Twist-inhibiting collar for sport

Abstract

A twist-inhibiting collar for sports is disclosed. The twist-inhibiting collar includes a first surface configured to engage with an ulnar edge of a first hand of a player, and a second surface configured to engage with a radial edge of a second hand of the player, the second surface opposite the first surface. The collar also includes an aperture passing through the first surface and the second surface and defined by an interface surface that is coupled to a sport implement held by the player. The twist-inhibiting collar includes an elastomeric material. The sport implement may be a bat having a handle, and the aperture may be sized to fit the handle. The sport implement may be a golf club having a grip, and the aperture may be sized to fit the grip.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A twist-inhibiting collar for sports, comprising:
 a first surface configured to engage with an ulnar edge of a first hand of a player while holding a handle of a bat in the first hand and a second hand;   a second surface configured to engage with a radial edge of the second hand of the player while holding the handle of the bat in the first hand and a second hand and the ulnar edge of the first hand is engaged with the first surface, the second surface opposite the first surface, the first surface and the second surface separated along a central axis of the twist-inhibiting collar; and   an aperture passing through the first surface and the second surface and centered along the central axis, the aperture defined by an interface surface that connects the first surface to the second surface, the interface surface coupled to the handle of the bat held in the first hand and the second hand, the aperture sized to fit the handle of the bat,   wherein the first surface and the second surface are sized such that the first hand is entirely separated from the second hand by both the first and second surfaces while the interface surface is coupled to the handle of the bat and the player is holding the handle to swing the bat with the ulnar edge of the first hand engaged with the first surface and the radial edge of the second hand engaged with the second surface,   wherein the handle of the bat comprises a knob,   wherein the twist-inhibiting collar comprises an elastomeric material sufficiently elastic that the aperture can stretch enough to allow the knob to pass through the aperture, and   wherein at least one of the first surface and the second surface comprises a plurality of surface elements extending outward.   
     
     
         2 . The twist-inhibiting collar of  claim 1 , further comprising an internal layer that is parallel to and sandwiched between the first surface and second surface, the internal layer being composed of a material that is more rigid than the elastomeric material. 
     
     
         3 . The twist-inhibiting collar of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of surface elements are rounded bumps. 
     
     
         4 . The twist-inhibiting collar of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the twist-inhibiting collar is visible while the bat is in use, with the first hand in contact with the first surface and the second hand in contact with the second surface. 
     
     
         5 . The twist-inhibiting collar of  claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric material has a hardness of at least 30 durometer. 
     
     
         6 . The twist-inhibiting collar of  claim 1 , wherein the twist-inhibiting collar has less than 2-fold rotational symmetry with respect to the central axis passing through the aperture. 
     
     
         7 . The twist-inhibiting collar of  claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric material is porous and able to absorb a dye after manufacture. 
     
     
         8 . The twist-inhibiting collar of  claim 1 , wherein the twist-inhibiting collar is at most 3/16 inches thick measured parallel to the central axis. 
     
     
         9 . The twist-inhibiting collar of  claim 1 , wherein the twist-inhibiting collar is smaller measured parallel to the central axis than measured perpendicular to the central axis. 
     
     
         10 . The twist-inhibiting collar of  claim 1 , wherein the twist-inhibiting collar is composed entirely of the elastomeric material. 
     
     
         11 . The twist-inhibiting collar of  claim 1 , wherein the aperture is sized to couple to the handle of the bat when the handle is inside the aperture and the twist-inhibiting collar is positioned to be sandwiched between the players first and second hands while holding the handle to swing the bat. 
     
     
         12 . A method for inhibiting hand twist with a twist-inhibiting collar for sport, comprising:
 coupling the twist-inhibiting collar to a handle of a bat, the twist-inhibiting collar comprising a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and an aperture passing through the first surface and the second surface, the aperture defined by an interface surface that is coupled to the handle of the bat, the handle of the bat passing through the aperture;   gripping the handle of the bat with a first hand and a second hand, with the twist-inhibiting collar sandwiched between and in contact with the first hand and the second hand, with the first hand above the twist-inhibiting collar and having an ulnar edge in contact with the first surface, and the second hand below the twist-inhibiting collar and having a radial edge in contact with the second surface; and   swinging the bat while the twist-inhibiting collar is sandwiched between the first hand and the second hand, the contact between the first hand and the first surface and between the second hand and the second surface inhibiting a twisting of the first hand relative to the second hand.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the twist-inhibiting collar comprises an elastomeric material. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the handle of the bat comprises a knob and wherein coupling the twist-inhibiting collar to the handle comprises stretching the aperture and passing the knob through the aperture. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein swinging the bat further comprises squeezing the twist-inhibiting collar between the first hand and the second hand to increase the engagement of the first hand with the first surface and the second hand with the second surface. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the first surface and the second surface comprise a plurality of surface elements extending outward to engage with the first hand and the second hand. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the surface elements are round bumps that are smooth, and wherein the twisting of the first hand relative to the second hand is further inhibited by tactile feedback provided to the first hand and the second hand by the round bumps while swinging. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the twist-inhibiting collar is at most 3/16 inches thick measured parallel to a central axis. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the twist-inhibiting collar is smaller measured parallel to a central axis than measured perpendicular to a central axis. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein coupling the twist-inhibiting collar to the handle of the bat further comprises positioning the collar on the handle such that it will be between a player's hands when the player is swinging the bat. 
     
     
         21 . A twist-inhibiting collar for sports, comprising:
 a first surface configured to engage with an ulnar edge of a first hand of a player;   a second surface configured to engage with a radial edge of a second hand of the player, the second surface opposite the first surface; and   an aperture passing through the first surface and the second surface, the aperture defined by an interface surface that is coupled to a sport implement held in the first hand and the second hand,   wherein the twist-inhibiting collar comprises an elastomeric material.