GB2039751A

GB2039751A - Apparatus for batting practice

Info

Publication number: GB2039751A
Application number: GB8001781A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1979-01-19
Filing date: 1980-01-18
Publication date: 1980-08-20
Also published as: AU5454480A

Abstract

The apparatus includes a shaft (4, 6, 8, 10) one end (13) of which is shaped to facilitate ground penetration whereby in use the shaft projects from the ground at an angle to the vertical, a ball having a flexible line (26) connected thereto and line restraining means (28) mounted on the shaft for engaging said line and fixing it at that location. The other end of the shaft is provided with guide means for receiving said line intermediate of said location and the ball, the point of engagement of the line with the line restraining means being adjustable to thereby vary the height at which the ball is suspended above the ground. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for batting practice The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which can be used for practising batting strokes for such sports as cricket, baseball, softball and the like. The specification will describe the application of the invention to cricket practice and it will be quite clear to sportsmen how it can be applied to other sports.

In practising cricket batting strokes or batting strokes it is important to have repetitive controlled delivery of the ball so that the learning batsman has an opportunity to play the stroke correctly.

Usually bowlers or pitchers of sufficient skill are unavailable to present to the learning batsman a repetitive series of similar ball deliveries for adequate and effective practice of strokes. To overcome this problem there have been reports of batsmen practising strokes on a ball attached to a string a suspended from the branch of a tree or a clothes line. Such arrangements are largely unsuitable for a number of reasons and they do not afford any effective control or adjustability of the height of the suspension point of the ball. It has been found that for effective practising of strokes the suspension point of the ball must be at least of the order of 3 to 5 metres above the ground.Further it is important that the suspending string is affixed to the top of a single shaft so that an over-hit ball will no become tangled as would be the case where the string is suspended from the branch of a tree or a clothes lines.

According to the present invention there is provided portable apparatus for batting practice said apparatus including a single elongate shaft means one end of which is shaped to facilitate ground penetration whereby in use the shaft means projects from the ground and at an angle to the vertical, a ball having a flexible line connected thereto and line restraining means mounted on the shaft means for engaging said line and fixing it at that location relative to the shaft means and wherein the other end of the shaft means is provided with line guide means for receiving said line intermediate of said location and the ball, whereby in use the ball is suspended from said other end of the shaft means by said line and wherein the point of engagement of the line with the line restraining means is adjustable to thereby vary the height at which the ball is suspended above the ground.

It will be noted that in use of the invention the shaft means is inclined at an angle to the vertical.

This is important since it pemits the ball to swing in paths which pass beneath the line guide means i.e. the suspension point without encountering the shaft means. Desirably the shaft is straight and the angle is 200 To 300 from the vertical. The user will not normally be able to accurately penetrate the shaft means into the ground so that it makes an exact angle to the vertical so that it is essential that the apparatus has means for adjusting the effective length of the line after the shaft means has been set into the ground so that the height of the ball above the ground can be adjusted.

Another important consideration is the rigidity of the shaft means. It should be sufficiently flexible so that it absorbs shock forces applied when the ball is struck but be sufficiently rigid that it does not deflect sufficiently to impart a bouncing motion in the swing of the ball or permit to ball to engage the ground when the ball is suspended a relatively small height above the ground i.e. about 4 inches which is essential for practising some cricket batting strokes. It has been found that for a shaft length in the range 3 to 5 metres and made from a medium grade of steel, the shaft preferably has a moment of inertia greater than 0.01 m4. Of course if the shaft were made from more flexible material such as aluminium a correspondingly higher moment of inertia would be required.

In the prior art it is known to provide games apparatus in which a tennis ball is suspended from a vertical stake, the ball being struck such that it swings in a path about the stake. Such apparatus is quite unsuitable for serious practising of batting strokes for such sports as cricket or baseball. The stake is too short, there are no adjustments for the effective length of the string so as to make it difficult and inconvenient to use with the stake at an angle to the vertical, and the stakes would not appear to have the correct rigidity characteristics.

The apparatus of the invention is conveniently made by forming the shaft means from a number of interconnectable segments or telescopic segments. At the site where the equipment is to be used, the segments are connected together and said one end thereof which is preferably pointed is driven into the ground so that the shaft projects at an angle of about 200 to 300 from the vertical.

The exact angle of the shaft means relative to the ground is not critical since the line can be adjusted so as to vary the height at which the ball is suspended above the ground. Thus, by arranging for adjustable fixing of the line relative to the shaft means, the height of the ball can be made independent of the inclination of the shaft means.

Further, once the equipment has been set up it is possible to periodically alter the height at which the ball is suspended above the ground again by use of the line restraining means so that the batsman practising with the equipment can vary his batting strokes. The arrangement has the advantage that the ball will continue to approach the practising batsman so that he has the opportunity to repeatedly perform a single stroke This type of practice is not normally available to a batsman since a bowler is not normally available to deliver balls with such regularity.

This invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a view of the assembled apparatus ~ of the invention; Figure 2 shows the apparatus in its disassembled state; Figure 3 illustrates a side view of one form of line restraining means; and Figure 4 ilustrates a preferred form of ground penetrating end for the shaft.

The apparatus illustrated in Figure 1 comprises an elongate shaft 2 which has a total length of the order of 4 metres. The shaft 2 is preferably made up from a number of segments and in the illustrated arrangement there are four tubular segments 4,6, 8 and 10. The segments are preferably tubular steel of 1 inch outer diameter and wall thickness of 0.036", such tubing has the required moment of inertia. The lowermost segment 4 which in use is subjected to larger stresses than the other segments may be selected to have a greater wall thickness than the other segments. The segment 4 is provided with a pointed portion 12 which is preferably of the order of 30 cms. in length. The portion 12 is preferably formed from mild steel bar approximately 1.6 cm in diameter.The free end of the portion 12 is cut at an angle A which is about 200 to the axis to form a ground penetrating point 13, as shown in Fig. 4. It has been found that the point 1 3 is most effective in penetrating hard ground when rotated and pressed into the ground.

The other end of the segment 4 is provided with a reduced diameter portion 14 which is insertable within one end of the segment 6 as seen in Fig. 2. The segments 6 and 8 in turn have reduced diameter portions 1 6 and 18 respectively which permit the segments to be connected together. The uppermost segment 10 is formed with a flattened end 20 having an eyelet 22.

The remainder of the apparatus comprises a ball 24 having a flexible cord 26 connected thereto. The ball 24 is preferably connected to the cord 26 by a swivel (not shown) to prevent the cord twisting excessively if the ball is spun. In use.

the free end of the cord 26 is passed through the eyelet 22 and affixed to a line restraining means 28 which is preferably mounted on the segment 6.

In use of the equipment, the segments are connected together and the cord is passed through the eyelet 22 and affixed to the line restraining member 28. The pointed end of the segment 4 is then firmly driven into the ground so that the shaft extends at an angle of about 450 to the vertical. The point of attachment of the cord 26 to the member 28 is then adjusted so that the ball 24 is at the appropriate height for the type of batting practice required.

Figure 3 illustrates one form of line restraining means 28. This arrangement comprises a pair of conical washers 29 riveted to the segment 6, the cord being wound about the washers.

Many modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For instance, it is not necessary that the ball 24 be a true cricket ball or baseball since perforated balls or the like could be used when harder strokes are played.

Claims

1. Portable apparatus for batting practice said apparatus including a single elongate shaft means one end of which is shaped to facilitate ground penetration whereby in use the shaft means projects from the ground and at an angle to the vertical, a ball having a flexible line connected thereto and line restraining means mounted on the shaft means for engaging said line and fixing it at that location relative to the shaft means and wherein the other end of the shaft means is provided with line guide means for receiving said line intermediate of said location and the ball, whereby in use the ball is suspended from said other end of the shaft means by said line and wherein the point of engagement of the line with the line restraining means is adjustable to thereby vary the height at which the ball is suspended above the ground.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the shaft means is 3 to 5 metres long.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claims 1 or 2 wherein the shaft means is steel and the moment of inertia is greater than 0.01 m4.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the shaft means comprises tubular steel of 1" outer diameter and wall thickness 0.036".

5. Apparatus as claimed in any preceeding claim wherein said one end of the shaft means comprises a solid rod cut at an angle of about 200 to the axis thereof.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the ball is connected to the line by a swivel.

7. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the shaft means comprises a number of interconnectible segments or telescopic segments.

8. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the line restraining means comprises at least one truncated conical washer connected to the shaft means at its truncated end.

9. Apparatus for batting practice said apparatus comprising a single straight elongate shaft means projecting from the ground at an angle of about 200 to 300 a ball having a flexible line connected thereto and line restraining means mounted on the shaft means and engaging said line to fix it at that location relative to the shaft means and wherein the other end of the shaft means is provided with line guide means which receives the line intermediate of said location and the ball whereby the ball is suspended from said other end of the shaft means by said line and wherein the point of engagement of the line with the line restraining means is adjustable to thereby vary the height at which the ball is suspended above the ground.

10. Portable apparatus for batting practice substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.