As a hitter in baseball, there are not many things more important than your bat speed. With pitchers throwing faster then ever, it is crucial to be able to swing the bat as efficiently and effectively as possible.
This is where Tim Brown is trying to change the game with a new hitting knob. He is a pipefitter by day, but an inventor by night, and has always had a strong passion for baseball that has been a life-long obsession. This isn’t even going to be his first baseball invention. His first baseball invention was a catchers glove that protects the hand from the impact of the ball.
Before developing the Hitting Knob, Tim researched a fundamental question.
“What does a doughnut have to do with baseball?”
It seems simple. Everyone uses a doughnut in all levels of baseball because the prevailing wisdom was it speed’s up your swing when you shed the excess weight on the bat.
Tim disagrees.
After researching articles that address this fact that, his studies have shown adding weight (doughnut, sleeve, etc.) to the barrel of a baseball/softball bat actually decreases the hitters bat speed once the weight was removed. Tim was inspired to find a solution, so he went into his garage where he likes to tinker and invent.
Tim went through many iterations, the first few prototypes were made from materials that he was familiar with at his pipefitting job. He began to cut and grind at night until he developed a basic product that proved his theory; seven prototypes later.
The main idea was to develop a device to keep the the hands of hitters inside the ball while assisting the batter in throwing the knob of the bat at the baseball. This would directly force the hands to and through the baseball/softball, ultimately increasing a player’s bat speed, while creating the proper hitting mechanics through muscle memory.
Adding weight to the knob of the bat rather than the barrel was the solution; thus the “Hitting Knob.“
The “Hitting Knob” can be used in every aspect of the training game (i.e., on deck circle, tee work and soft toss); or, its most unique purpose, during live batting practice, which simulates the most authentic hitting experience.The body and mind react differently to a ball in motion (being delivered/pitched) opposed to a stationary ball (tee work). The “Hitting Knob” is trying to differentiate itself from other hitting aides on the market today by its placement on the bat, creating increased bat speed, while being able to be used during a live hitting experience.
Brown also plans to implement an improved internal latch mechanism in these Kickstarter production units. The goal of this is to allow the Knob Weight to fit nearly all baseball and softball bats on the market, while still being easy and intuitive to install and remove. A cross-section of the proposed production latching mechanism is shown below (springs are not shown for the latch arm and pressure plate ramp):
Brown has joined forces with Dr. Danny Codd, an MIT Mechanical Engineer who has been responsible for designging high-volume consumer products before, to assist him in taking his idea through the research and development cycle into commercialization.
The Kickstarter project ends November 6th, so head on over there if this is a project you want to see taken off the ground! It is definitely something we at SportTechie will keep an eye on as the idea continues to progress.
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You can donate to Tim’s project on Kickstarter by clicking here and check out the Hitting Knob website here.