A swing trainer balance block apparatus for improving balance during swing training includes a foot board having a board top side, a board bottom side, a board front side, a board back side, a board left side, and a board right side. The board top side receives a portion of a user's foot. A base support is coupled to the foot board. The base support is coupled to the board bottom side and is elastically deformable to create instability in the foot board. One swing trainer balance block apparatus is used beneath each of the user's feet to stimulate stabilizer muscles while practicing swinging a baseball bat or a golf club.

A method is provided for preventing back injuries related to sport motions or swings that includes setting an attachment height of a distal end of an elastic of a warmup and training device, the attachment height set to define an angle α backwards from vertical above center of a practice motion specific to a sport to be practiced, attaching a handle to a proximal end of the elastic where a type of the handle corresponds to the sporting activity to be performed, performing the practice motion while holding the handle and stretching the elastic, and returning to the beginning of the practice motion to repeat the activity.

A baseball or softball alignment training device comprising a first leg having a general length and having a first end at one end of the general length and a second end at the distal end opposite from said first end. A second leg having a general length and having a first end at one end of the general length and a second end at the distal and opposite from said first end. Aa first hinge member carried by the second end of said first leg. The first hinge member having a first abutment edge. The second hinge member carried by the second end of the second leg. The second hinge member having a second abutment edge. The first and second hinge members pivotally interconnected and wherein the first abutment edge of the first hinge member abuts the second abutment edge of the second hinge member at a position wherein the first leg and the second leg are perpendicular to each other forming a right angle.

Articles, kits, and methods for enabling an individual to improve their top-hand grasp of a handled object, such as a baseball bat. An article has an arcuate inner portion having a groove that extends along a length thereof, configured to reversibly engage the handled object. The article also has an irregular outer portion with a thumb support that arcuately extends from the irregular outer portion, configured to reversibly engage the individual's top-hand. During use of the article in a method of the invention, the article enables the individual to grasp the handled object with the fingers of their top-hand, rather than the palm and thumb of their top-hand, to improve acceleration, velocity, precision, accuracy, and form of the individual's swing when the article is not used, as well as improved safety and consistent grip technique when it is used.

A method of customizing a golf club, wherein the method includes generating operating data representative of a user operating a mechanical device. The operating data is generated by a first sensor sized and configured to be removably positioned in a mounting port formed on the mechanical device during operation of the mechanical device. The sensor is interchangeably positionable in the mounting port with at least one mass insert, the at least one mass insert being adapted to be interchangeably positioned in the mounting to provide at least two different mass configurations. The method further includes determining a recommended configuration of the at least one mass insert specific to the user based on the operating data generated by the sensor, and transmitting information representative of the recommended mass insert.

A method for improving a player's performance, such as reaction time or swing time by measuring the time it takes a player to change from a load position to a swing position where the player's bat makes contact with the ball when presented with a stimulus emitted from a timer. This method measures the time elapsed by utilizing a timer that configured to emit a stimulus, such as an audible sound, receive an external stimulus, such as the sound of the player's bat making contact with the ball, record the time elapsed, and present the time on a display.

A device (10) for training a batter for a baseball or softball game has a body (12) that is fitted to the arm of the user, parallel to the humerus bone. A slot (30) on an outer surface of the device body is sized and adapted to receive a shaft portion of a user's bat, at an oblique angle to the humerus bone. The device trains the user to keep the shaft of the bat close to an upper portion of the user's arm below the shoulder and above the elbow. The device also trains the user to employ a rotation of the torso and hips to induce a moment of rotational inertia in the bat, causing the bat to be pulled out of the slot and into a swing plane.

A baseball pitching machine that is configured to precisely index and spin a baseball before pitching the baseball. The machine comprises a baseball spinner and launcher that is configured to spin the baseball using at least one spindle, and then launch or pitch the ball using air (i.e., pneumatic). Preferably, the position of the ball spinner and launcher can be adjusted in terms of position in both the x and y directions (i.e., both side to side, and up and down), as well as its angle. The baseball pitching machine is configured to be controllable such that pitches (in terms of type, location and velocity) can be changed on a pitch-by-pitch basis.

A training device includes an adjustable and free-standing base, a rod affixed to the base and extended upward therefrom, a first coupling attached to a distal end of the rod, a swivel arm attached to the first coupling and extended vertically downward relative to the rod, a gripping implement connected to the swivel arm and being configured to support a distal end of a baseball/softball bat at an elevated pre-swing position, and a second coupling attached to the gripping implement and extended along a curvilinear path terminating beneath the gripping implement, wherein the second coupling further supports the baseball/softball bat. The gripping implement is configured to freely swing about a bottom end of the swivel arm and detachably receive a hitting end of the baseball/softball bat.

A baseball grip training device is provided for use with a baseball bat, comprising a base adapted to contact a bat grip, wherein the base includes one or more shaped surfaces adapted to receive one or more of an index finger and a middle finger of a user; a retaining member extending from the base shaped to surround one or more of the index finger and the middle finger of the user; and a bat contacting surface adapted to contact the bat grip, wherein the bat contacting surface and the shaped surfaces are separated by a predetermined distance to lift the index finger and the middle finger of the user away from the bat grip sufficient to place greater reliance on the remaining fingers to hold the bat grip during a swing of the bat. The device is preferably constructed from a resilient material.