TWO-FINGER GLOVE WITH EMBEDDED PALM SPACER FOR THROWING AN OBJECT

FIELD

[0001]The present invention is a sports training tool that aids the action of throwing a baseball to increase the velocity and spin rate of said baseball as it travels through the air. The apparatus is designed primarily for a hand throwing a baseball, but can be applied to a football, softball, or any object that is released from the fingers and requires a certain level of rotation (spin rate-the speed at which an object rotates) and velocity (speed at which an object travels) to move through the air. The scope of the application described in the preceding images and following paragraphs is applied to a baseball thrower.

BACKGROUND

[0002]After playing division 1 baseball for 3 years, and professional baseball for 6 years, all the way up to Major League Baseball, I noticed how the best throwers of a baseball held the ball before release. I was not doing it their way.

[0003]Ever since I was a little kid, I formed a habit of gripping the baseball “white knuckled” (gripping it too tight to where blood rushes away from the tips of fingers or knuckles). I would push the baseball into my palm, creating ball to palm contact, and then I would release the ball.

[0004]This habit causes many issues. Firstly, it did not allow the spin rate (how fast the ball rotates along a specific axis through the air) to reach its full potential. This is due to an increase in friction upon release due to excessive palm to ball surface contact. In other words, the ball scrapes along the palm as it's leaving the hand. Secondly, gripping the ball deep into the palm slows down the velocity of said baseball, which is also due to the contact to the palm, resulting in unwanted friction. Thirdly, an object held deeper into the palm allows for more grip force to be applied, which leads to tightened forearm muscles when throwing (due to flexed forearm muscles from gripping the ball “white knuckled”). This locks the hand and forearm muscles, not allowing the smaller muscles to operate in their quick twitch function, and thus hindering the thrower's arm speed. It is also known and proven that tight forearm muscles result in injury as well. Lastly, burying the baseball into my palm, and gripping it so tight caused my middle finger, which is longer and covers more of the ball than my index finger, to take over at release. This caused me to throw the ball with “cut”. Which means the baseball won't travel straight through the air. For me, I was a lefty, so my “cut” ball meant it went to the right. Many times, the ball cut directionally way more to the right than I had hoped. This was because my middle finger was taking over.

[0005]I needed to solve the problem that I had with my natural way of gripping. I needed less friction upon release, higher velocity, more relaxed forearm muscles, and less cut on the ball.

[0006]Collegiate Division 1 baseball was the first time I saw how elite throwers held the ball. It didn't stop as I leveled up the ranks in professional baseball either. These guys held the baseball like an egg, gently cradled in the nest of the index finger, middle finger, and thumb, not touching the palm at all. It was amazing. There was so much space between their palm and the ball itself. I said to myself, “there's got to be something to help this issue I've faced my whole life, I know I'm not the only one”. I had also heard from a former collegiate and NFL quarterback say it is vital for him to hold the ball in his fingertips prior to release, and how he wanted to see space in between his palm and the football. This further confirmed what I already knew to be a problem. The idea for this apparatus came several years later after I had already made my debut into the Major Leagues.

[0007]I was in Triple A playing in Salt Lake City, Utah. As a position player, I am very familiar with U.S. Pat. No. 11,701,569, the ProHitter. I used it for hitting myself off and on during my pro ball career. I had one in my possession with me at the stadium that day. I placed it on my hand and attempted to use it for throwing the baseball, considering it could possibly place the ball in the hand like I knew was optimal. However, the design and use of U.S. Pat. No. 11,701,569 is not compatible with the action of throwing and does not provide the adequate space and position needed for the placement of a ball in the hand for proper grip and release of a baseball. The design of U.S. Pat. No. 11,701,569 thumb ring slides off the thumb, twists around, and is incapable of maintaining a proper position when the torque of the hand is realized in the action of throwing a baseball. Also, the longitudinal dimensions of the cushion material do not reach far enough towards the palm, as it covers primarily the webbing between the thumb and index finger, since a big purpose of the U. S U.S. Pat. No. 11,701,569 is to add a layer of padding between the webbing of the hand and the bat to cushion the impact of the bat on the hand when hitting a baseball. That was the time I decided to take things into my own hands, and design something myself that forced me out of this bad habit which was causing so many limitations and problems with my throwing of the baseball.

SUMMARY

[0008]Using my professional sport experience, and close team around me, I have landed on a minimal and functional design for fixing this issue that players face in the action of the throwing and releasing of an object that requires spin and velocity from their fingertips.

[0009]The present invention is a two-finger glove with an embedded palm spacer for throwing a baseball optimally.

[0010]The glove holding the spacer in place does not extend upwards to cover the Distal Interphalangeal joint (DIP) or the Proximal Interphalangeal joint (PIP) of the fingers. But only extends to cover the proximal phalanxes of the thumb and index finger.

[0011]The glove extends down the back of the hand only covering approximately 40% of the skin on the back of the hand. Percentages vary depending on the size of the hand.

[0012]On the palm side, the glove's edge is tailored vertically downward between the index and middle finger, then slightly curved in a bulge to cover the extending spacer, then extends down to the wrist strap.

[0013]This allows for the most skin to ball surface area contact so the thrower can feel the object with their own skin and move freely with minimal hindrances with the hand's muscles and joints. This is accomplished all while maintaining a secure and specifically placed spacer embedded within the palm.

[0014]Embedded into the palm side of the glove is an oblong 3-Dimensional pressure absorbing spacer, which can be compared to a dense cushion foam, where there is approximately 1 centimeter of give when 25 pounds of pressure is applied, and always retains its original oblong 3D shape after force is applied and released. The glove has openings only for the index finger and thumb, covering a minimal amount of skin.

[0015]The specific location of the spacer is on the palm side of the metacarpals on the throwing hand. The spacer's height is from the bottom of the metacarpophalangeal joints, dropping down approximately 1 inch to the top of the thumb muscle. The spacer then extends from the radial side edge of the hand towards the ulnar side of the throwing hand, making an oblong 3D shape creating space between the ball and the palm side metacarpals of the throwing hand. The length of the spacer is dependent on youth and adult sizes. A variant of approximately 20% in scale.

[0016]The spacer is held in place by a two-holed glove, with openings only for the thumb and index finger and secured by a wrist strap comprised of a hook and loop mechanism.

[0017]This reduces palm to ball contact, thus limiting friction upon release, increasing spin rate of the ball (how fast a ball rotates in the air), and increasing velocity of the ball. This also reduces the ability to grip the ball as firmly, reducing risk of injury, increasing arm speed of the thrower, as well as reducing the potential of any one finger taking control.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018]FIG. 1 is a right-handed, palm side, flat lay view of the glove without the hand.

[0019]FIG. 2 is a right-handed, dorsal side (back of the hand), flat lay view of the glove without the hand.

[0020]FIG. 3 is a right-handed, dorsal side view of the glove with the right hand inserted into the glove.

[0021]FIG. 4 is a right-handed, palm side view of the glove with the right hand inserted into the glove.

[0022]FIG. 5 is a right-handed, radial side view of the glove with the right hand inserted into the glove.

[0023]FIG. 6 is the inside depiction from the ulnar (little finger) side, of the right-handed glove and spacer with the glove unfastened, without the hand inserted into the glove.

[0024]FIG. 7 is the depiction of the thumb side (radial side) of the right-handed glove and spacer, with the glove unfastened, without the hand inserted into the glove.

[0025]FIG. 8 is an inside-out view of the right-handed glove with a clear view of the embedded 3-Dimensional oblong spacer.

[0026]FIG. 9 is a right-handed, dorsal side view of the glove with a hand inserted gripping a baseball.

[0027]FIG. 10 is a right-handed, radial side view of the glove with a hand inserted gripping a baseball.

[0028]FIG. 11 is a right-handed, palm side view of the glove with a hand inserted gripping a baseball.

[0029]The apparatus described in FIGS. 1-11 is subject to slightly differing forms. The purpose with the detailed design description is not to limit the invention to the exact, particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the invention is intended to cover all equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the said claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030]The reference FIGS. 1-11 show a right-handed glove. FIGS. 3-5 show a right hand inserted into the right-handed glove. FIGS. 9-11 show a right hand inserted into a right-handed glove holding a baseball. A left-handed glove is not depicted in the figures or detailed description, as it seemed redundant to include images and descriptions of the same design and function, only difference being the left-handed thumb and index openings are suited to fit a left hand. With that being said, we felt the need to mention that a left-handed glove will be used for a left-handed thrower.

[0031]The glove body is constructed with a thin (less than a millimeter in thickness), lite (less than 50 grams/square meter), 4 way stretch material, comprising of two finger hole openings, a wrist strap FIG. 7—NO. 4 which fastens and unfastens at its hook and loop mechanism FIG. 7—NO. 4a, and an embedded spacer at the palm side metacarpal region of the index, middle, and ring fingers FIGS. 4 AND 6. The index finger is inserted into the top hole opening FIG. 1—NO. 1, as well as the thumb into its side hole opening FIG. 1—NO. 2. The glove is then fastened at its hook and loop mechanism FIG. 3—NOS. 3 and 5 securing firmly the glove and spacer into its optimal place on the palm side of the hand FIG. 4—NO. 3. The embedded spacer itself FIG. 4—NO. 3 has dimensions of approximately 1 inch in height FIG. 8—NO. 3b, 1.75 inches in length FIG. 8—NO. 3a, and 0.5 inches in thickness FIG. 6—NO. 3c. The said spacer is subject to slight changes in shape and design. However, the approximations mentioned in the length, width, and thickness are placing an accurate scope of the best spacer to aid the most optimal release of a baseball for the increased spin-rate and velocity of the baseball. The surface area of the said spacer approximately covers the index, middle, and ring metacarpal region of the palm. The length of the embedded spacer is subject to approximately a 20% increase or decrease depending on small, medium, large, or extra-large sizing ratios. FIG. 4—NO. 4 shows the necessary bulge in the tailoring of the glove to hold the spacer in the area needed to create optimal space between the palm and ball. FIG. 1—NO. 6 shows perforation holes to help cool the hand by letting air flow to the hand while the glove is being worn. FIG. 3—NO. 4 AND FIG. 4—NO. 4 show the dorsal and palm side tailoring of the glove respectively coming down from the metaphalangeal joint of the index and middle finger ultimately meeting the wrist strap at the wrist crease. This allows the uncovered metaphalangeal joints and muscles of the middle, ring, and small finger on the hand to move free of the glove's restriction. The length of the glove's dorsal and palm side lining is subject to approximately a 20% increase or decrease depending on small, medium, large, or extra-large sizing ratios. FIG. 4—NOS. 1a AND 2a show how the glove's finger openings do not extend to cover the proximal and distal interphalangeal joints of the thumb and index finger. This allows the thrower to feel the ball with his/her own skin FIG. 10—NOS. 5a AND 5b, without the glove's material getting in between, as well as not hindering the movement and flexibility of said joints and muscles. The palm side of the glove's ergonomics while holding a baseball is shown in FIG. 11. The ball is gripped with 2 fingers as seen in FIG. 9, but the length of the spacer is adequate to accommodate for various types of grips on a baseball. FIG. 11—NO. 3 AND FIG. 10—NO. 5 show how the baseball sits on top of the spacer in the thrower's hand, enforcing the proper space between the palm and the baseball for optimal position prior to release. The hook and loop strap FIG. 3—NOS. 3 AND 5 depict the fastening mechanism that securely keeps the glove on. The glove is fastened at the wrist crease, specifically because it is a large joint of movement. Fastening a strap around the webbing of the index finger and thumb and wrapping around the back of the hand horizontally to cover the small finger's (pinkie) muscles would greatly limit the muscle flexion capability of the hand which occurs during the process of gripping and throwing a baseball, and would cause the apparatus to be vulnerable to sliding out of position or slipping off completely. For this reason, the glove is constructed to be fastened and to be concluded at the wrist crease.