Patent Application
20250018268
Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to sports. More specifically, embodiments of the disclosure relate to an apparatus and methods for providing training for pickleball, tennis, smashball, paddle tennis, ping pong, or racquetball.
Pickleball typically is played on a badminton-sized court with a tennis-like net, using a perforated plastic hollow ball. The ball is struck by players using pickleball paddles that resemble large table tennis paddles. Pickleball paddles generally are made from wood, graphite, aluminum, carbon fiber, fiberglass, composite materials, and other suitable materials. They often have a polypropylene or foam core. A difficulty associated with games such as pickleball and other similar paddleball sports is they require access to a court. Given that time spent practicing translates directly into improved skills during gameplay, players lacking access to a court are denied an opportunity to practice enough to develop their skills. What is needed, therefore, is an apparatus and methods that enable players to practice paddleball sports, such as pickleball, without relying on first gaining access to a game court.
A paddleball training apparatus and methods are provided for practicing pickleball, tennis, smashball, paddle tennis, ping pong, or racquetball in absence of a court. The paddleball training apparatus comprises a rectangular box having a front end and a rear end. A top playing surface includes holes for receiving balls hit by players while an undersurface allows the balls to roll inside the box toward a ball trough adjacent to the rear end. A net indicator displayed on the top playing surface between a first hole and a second hole represents the location of a net over which players must hit balls to score game points. The first hole is closest to the front end represents a ball that falls short of passing over the net. The second hole is just beyond the net indicator and represents an ideal shot wherein the ball was hit just over the net. Third and fourth holes are farther from the net indicator and can have increasing diameters and represent diminishing scores.
In an exemplary embodiment, a paddleball training apparatus comprises: a rectangular box having a front end and a rear end; a top playing surface including holes for receiving balls; an undersurface that allows balls to roll inside the box; and a ball trough for collecting the balls.
In another exemplary embodiment, the paddleball training apparatus further comprises at least one ball and at least one paddle for hitting the ball onto the top playing surface. In another exemplary embodiment, the box is made from wood, or any other suitable material without limitation. In another exemplary embodiment, the holes have diameters suitable for receiving pickleballs that are hit by players that are standing at a distance from the front end. In another exemplary embodiment, the holes have different diameters so as to vary the difficulty of hitting balls into the holes.
In another exemplary embodiment, the holes comprise a first hole, a second hole, a third hole, and a fourth hole. In another exemplary embodiment, a net indicator is displayed between the first hole and the second hole. In another exemplary embodiment, the first hole is disposed closest to the front end and configured to represent a ball hit by a player that falls short of passing over a net represented by the net indicator. In another exemplary embodiment, the first hole is configured to be associated with a negative score. In another exemplary embodiment, the second hole is disposed just beyond the net indicator and configured to represent an ideal shot wherein the ball was hit just over the net. In another exemplary embodiment, the second hole is configured to be associated with a maximal positive score.
In another exemplary embodiment, the third hole and the fourth hole have diameters that are larger than the diameter of the first hole and the diameter of the second hole. In another exemplary embodiment, the third hole is configured to be associated with a positive score that is less than the maximal positive score. In another exemplary embodiment, the fourth hole is configured to be associated with a positive score that is less than the positive score associated with the third hole. In another exemplary embodiment, the diameter of the fourth hole is larger than the diameter of the third hole.
In another exemplary embodiment, the ball trough is disposed adjacent to the rear end. In another exemplary embodiment, the ball trough is configured to capture balls rolling inside the box. In another exemplary embodiment, multiple depressions are disposed in the bottom of the ball trough. In another exemplary embodiment, the depressions are configured to prevent the balls from rolling around in the ball trough as their number increases. In another exemplary embodiment, the paddleball training apparatus further comprises a foot that is fixed to the undersurface to raise the front end and cause the balls to roll toward the ball trough.
These and other features of the concepts provided herein may be better understood with reference to the drawings, description, and appended claims.
The drawings refer to embodiments of the present disclosure in which:
While the present disclosure is subject to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. The present disclosure should be understood to not be limited to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.
In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, to one of ordinary skill in the art that the paddleball apparatus and methods disclosed herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, specific numeric references such as “first paddle,” may be made. However, the specific numeric reference should not be interpreted as a literal sequential order but rather interpreted that the “first paddle” is different than a “second paddle.” Thus, the specific details set forth are merely exemplary. The specific details may be varied from and still be contemplated to be within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The term “coupled” is defined as meaning connected either directly to the component or indirectly to the component through another component. Further, as used herein, the terms “about,” “approximately,” or “substantially” for any numerical values or ranges indicate a suitable dimensional tolerance that allows the part or collection of components to function for its intended purpose as described herein.
Pickleball typically is played on a badminton-sized court with a tennis-like net, using a perforated plastic hollow ball. The ball is struck by players using pickleball paddles that resemble large table tennis paddles. Pickleball paddles generally are made from wood, graphite, aluminum, carbon fiber, fiberglass, composite materials, and other suitable materials. A difficulty associated with games such as pickleball and other similar paddleball sports is they require access to a court. Given that time spent practicing translates directly into improved skills during gameplay, players lacking access to a court are denied an opportunity to practice enough to develop their skills. Embodiments presented herein provide an apparatus and methods that enable players to practice paddleball sports, such as pickleball, without having to access to a game court.
In general, playing surface 116 includes several holes for receiving balls, such as pickleballs, that can be hit by practitioners of the apparatus 100 (i.e., players). In the illustrated embodiment, the playing surface 116 includes a first hole 124, a second hole 128, a third hole 132, and a fourth hole 136. The holes 124-136 have diameters suitable for receiving pickleballs that are hit by players that are standing at a distance from the front end 108. In some embodiments, the holes 124-136 may have different diameters so as to vary the difficulty of hitting the ball into the holes 124-136.
As shown in
It should be understood that the apparatus 100 is not to be limited to solely the net indicator 140 shown in
Beyond the second hole 128 are the third hole 132 and the fourth hole 136. In the illustrated embodiment of
As further shown in
It is contemplated that any of various games and scoring systems may be utilized in environment 160. For example, in some embodiments, the game and scoring system may resemble a game of cornhole or horseshoes, wherein each of the teams 164, 168 stands near one of the paddleball training apparatuses 100. As described herein, each of the apparatuses 100 includes a net indicator 140 and several holes 124-136 that are increasingly distance from opponent players 180. On a turn, a player 180 may drop and bounce the ball 184 on the playing surface 116 (see
In some embodiments, hitting the ball 184 into the first hole 124 represents a ball that did not pass over the net, thus earning the player 180 a negative score, such as −1 game points. However, hitting the ball 184 into the second hole 128 represents an ideal shot wherein the ball 184 was hit just over the net. As such, hitting the ball into the second hole 128 earns the player 180 a positive score, such as +3 game points. Further, hitting the ball 184 into the third hole 132 may generate +2 game points while hitting the ball into the fourth hole 136 may generate +1 game point. It is contemplated that a wide variety of scoring schemes may be associated with the holes 124-136 comprising the apparatus 100, without limitation.
In some embodiments, during a turn each hitting player 180 comprising a team hits 3 balls 184. Opponent players 180 stand at the rear end 112 (see
As shown in
Moreover, in some embodiments, the holes 124-136 comprising the apparatus 100 may be altered, as desired. For example, in those certain embodiments wherein the net 188 is used in combination with the apparatus 100, the first hole 124 and the net indicator 140 may be omitted from the apparatus 100, without limitation. Thus, the players 180 can use the paddles 172 to hit the ball 184 over the net 188 into any of the holes 128-136 of the apparatus 100.
While the paddleball apparatus and methods have been described in terms of particular variations and illustrative figures, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the paddleball apparatus is not limited to the variations or figures described. In addition, where methods and steps described above indicate certain events occurring in certain order, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the ordering of certain steps may be modified and that such modifications are in accordance with the variations of the paddleball apparatus. Additionally, certain of the steps may be performed concurrently in a parallel process, when possible, as well as performed sequentially as described above. To the extent there are variations of the paddleball apparatus, which are within the spirit of the disclosure or equivalent to the paddleball apparatus found in the claims, it is the intent that this patent will cover those variations as well. Therefore, the present disclosure is to be understood as not limited by the specific embodiments described herein, but only by scope of the appended claims.
This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Application, entitled “Paddleball Training Apparatus And Methods,” filed on Jul. 14, 2023, and having application Ser. No. 63/513,637, the entirety of said application being incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63513637 | Jul 2023 | US |
