BASKETBALL SHOOTING AID
Disclosed herein are embodiments of basketball shooting aids. In some embodiments, a basketball shooting aid includes a glove portion and at least one stiffener to at least partially restrain the thumb of a user. In some embodiments, a basketball shooting aid can include plural stiffeners, such as two stiffeners, with one positioned on either side of the user's thumb. In some embodiments, a basketball shooting aid includes a stiffener and at least one strap for securing the stiffener to a user's hand. In some embodiments, a basketball shooting aid can help a basketball player to practice his or her shot.
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This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/648,573, which was filed on May 17, 2012.
FIELDThe present disclosure relates to athletic training equipment and, more particularly, to an aid for use in shooting a basketball.
BACKGROUNDOne method of shooting a basketball involves the use of both hands of a basketball player. Both hands can be used to raise the basketball to a shooting position, in which the ball is held in a generally elevated position and one hand, the shooting hand, supports the ball while the other hand, the non-shooting stabilizing hand, is used to ensure the ball rests in a stable position on the shooting hand. Once the ball has been raised to the shooting position, the player can use the shooting hand to shoot the ball toward a target while using the stabilizing hand to support the ball.
In some cases, a player can unintentionally use their stabilizing hand, and in particular, the thumb of their stabilizing hand, to help shoot the ball, rather than merely support or stabilize the ball. Though this often occurs inadvertently and due to a player's natural tendencies, it can reduce the accuracy of a shot because it requires the coordination of the forces exerted by both hands, which can be difficult. Accordingly, methods and devices of preventing a basketball player from imparting undesirable forces and rotations to a basketball while shooting, as well as methods and devices of teaching a player to shoot a basketball without doing so are desirable.
SUMMARYDisclosed herein are embodiments of basketball shooting aids. In some embodiments, a basketball shooting aid comprises a glove comprising a thumb receiving portion, an index finger receiving portion, and a glove body portion with a palm section that at least partially overlays the palm of a user of the glove when the glove is worn. The shooting aid can also include a stiffener mounted to the glove and comprising a stiffener body portion, the stiffener body portion being positioned to overlay at least a portion of the palm section of the glove, the stiffener comprising a first projecting portion extending outwardly from the stiffener body portion and extending along at least a portion of the thumb receiving portion of the glove and a second projecting portion extending outwardly from the stiffener body portion and extending toward the index finger receiving portion of the glove.
In some embodiments, the thumb receiving portion and the index finger receiving portion of the glove each comprise a respective sleeve with at least the sleeve of the index finger receiving portion being open so as to not cover a distal portion of an index finger of a user wearing the glove. In some embodiments, the sleeve of the thumb receiving portion comprises a distal end portion that is open to expose a thumb of a user wearing the glove. In some embodiments, the glove comprises four finger receiving sleeves with respective distal ends that are open, with one of said finger receiving sleeves comprising the index finger receiving portion of the glove. In some embodiments, the stiffener comprises a polymeric material having a stiffness between about 2,000 MPa and about 3,000 MPa when tested in accordance with ASTM D790, and the glove comprises a fabric material.
In some embodiments, the index finger receiving portion of the glove comprises a proximal interphalangeal joint portion and the second projecting portion of the stiffener extends along the index finger receiving portion of the glove to a location distal to the proximal interphalangeal joint portion of the index finger receiving portion. In some embodiments, the thumb receiving portion of the glove comprises a thumb interphalangeal joint portion and the first projecting portion of the stiffener extends along the thumb receiving portion of the glove to a location distal to the thumb interphalangeal joint portion of the thumb receiving portion. In some embodiments, the thumb and index finger receiving portions of the glove each comprise a respective sleeve, the sleeve of the thumb receiving portion extending outwardly from the body portion of the glove to a location beyond the interphalangeal joint of a thumb of a user and the sleeve of the index finger receiving portion extending outwardly from the body portion of the glove to a location beyond the proximal interphalangeal joint of an index finger of a user.
In some embodiments, the stiffener is stitched to the glove. In some embodiments, the stiffener is generally U-shaped with first and second legs and a central body portion from which the first and second legs project, the first leg comprising the first projecting portion and the second leg comprising the second projecting portion, and wherein the central body portion of the stiffener overlays the palm section of the glove.
An alternative basketball shooting aid can comprise a glove comprising a thumb receiving portion with a base and a glove body sized to wrap around both sides of the hand of a user. The shooting aid can also include a stiffener mounted to the glove, the stiffener comprising a body portion positioned along the base of the thumb receiving portion, the stiffener comprising a first projection extending at least partially along the thumb receiving portion.
The glove of the shooting aid can further comprise an index finger receiving portion and the stiffener can further comprise a second projection extending toward or along the index finger receiving portion of the glove. The shooting aid can also comprise first and second of said stiffeners positioned on opposite sides of the glove body from one another. The thumb receiving portion can comprise a sleeve having a distal end portion that is open to expose a thumb of a user wearing the glove.
Another alternative basketball shooting aid can comprise a glove comprising a thumb receiving portion, an index finger receiving portion, a middle finger receiving portion, a ring finger receiving portion, a little finger receiving portion, and a body portion which interconnects the thumb receiving portion, the index finger receiving portion, the middle finger receiving portion, the ring finger receiving portion, and the little finger receiving portion. The body portion includes a wrist receiving opening, a palm section that overlays the palm of a user's hand when the glove is worn, and a back section that overlays the back of a user's hand when the glove is worn.
In some embodiments, a first stiffener is desirably mounted to the palm section of the glove, the first stiffener comprising a body portion which overlays a portion of the palm section of the glove, a first extending portion extending along at least a portion of the thumb receiving portion of the glove, and a second extending portion extending toward or along the index finger receiving portion of the glove. A second stiffener can also be mounted to the back section of the glove, the second stiffener can be like or the mirror image of the first stiffener. The second stiffener can also be of a different shape than the first stiffener. The second stiffener can comprise a body portion which overlays a portion of the back section of the glove, a first extending portion extending along at least a portion of the thumb receiving portion of the glove, and a second extending portion extending toward the index finger receiving portion of the glove. Desirably the stiffeners are mounted to exterior surfaces of the glove, but they can alternatively be positioned at the interior of the glove or between glove components, such as in whole or in part between fabric layers of the glove.
The shooting aid can also include an adjustable strap mounted to the body portion of the glove, wherein the adjustable strap can be adjusted to modify a size of the wrist receiving opening of the body portion of the glove. The index finger receiving portion, the middle finger receiving portion, the ring finger receiving portion, and the little finger receiving portion of the glove can each comprise a respective sleeve which is open at its distal end so as to not cover a distal portion of a finger of a user wearing the glove. The thumb receiving portion of the glove can comprise a sleeve which is closed at its distal end so as to enclose a distal portion of a thumb of a user wearing the glove.
Another alternative basketball shooting aid can comprise a glove having a thumb receiving portion and an index finger receiving portion, the glove comprising a glove body interconnecting the thumb receiving portion and index finger receiving portion, wherein the glove body is sized to wrap around both sides of the hand of a user. The shooting aid can also include a stiffener mounted to the glove, the stiffener comprising a body portion which extends at least partially over the glove body, extends at least partially over the thumb receiving portion, and extends at least partially over a space between the thumb receiving portion and the index finger receiving portion. The shooting aid can include first and second of said stiffeners positioned on opposite sides of the glove body from one another, and one or both of the stiffeners can have a shape which is generally circular, or can have a shape which is generally pentagonal. The stiffeners can be of different shapes.
Another alternative shooting aid can comprise a stiffener having a thumb portion and a base portion coupled to and extending away from the thumb portion, wherein the base portion is configured to overlay at least a portion of the body of the hand of a user and the thumb portion is configured to extend at least partially along the thumb of a user. The shooting aid can also include a strap coupled to the base portion, wherein the strap is sized to wrap around the body of the hand of the user to secure the stiffener to the hand of the user. The thumb portion can be tubular and can have a central opening configured to receive the thumb of the user. The stiffener can include first and second of said base portions coupled to and extending away from the tubular thumb portion and away from the distal end portion of the user's thumb, wherein the first and second base portions are configured to overlay opposite sides of the body of the hand of the user. The strap can include a first end portion and a second end portion, wherein the first end portion of the strap is coupled to the first base portion of the stiffener and the second end portion of the strap is coupled to the second base portion of the stiffener.
The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying figures.
A basketball shooting aid can include a glove portion which can be worn on a user's hand, and at least one stiffener element which can restrain motion of the thumb of the user. As used herein, the term “glove” includes any covering for the hand of a user that covers the user's hand in whole or in part. A glove can have a first major portion and a second major portion. For example, when worn on a user's right hand, a glove's first major portion can overlay the palm of the user's right hand and the second major portion can overlay the back (the opisthenar area) of the user's right hand. When the same glove is worn on a user's left hand, the first major portion can overlay the opisthenar area of the user's left hand and the second major portion can overlay the palm of the user's left hand.
The first and second major portions in this example together form what is referred to herein as the “body” of a glove, which can be provided in various sizes, for example, to accommodate hands of various sizes, or to cover a desired portion of the surfaces of a user's hand. The body of a glove can thus cover what is referred to herein as a portion of the “body” of a user's hand—the portion of the hand that does not include the fingers.
A glove can have separate portions for receiving each of a user's five fingers, for example, sleeves through which the user's fingers can extend. A glove need not have any such separate portions. In various embodiments the glove can have more than zero but less than five such separate portions. That is, a glove in various embodiments described herein can be provided with any number of separate portions for receiving a user's fingers. In some cases, these separate portions can be open at their distal ends, thus exposing the tips of fingers extending through them, or these portions can be closed at their distal ends, thus enclosing the tips of fingers extending through them.
As shown in
As best shown in
The first and second stiffeners 104, 106 have substantially the same shape and are mirror images of one another when mounted on the glove. In alternative embodiments, the stiffeners can have any of various suitable shapes (including any of those described further below) and need not have substantially the same shape. For example, one major surface can have a stiffener 104 such as shown in
The shape of the stiffeners 104, 106 can also be described as resembling the shape of a goosehead with a neck and a beak, wherein the neck of the goosehead shape extends partially along the thumb receiving portion 108 and the beak of the goosehead shape extends toward the index finger receiving portion 110. The shape of the stiffeners 104, 106 can also be described as generally U-shaped with two legs, wherein the first end of the U-shape, that is, the first leg, extends at least partially along the thumb receiving portion 108, and the second end of the U-shape, that is, the second leg, extends toward the index finger receiving portion 110. As shown in
The stiffeners 104, 106 thus can be positioned on opposite sides of the glove in order to more effectively confine and restrain the thumb of a user, and to allow the glove to be used on either the left or the right hand of the user with a stiffener being available for positioning at the palm side of the glove regardless of the hand on which the glove is worn. Alternatively, only one of the major portions 120, 122 can be provided with a stiffener, such as for left and right hand shooting gloves, with the appropriate glove being selected that will result in a stiffener at the palm side of the glove depending upon whether the stabilizing or support hand of the player is to be his or her left or right hand.
In the shooting aid 200, the finger receiving portions can each include respective knuckle portions. Human fingers typically have metacarpophalangeal joints (“MCP”) which join the fingers to the rest of the hand. The four human fingers other than the thumb typically have two interphalangeal joints: one closer to the hand (the proximal interphalangeal joint, or “PIP”), and one farther from the hand (the distal interphalangeal joint, or “DIP”). The human thumb typically has one interphalangeal joint (“IP”). Accordingly, the glove 202 includes five MCP portions 218, 220, 222, 224, and 226, one for each of the five finger receiving portions 208, 210, 212, 214, and 216, respectively. These portions are illustrated in
The stiffeners 204, 206 of the shooting aid 200 can be joined to the glove portion 202 by means other than stitching, for example, those described above with respect to shooting aid 100, such as, for example, gluing or heat bonding. Thus, no stitches are shown fastening the stiffeners 204, 206 to the glove portion 202. The stiffeners 204, 206 are also shown as having a shape different from the stiffeners 104, 106 of the shooting aid 100. The stiffeners 204, 206 have respective intermediate, central body portions 246, 252, respective first extensions 248, 254, extending partially along the thumb receiving portion 208 of the glove 202, and respective second extensions 250, 256, extending toward the index finger receiving portion 210 of the glove 202.
As shown in
For example, in one alternative embodiment, the first extensions of each of the stiffeners can extend to a location which is proximal to the thumb IP portion 228. In another alternative embodiment, the second extensions of each of the stiffeners can extend to a location which is distal to the MCP portion 220 of the index finger receiving portion 210. Further, in alternative embodiments, the second extensions of one or both of the stiffeners can extend toward or along one of the middle, ring, or little finger receiving portions 212, 214, 216, rather than the index receiving portion 210.
An end portion of the first major portion 310 is provided with fastening means, and an end portion of the second major portion 312 is provided with complementary fastening means (such as those described above in connection with
The shooting aid 700 is illustrated as being worn on the user's right hand R, such that the stiffener 704 overlays a portion of the palm of the user's right hand R, but the illustrated shooting aid 700 can also be worn on the user's left hand such that the stiffener 704 overlays a portion of the palm of the user's left hand. The shooting aid 700 includes only one stiffener 704, configured to overlay a portion of the palm and the thumb of one of a user's hands, thereby restraining one of the user's thumbs. In alternative embodiments, the shooting aid 700 can be provided with additional stiffeners positioned to further restrain the user's thumb, for example, in a location opposite the first stiffener across the user's thumb (i.e., positioned on the back of the user's hand). In one alternative embodiment, the stiffener 704 can have or comprise a tubular portion which is configured to encircle the user's thumb, as described in more detail below with regard to shooting aid 800. Various alternative strap configurations can be used to retain the stiffener 704 in the illustrated position.
The layer of fabric material 806 that covers the stiffener 804 can extend beyond the base portions 816, 818, and can be stitched or otherwise secured to the first strap portion 808, such as at location 820, a location that is adjacent to the first base portion 816. The layer of fabric material 806 can also be stitched or otherwise secured to the second strap portion 810 at location 822 that is adjacent to the second base portion 818. The first strap portion 808 and the second strap portion 810 can have respective end portions that overlap at location 824 and can be adjustably fastened to one another, such as by approaches or means described above, such as with respect to the adjustable strap 142 of the shooting aid 100.
The various embodiments of basketball shooting aids described herein can be used to help immobilize, confine, or restrain the thumb of a basketball player's non-shooting hand, while allowing relatively free motion of the other fingers of the player's non-shooting hand, in order to help improve his or her aim in shooting a basketball. That is, the shooting aids described herein can restrain a player's thumb against motion relative to the other fingers and/or the palm of the player's non-shooting hand, thereby preventing inadvertent forces being applied to the basketball as it is shot, ultimately increasing the accuracy of the shot. The other four fingers can be allowed to move freely with respect to one another so they can be used in a natural manner to stabilize the basketball on the player's shooting hand. The shooting aid is used, for example, during training to help a player develop better shooting habits with the non-shooting, stabilizing hand during shooting. These habits can carry over or continue when the shooting aid is removed, such as during a basketball game.
The basketball shooting aids described herein can be provided with a single stiffener coupled to one major portion of a glove portion of the aid. Alternatively, the shooting aids described herein can be provided with plural stiffeners, such as one coupled to each of the major portions of a glove portion of the aid. In shooting aids having a pair of stiffeners, the stiffeners can have substantially the same shape or can have different shapes. The shooting aids described herein can be worn on either of a user's left or right hands, but desirably a shooting aid is used with a stiffener positioned at the palm side of a user's hand that is the non-shooting, stabilizing hand for the shots being practiced. The stiffeners can be coupled to the exterior of the glove portion of the shooting aids described herein, or alternatively, can be coupled to the interior of the glove portion of the shooting aids described herein. In some cases, a glove can be turned inside out and still be wearable. For example, a shooting aid can have a single stiffener coupled to the exterior of a glove portion and configured to partially overlay the palm of a user's right hand when the shooting aid is worn on the user's right hand. When this shooting aid is turned inside out, the stiffener is coupled to the interior of the glove and configured to partially overlay the palm of a user's left hand when the shooting aid is worn on the user's left hand.
The shooting aids described herein can include relatively flexible glove portions, and thus can be configured to be wearable on a wide range of sizes of hands. Shooting aids can also be provided in various sizes so that those basketball players with smaller hands (e.g., children) and those with larger hands (e.g., adults) can be provided with more appropriately sized shooting aids. In some embodiments, a shooting aid can include a glove portion which is specifically designed to be worn on either of a player's right or left hand. The shooting aids described herein can be used for training purposes, for example during basketball practices, and can help a player to repeat physical motions in accordance with proper basketball shooting form, in order to encourage repetition of such motions during competition.
In view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles of the disclosed invention may be applied, it should be recognized that the illustrated embodiments are only preferred examples of the invention and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention. Rather, the scope of the invention is defined by the following claims. We therefore claim as our invention all that comes within the scope and spirit of these claims.
Claims
1. A basketball shooting aid comprising:
- a glove comprising a thumb receiving portion and an index finger receiving portion, the glove also comprising a glove body portion with a palm section that at least partially overlays the palm of a user of the glove when the glove is worn;
- a stiffener mounted to the glove and comprising a stiffener body portion, the stiffener body portion being positioned to overlay at least a portion of the palm section of the glove, the stiffener comprising a first projecting portion extending outwardly from the stiffener body portion and extending along at least a portion of the thumb receiving portion of the glove and a second projecting portion extending outwardly from the stiffener body portion and extending toward the index finger receiving portion of the glove.
2. A basketball shooting aid according to claim 1 wherein the thumb receiving portion and the index finger receiving portion of the glove each comprise a respective sleeve with at least the sleeve of the index finger receiving portion being open so as to not cover a distal portion of an index finger of a user wearing the glove.
3. A basketball shooting aid according to claim 2 wherein the sleeve of the thumb receiving portion comprises a distal end portion that is open to expose a thumb of a user wearing the glove.
4. A basketball shooting aid according to claim 1 wherein the glove comprises four finger receiving sleeves with respective distal ends that are open, with one of said finger receiving sleeves comprising the index finger receiving portion of the glove.
5. A basketball shooting aid according to claim 1 wherein the stiffener comprises a polymeric material and the glove comprises a fabric material.
6. A basketball shooting aid according to claim 5 wherein the stiffener comprises a polymeric material that has a stiffness between about 2,000 MPa and about 3,000 MPa when tested in accordance with ASTM D790.
7. A basketball shooting aid according to claim 1 wherein the index finger receiving portion of the glove comprises a proximal interphalangeal joint portion and the second projecting portion of the stiffener extends along the index finger receiving portion of the glove to a location distal to the proximal interphalangeal joint portion of the index finger receiving portion.
8. A basketball shooting aid according to claim 7 wherein the thumb receiving portion of the glove comprises a thumb interphalangeal joint portion and the first projecting portion of the stiffener extends along the thumb receiving portion of the glove to a location distal to the thumb interphalangeal joint portion of the thumb receiving portion.
9. A basketball shooting aid according to claim 8 wherein the thumb and index finger receiving portions of the glove each comprise a respective sleeve, the sleeve of the thumb receiving portion extending outwardly from the body portion of the glove to a location beyond the interphalangeal joint of a thumb of a user and the sleeve of the index finger receiving portion extending outwardly from the body portion of the glove to a location beyond the proximal interphalangeal joint of an index finger of a user.
10. A basketball shooting aid according to claim 1 wherein the stiffener is stitched to the glove.
11. A basketball shooting aid according to claim 1 wherein the stiffener is generally U-shaped with first and second legs and a central body portion from which the first and second legs project, the first leg comprising the first projecting portion and the second leg comprising the second projecting portion, and wherein the central body portion of the stiffener overlays the palm section of the glove.
12. A basketball shooting aid comprising:
- a glove comprising a thumb receiving portion, the glove comprising a glove body sized to wrap around both sides of the hand of a user; and
- a stiffener mounted to the glove, the stiffener comprising a body portion positioned to overlay at least a portion of the glove body, the stiffener comprising a first projection extending at least partially along the thumb receiving portion.
13. A basketball shooting aid according to claim 12 wherein:
- the glove further comprises an index finger receiving portion; and
- the stiffener further comprises a second projection extending toward the index finger receiving portion of the glove.
14. A basketball shooting aid according to claim 12 comprising first and second of said stiffeners positioned on opposite sides of the glove body from one another.
15. A basketball shooting aid according to claim 12 wherein the thumb receiving portion comprises a sleeve having a distal end portion that is open to expose a thumb of a user wearing the glove.
16. A basketball shooting aid comprising:
- a glove comprising a thumb receiving portion, an index finger receiving portion, a middle finger receiving portion, a ring finger receiving portion, a little finger receiving portion, and a body portion which interconnects the thumb receiving portion, the index finger receiving portion, the middle finger receiving portion, the ring finger receiving portion, and the little finger receiving portion, wherein the body portion includes a wrist receiving opening, a palm section that overlays the palm of a user's hand when the glove is worn, and a back section that overlays the back of a user's hand when the glove is worn;
- a first stiffener mounted to the palm section of the glove, the first stiffener comprising a body portion which overlays a portion of the palm section of the glove, a first extending portion extending along at least a portion of the thumb receiving portion of the glove, and a second extending portion extending toward the index finger receiving portion of the glove;
- a second stiffener mounted to the back section of the glove, the second stiffener comprising a body portion which overlays a portion of the back section of the glove, a first extending portion extending along at least a portion of the thumb receiving portion of the glove, and a second extending portion extending toward the index finger receiving portion of the glove; and
- an adjustable strap mounted to the body portion of the glove, wherein the adjustable strap can be adjusted to modify a size of the wrist receiving opening of the body portion of the glove.
17. A basketball shooting aid according to claim 16 wherein the index finger receiving portion, the middle finger receiving portion, the ring finger receiving portion, and the little finger receiving portion of the glove each comprise a respective sleeve which is open at its distal end so as to not cover a distal portion of a finger of a user wearing the glove.
18. A basketball shooting aid according to claim 17 wherein the thumb receiving portion of the glove comprises a sleeve which is closed at its distal end so as to enclose a distal portion of a thumb of a user wearing the glove.
19. A basketball shooting aid comprising:
- a glove having a thumb receiving portion and an index finger receiving portion, the glove comprising a glove body interconnecting the thumb receiving portion and index finger receiving portion, wherein the glove body is sized to wrap around both sides of the hand of a user; and
- a stiffener mounted to the glove, wherein the stiffener comprises a body portion which extends at least partially over the glove body, extends at least partially over the thumb receiving portion, and extends at least partially over a space between the thumb receiving portion and the index finger receiving portion.
20. A basketball shooting aid according to claim 19 comprising first and second of said stiffeners positioned on opposite sides of the glove body from one another.
21. A basketball shooting aid according to claim 19 wherein the body portion of the stiffener has a shape which is generally circular.
22. A basketball shooting aid according to claim 19 wherein the body portion of the stiffener has a shape which is generally pentagonal.
23. A basketball shooting aid comprising:
- a stiffener having a thumb portion and a base portion coupled to and extending away from the thumb portion, wherein the base portion is configured to overlay at least a portion of the body of the hand of a user and the thumb portion is configured to extend at least partially along the thumb of a user; and
- a strap coupled to the base portion, wherein the strap is sized to wrap around the body of the hand of the user to secure the stiffener to the hand of the user.
24. A basketball shooting aid according to claim 23 wherein the thumb portion is tubular and has a central opening configured to receive the thumb of the user.
25. A basketball shooting aid according to claim 24, wherein:
- the stiffener comprises first and second of said base portions coupled to and extending away from the tubular thumb portion, wherein the first and second base portions are configured to overlay opposite sides of the body of the hand of the user;
- the strap comprises a first end portion and a second end portion;
- the first end portion of the strap is coupled to the first base portion of the stiffener; and
- the second end portion of the strap is coupled to the second base portion of the stiffener.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 15, 2013
Publication Date: Nov 21, 2013
Applicant: (La Center, WA)
Inventor: Robert James Griffee
Application Number: 13/843,351
International Classification: A63B 69/00 (20060101);