longitudinal length of the body between the outer ends and the tapered portion. 
     
     
         14 . The sports training device of  claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the outer surface undulates along the longitudinal length of the body, forming at least one bulbous portion with at least one tapered section positioned adjacent thereto. 
     
     
         15 . A sports training device to be used with hand held sporting equipment of the type including an elongated shaft, the sports training device comprising:
 an elongated hollow tubular body having a cylindrical inside wall, open first and second ends communicating with the hollow of the body, and an outer gripping surface,   the nominal dimension of the inside wall being greater than a maximum outer dimension of the elongated shaft of the hand-held sporting equipment, the tubular body freely fitting around the elongated shaft, such that the device may be moved longitudinally along the shaft and rotationally around the shaft, and   the outer hand-gripping surface having dimensional contours longitudinally extending along the outer surface comprising a plurality of longitudinally extending flat surfaces positioned at an acute angle with respect to one another and plurality of ridges positioned formed at the intersection of the adjacent flat surfaces.   
     
     
         16 . The sports training device of  claim 15 , wherein the dimensional contours of the outer gripping surface form an octagonal cross section. 
     
     
         17 . A sports training device to be used with hand held sporting equipment of the type including an elongated shaft, the sports training device comprising:
 an elongated hollow tubular body having an inside wall, open first and second ends communicating with the hollow of the body, and an outer gripping surface,   the nominal dimension of the inside wall being greater than a maximum outer dimension of the elongated shaft of the hand-held sporting equipment, the tubular body freely fitting around the elongated shaft, such that the device may be moved longitudinally along the shaft and rotationally around the shaft, and   the outer hand-gripping surface having dimensional contours positioned along the outer surface comprising at least two expanded portions with tapered section positioned adjacent thereto.   
     
     
         18 . The sports training device of  claim 17 , wherein the tapered section is positioned between the two expanded portions, and wherein the expanded portions are respectively positioned adjacent first and second outer ends 
     
     
         19 . The sports training device of  claim 18 , wherein the outside diameter of the two expanded portions are equal. 
     
     
         20 . The sports training device of  claim 17 , wherein the of the outer surface undulates along the longitudinal length of the body, the expanded portions forming at least two bulbous portions, and further comprising a second tapered section positioned adjacent to one outside end.