The present invention relates to athletic training and tools for same.
In basketball, now a globally popular sport, a player on offense will ultimately attempt to toss the ball up and into the basket. This is called “taking a shot.” A player on defense will attempt to block or deflect the offensive player's shot. Thus, one important skill that trainers of basketball players must work to improve is the ability of the offensive player to thwart the block or deflection. Blocking and deflecting comprises two aspects. One is physical blocking of the offensive player's movement; the other is using arms and hands to block or deflect the ball. Currently, trainers have ad hoc tools for training against physical blocking, and makeshift tools for training against shot blocking and deflection. There is no combinational tool that is designed to do both—emulate physical blocking and shot blocking and deflection.
The system disclosed and claimed herein is a single tool for emulating physical blocking and shot blocking and deflection tactics. The system comprises four components: a lower component similar in size and shape to a rectangular cushion; a middle component that resembles a player's upper torso and is made of thin material with a transparent grid texture attached to an outer frame that gives it rigidity. The top component is made of the same transparent and framing material as the middle subsystem but is shaped to resemble upraised arms and hands and a player's head in between the arms. The three components are held in place by a rigid pole that will not flex noticeably when pushed on. The bottom component serves as the anchor for one end of the rigid pole, and the middle and top components are held in place by suitable attachment fixtures such that they remain in a fixed position along the pole length. The top and middle components are also kept in a planar orientation to one another, and the plane of the top two components is essentially parallel to the planes of the front and rear faces of the bottom subsystem. Three handhold structures are located on the bottom subsystem's rear face to allow the user to use both arms and hands to hold and maneuver the system while maintaining a secure grip.
Basketball, which began as an American sport in the late 1800s, has become a globally popular sport. Amateur basketball teams exist in many schools, clubs and universities. Professional basketball teams are hosted in over 60 countries worldwide. In every case, amateur or professional, trainers are tasked with improving the offensive shot skills of their players. Points are made in basketball by tossing (also known as shooting) the basketball into the basket. During play, with exception of foul-shot penalties, offensive players attempting to shoot the ball into the basket are opposed by defensive players attempting to block their motion and block and/or deflect their shots. Thus, an important skill for trainers to focus on is that of an offensive player making a successful shot despite defensive player blocking tactics.
Currently, trainers use ad hoc and makeshift tools for such training. For example, a cushion with rear handhold might be used for physical blocking emulation, and broom might be used for shot blocking and deflection.
The system herein disclosed and claimed is designed to provide both motion blocking and shot blocking and deflection tactics emulation. When assembled, the system provides a unitary tool for both training practices (e.g. motion blocking and shot blocking/deflection). When disassembled, the system is easily contained in a carrying case and transported to where needed.
In basketball, shooting accuracy increases as a player gets closer to the basket. It is common for several players, both offensive and defensive, to quickly congregate in the near-basket area. This is where the highest percentage of successful shots is made; and the area in which defensive players use motion blocking and shot blocking/deflection tactics.
Looking at the side view,
Attachment fixtures 209 attach components 202 and 203 to the pole in predetermined positions. When attached, the planes of 203 and 202 are coplanar, and are parallel to the planes of the front and rear faces of the 201. On the rear face of 201 (as shown in the side view,
The outer casing, or cover, of the bottom component may be made of canvas, plastic, or any durable material commonly used for a cushion cover. Inside the cover, shock absorbing filler could be used to absorb some of the energy produced by body contact occurring during motion blocking. The rod anchor point could be a sleeve of similar rigid material, held firmly in place, that provides a snug fit for the rigid rod and a keyway fixture that keeps the rod fixed in position and unable to rotate on its axis.
The middle and upper components can be made of durable transparent mesh material held in place and in shape by a rigid frame structure. The rigid frame could be metallic or resinous material that holds its shape while allowing some flexibility if pushed against. The rigid rod can be wood, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), aluminum or virtually any material that is light in weight yet sufficiently rigid.
The embodiment shown in the
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