Patent Application
20240149128
This novel invention is related to tennis training devices and methods and, more specifically, to novel training aids and methods used to improve a player's tennis serve toss.
The serve puts the tennis ball in play by subsequently hitting a tossed ball across the net with a tennis racket at or close to the ball's apex so that the ball falls into the opposite service box. The overhead serve is the most popular since it can be delivered powerfully. However, the overhead tennis serve is difficult to master and hard to teach. The toss is a critical component of the tennis serve and is often overlooked as a necessary component for service success.
Many novice tennis players suffer from the difficulty of consistently tossing a tennis ball into the optimum hitting zone to start the tennis serve. Most players do one or more of these incorrect serve toss techniques, which can cause inconsistent ball position that result in an errant serve hit: (i) they hold the ball in the palm of their hand that can cause variable ball release resulting in inconsistent toss locations, (ii) they flick or break their wrist causing the ball to be tossed behind the body and out of the optimum hitting zone, (iii) they do not toss the ball to the proper height or location causing the ball to be positioned too low, too far out in front, or too far behind the optimum hitting zone, (iv) they hook their arm (i.e., bend their elbow) causing variable ball release resulting in inconsistent ball toss location, and/or (v) they toss the ball too fast causing loss of tempo and synchronization of the serve toss and the hit with the racket swing in their hitting arm.
Many tennis serve inventions focus on the hitting portion of the serve (i.e., how the racket is to make contact with the ball) rather than the serve ball toss which is crucial to hitting a proper serve since a consistent ball toss is paramount to a consistent serve hit. These inventions discuss where and how the racket should contact the tennis ball by providing hitting target aids, visual aids, or automated ball toss machines that pre-position the ball. Some aids rely on pre-positioning a ball in the proper hitting zone by suspending a ball with a rope, string, or similar, and therefore do not instruct how to get the ball (i.e., toss it) to the proper hitting location. Other inventions discuss footwork needed for the serve. Still other inventions include targets attached to mechanical devices that the ball toss should aim for without regard to the actual arm toss mechanics.
While these known tennis serve methods potentially improve the hitting portion of the serve, these inventions lack the physical instruction or training aids on how to mechanically make the proper toss, e.g., how to hold the ball, where to hold the ball, and direct feedback to assess a successful toss. In addition, many of these aids are unwieldly and not portable. And while there may be training aids that reduce wrist movement and promotes proper ball position in the hand, such tools provide no feedback mechanism to assess a proper toss.
There is a need, therefore, for training aids that teach proper ball handling, proper ball release, proper arm position, proper toss tempo, and includes a feedback mechanism that can be used to assess the toss so that adjustments can be made to improve the toss that are also easy to wear, are light-weight, are easy to put on and take off, and can be used for right-handed or left-handed players.
A tennis serve toss training aid of a type implemented according to preferred embodiments of the invention comprises a canister having an open top configured to receive a tennis ball therethrough and a sleeve engaged with the canister and configured to secure the canister along an inside length of a tennis player's forearm such that the open top is adjacent a tennis player's palm. The canister is preferably an elongate tube adapted to run parallel along the inside length of the tennis player's forearm from palm to elbow, and is capable of retaining a plurality of tennis balls therein.
The invention also discloses a method for operating a tennis serve training aid. The method comprises securing a canister along an inside length of a tennis player's forearm, so that an open top of the canister is adjacent the tennis player's palm, and receiving a tennis ball through the open top and into an interior of the canister after a player service practice toss. The tennis ball may then be disgorged into the tennis player's palm so that the tennis player can repeat the player service practice toss.
In a method for using a tennis serve training aid of a type having a canister with an open top, the method comprises first securing a canister along an inside length of a tennis player's forearm so that an open top of the canister is adjacent the tennis player's palm. The tennis ball is then held within the tennis player's hand adjacent the canister open top. The tennis player then raises the arm to which the canister is secured and performs a player service practice toss by tossing the tennis ball in the air so that it ascends to a peak and then falls downward. Importantly, and while keeping the arm raised, the player then catches the falling tennis ball through the open top so that the ball is retained within the canister. This process is repeated to build up muscle memory from the positive feedback of repeatedly tossing and then catching the tennis ball within the canister.
In order to aid in the understanding of this invention, it can be stated that it is directed to a tennis serving toss sleeve which comprises a sleeve which has an opening for a canister, the canister fits into the attached sleeve. The canister is closed at the bottom end and has an opening at the top end which will allow a tennis ball to flow freely in and out of the canister. The canister is positioned in a pocket of the sleeve so that the canister will fit on the forearm and extend into the hand and will stop just under the pads of the fingers. When the tossing arm is lifted up and fully extended above the head it will allow the tennis ball to come out of the canister, reaching its apex, and then fall back into the canister if the toss is performed properly and at the correct pace. By having the canister attached to the sleeve the server will develop the proper toss to be made. This invention will prevent the player from flicking the wrist, sitting the ball in the palm of the hand or “holding” the ball and the canister being “lifted” not thrown will allow for the ball to come out of the canister developing a tempo which will allow for the ball to be “placed” in the hitting zone and at the correct height for proper contact. This invention will provide a teaching aid which is inexpensive and easy to use so that the teaching aid is available to many who can benefit from the use thereof.
The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention that proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
The canister 16 is preferable configured as an elongate tube adapted to run parallel along the inside length of the tennis player's forearm between the player's elbow and ending approximately midway up the player's palm. The dimensions of the elongate tube are between approximately between 6 and 12 inches in length so as to accommodate one or more tennis balls therein, to fit along the forearms of users of different sizes (and ages), and to prevent a tennis ball that falls within the elongate tube from easily rebounding from the closed bottom end and back out the open top. The open top 26 preferably has a diameter of between approximately 2.5 and 4 inches, or enough to fully receive a tennis ball therethrough. Larger diameters can be included for beginning tennis players to make it easier to catch within the canister, and canisters with smaller diameter openings can be substituted within the sleeve 20 for more experienced players for greater challenge. The canister outer rim 28 is preferably reinforced, e.g., with an annular band of metal, so that it resiliently retains its shape upon an incident impact of a tennis ball against the rim.
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In the method for operating the tennis serve training aid, the canister 16 is secured along an inside length of a tennis player's forearm so that an open top of the canister is adjacent the tennis player's palm, and receiving a tennis ball through the open top and into an interior of the canister after a player service practice toss. The tennis ball may then be disgorged into the tennis player's palm so that the tennis player can repeat the player service practice toss. Preferably, the open top 26 of the canister 16 overlaps a portion of the tennis player's palm (more preferably midway up the palm) so that the tennis player is forced to at least partially hold the tennis ball with the tennis player's fingers while also preventing the player from holding the tennis ball solely within the tennis player's palm. The canister 16 is retained within the sleeve by wrapping the sleeve 10 around the tennis player's forearm, forming an elongate pocket within the sleeve, and retaining the canister within the pocket.
In the method for using the tennis serve training aid of a type having a canister 16 with an open top 26, the method comprises first securing the canister along an inside length of a tennis player's forearm so that an open top of the canister is adjacent the tennis player's palm. This securing can be accomplished by wrapping a plurality of straps around the sleeve—and preferably securing the straps using Velcro, snaps, or a buckle—to secure the sleeve to the tennis player's forearm. The tennis ball is then held within the tennis player's hand adjacent the canister open top. The tennis player then raises the arm to which the canister is secured and performs a player service practice toss by tossing the tennis ball in the air so that it ascends to a peak and then falls downward. Importantly, and while keeping the arm raised, the player then catches the falling tennis ball through the open top so that the ball is retained within the canister.
This process is repeated to build up muscle memory from the positive feedback of repeatedly tossing and then catching the tennis ball within the canister.
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This novel invention aids the proper mechanics to teach a player to toss a tennis ball into the optimum hitting zone with the correct tempo, at the correct height, and at the correct distance out in front of the body for proper point of contact of the tennis racket with the tennis ball while the ball is in the air. The invention also teaches a player to correctly hold and support the tennis ball prior to the toss by keeping the ball supported and resting on the inside of the fingers and not gripped by the fingertips or within the palm of the hand. The invention and training aid reduces excessive ball rotational spin during the toss which optimizes proper racket contact. The invention also prevents flicking the wrist during the toss, avoiding inconsistent ball releases and possible improper redirection of the ball toss behind the head of the player, making it difficult to hit with the racket. The invention also encourages proper lifting of the tossing arm into the correct position out in front of the body, reinforcing the proper ball toss height and positioning within the optimized hitting zone. The invention helps with tempo and synchronization between the ball toss and opposite arm swing of the racket for hitting optimization. The invention includes a feedback mechanism so the player can make adjustments as needed to perform a proper serve toss.
When the ball is in the canister and is lifted from the top of the left leg (or right leg for a right-handed server) to extend above the head, the ball will be released with the left hand fully extended. The ball will then come out of the canister and with the hand still lifted the ball will then drop back into the canister.
Years of experience of teaching the serve have determined that certain procedures with the tossing hand are of utmost importance to achieve a repeatable toss of the tennis ball. For example, the ball should not sit in the palm of the hand, the wrist should not bend backwards, and the speed of the toss should be consistent and meticulous. The palm of the hand should be facing upward throughout the toss to avoid hooking of the toss which will put the ball outside of the hitting zone. Until this invention, no device has been known to be available for teaching the proper and consistent way to toss a ball for a consistent tennis serve. A good tennis serve requires 1) the ball to be in the hitting zone; 2) the ball not to have spin on it as it is tossed; 3) the toss elevated and timed to meet the racket in front of the hitter and at the correct height. A proper toss and proper timing of the toss to allow the ball to be struck are difficult to learn. This aid helps to create a proper toss by enabling proper placement of the ball in the fingers and providing a direct feedback mechanism for a proper toss.
Having described and illustrated the principles of the invention in a preferred embodiment thereof, it should be apparent that the invention can be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles. The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. We thus claim all modifications and variation that may arise within the spirit and scope of the following claims.
