Baseball batting stance training mat and assembly

Abstract

The present invention provides a baseball batting stance training mat and assembly. The assembly essentially comprises a stance training mat for placement upon a baseball field or similar other playing field and at least one rearward foot-receiving cuff for removable or breakaway attachment to the stance training mat. The stance training mat essentially comprises two distinct zones, namely, a stance zone and a plate-alignment zone. The plate alignment zone comprises a zone vacancy for receiving a selected lateral half of a home plate. When a left-handed mat and a right-handed mat are used in tandem with one another, the mats form an hourglass-shaped batter's box type arrangement. Each stance zone may comprise a plurality of foot print indicia. The cuff is removably attached adjacent select rearward foot print indicia and is designed for breakaway from the stance training mat in the event of a cuff-removing force.

Description

PRIOR HISTORY [0001] This application is a continuation-in-part patent application claiming priority to pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 746,746, filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Dec. 24, 2003.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention generally relates to a training device for improving a baseball player's skills. More particularly, the present invention relates to a training mat for improving a baseball player's batting stance while positioned within a so-called, “batter's box.” The present invention thus provides users with means to improve upon a baseball player's batting skills by developing proper batting stance technique. [0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art [0005] The key to being successful as an offensive baseball player is the ability to successfully hit or make proper contact with pitched or positioned baseballs. The ability to successfully hit a baseball begins with proper balance at ho...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0019] Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide left and right mat zones aligned laterally opposite a home plate zone wherein the left and right mat zones each comprise foot print indicia defined by forward foot markers and rearward foot markers. In this regard, it is an object of the present invention to provide rearward foot markers that comprise structure for receiving a breakaway foot-receiving cuff. It is thus a further object of the present invention to provide a foot-receiving cuff designed to properly position the rearward foot, while providing breakaway attachment means for detaching the cuff from the stance training mat in a breakaway manner so as to prevent unfortunate injury to the user should sufficient cuff-removing forces be present during a batting swing.

[0021] The zone vacancy functions to receive the select home plate half. Together, the plate-alignment zone and the medial dividing axis form a trapezoidally shaped zone adjacent the stance zone. The upper mat surface comprises certain surface indicia, including rearward foot placement indicia and forward foot placement indicia. The rearward foot placement indicia comprise distinct markings, each distinct marking being formed in the shape of a footprint. The foot placement indicia function to guide a user's feet into stance placement. The rearward foot-retaining means are cooperatively associated with the distinct markings for retaining the user's rearward foot in superior adjacency to a select distinct marking. The guided user's feet thus become properly positioned for improving the user's batting stance.

Problems solved by technology

It is also noted, however, that younger baseball players often practice unsupervised.

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