Swing Trainer Feedback via Ball Rotation Angle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing swing training devices for baseball and golf players lack feedback on the accuracy of ball contact, making it difficult for athletes to adjust their technique and improve their hitting skills.
Innovation Solution
A swing trainer device with a vertical and horizontal member configuration, including a swivel joint that allows the sports ball to rotate around the horizontal member, providing feedback on the location of bat impact by measuring the angle of ball spin, indicating whether the ball was hit in the center, inside, or outside.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a simple vertical and horizontal member configuration is used, then the device structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the device cannot provide feedback on ball contact accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a feedback mechanism where the ball's rotation around the horizontal member provides visual information about contact accuracy. The ball's final position and rotation angle indicate whether the bat contacted the ball centrally, inside, or outside, giving the player immediate feedback on their swing quality without complex electronic systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The ball itself serves as an intermediary that translates the abstract concept of contact accuracy into a visible physical outcome. The ball's rotation and final position act as a mediator between the player's swing and the feedback they need, converting technical swing details into an intuitive visual indicator.
2Device complexity
If no feedback mechanism is included, then the device complexity is low, but the player cannot adjust their technique to improve hitting skills
Solution Approach 1:
The device provides feedback through the ball's rotation and final position, which visually indicate contact accuracy. This feedback loop enables players to adjust their swing technique based on real-time information about their performance, significantly improving skill acquisition efficiency without requiring complex electronic or computational systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is self-evaluating through the physical interaction between the bat, ball, and horizontal member. The ball's rotation and position automatically reveal contact quality without external measurement systems, making the device self-sufficient in providing the feedback needed for skill improvement.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the ball is fixed in position, then the device is stable and easy to operate, but the player cannot evaluate where they hit the ball
Solution Approach 1:
The ball is allowed to rotate dynamically around the horizontal member during the hitting process. This dynamic movement enables the ball to reveal impact location information through its rotation angle and final position, transforming a static setup into a dynamic measurement system that captures swing quality without compromising operational stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds the rotational dimension to the ball's movement around the horizontal member. This additional degree of freedom allows the ball to encode impact location information in its rotation angle, enabling precise measurement of contact accuracy while maintaining the simplicity of the overall device structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A swing training device for baseball, softball, golf players, and potentially racquet sports players that provides feedback as to where the ball is hit. The swing training device comprises a first vertical member rigid and columnar in form connecting to a first horizontal member, being rod-like in form, at a first end. A second end of the first horizontal member comprises a ball-shaped end connecting with a swivel joint to a second vertical member. The swivel ball joint connection allows the second vertical member to rotate at an angle such that the player knows whether their hit contacted the ball in the center, or to the left or right of center, thereby allowing the player to make adjustments in their swing based on angle of rotation of the ball around the first horizontal member.