Basketball Training Device
A basketball training device is configured to be mounted on a regulation basketball hoop and provide shot guides for aiming shots in practice.
The disclosure relates to a basketball training device.
BACKGROUNDThe history of basketball, as we know it today, can be traced back to winter of 1891, when Dr. James Naismith, a physical education professor at the YMCA, was faced with the challenge of keeping his gym class active during winter months in New England. Naismith sought to invent a fast-paced indoor game, with limited physical contact, suitable for play in an indoor gymnasium. Naismith nailed a peach basket onto a 10-foot elevated track, wrote down the rules of the game, and modern-day basketball was born. The object of the game, in broadest terms possible, was to score points by shooting a ball (initially a soccer ball) into the peach basket, hence the name basketball.
Initially, holes were featured on the bottoms of the peach baskets so players could use long rods to push the ball out of the basket whenever a player made a shot. This caused undesirable game delays. To remedy these delays, the baskets, which were initially nailed directly onto gym walls, were replaced by a backboard with a metal rim. This backboard and metal rim design is currently utilized in standard play.
A skilled basketball player may possess strong hand-eye coordination, which may allow the player to properly arch shots so that they pass through the rim. One way to help develop this hand-eye coordination may be by practicing taking shots from different angles and different positions on the court. By continuously practicing shots, a good basketball player may become great.
One difficulty in practicing shots is that regulation basketball rims are above the player's head and the view of the rim itself is often further obscured by a rope or chain net hanging from the rim. It can thus be difficult at times for the player to pick one particular spot to aim when practicing shots.
SUMMARYThe instant training device may be capable of rapid installation on a standard basketball rim, allows the user to practice aim and shot placement and quickly remove the basketball training device for regular play.
In one aspect, a basketball training device may include a support (e.g., HDPE, PMMA, ABS, nylon, polycarbonate, polypropylene, polystyrene, PVC, aluminum, steel, tin, copper, brass, or alloys thereof) configured to be removably attached to a basketball hoop (e.g., by hooks). The support may include a plurality of shot guides (e.g., painted on or integrated into the support) placed so that at least one may be visible to a person attempting to shoot a basketball into the hoop. The shot guides may include lights or retroreflectors. The device may further include a sensor configured to detect whether (or where) a basketball passes through the rim, in which case the shot guides may be responsive to the sensor.
In another aspect, a basketball hoop may include a rim including shot guides, for example, retroreflectors or lights, placed around the rim in positions where at least one may be visible to a person attempting to shoot a basketball into the hoop.
In another aspect, a method of training a basketball player may include providing shot guides (e.g., lights) on the rim of a basketball hoop and having the shooter practice shooting at the shot guides. The method may include gradually making the shot guides less visible to the shooter. The shot guides may be responsive to whether (or where) the ball passes through the hoop.
A more particular description of certain embodiments of Basketball Training Device may be had by reference to the embodiments described below, and those shown in the drawings that form a part of this specification, in which like numerals represent like objects. It is understood that the description and drawings represent example implementations and are not to be understood as limiting. Drawings are not drawn to scale unless otherwise noted herein.
As shown in
Featured along Support 100 are shown one or more Shot Guides 104 to assist the user practicing shot placement by acting as focal points when taking a shot. Shot Guides 104 may be visually distinct and may be chosen not to be damaged by repeated impacts by a basketball. For example, they may be circles painted onto Support 100 in a contrasting color, for example, black circles painted onto an orange support. In other implementations, they may be integrated into Support 100, for example, in the form of black plastic discs set into holes in orange Support 100 (so that they do not become less visible when worn away by repeated impacts), or etched or anodized areas in a metal support. In other implementations, they may include retroreflective surfaces to enhance visibility to the shooter, lights, e-ink, or other features to enhance their degree of visibility. When Shot Guides 104 include lights or similar active features, they may be powered by a battery (not shown) integrated into Support 100. Such lights or other active features may have controllable characteristics such as color, brightness, or size. For durability, active features may be protected from a blow by the striking ball, for example by a layer of clear acrylic (PMMA) or other plastic integrated into Support 100. Lights or other active guides may be static, or may be controlled by means of a switch (not shown) mounted on Support 100, by a remote control, or by other appropriate local or remote control switches.
Referring now to
Once the device is installed onto Rim 200, the user may work on shot placement. As can be seen in
In some embodiments, the support may also include sensors that may be used to enhance practice. For example, in embodiments that include lights for the shot guides, the device might sense the passage of the basketball through the net and indicate by a changed color the location that the ball struck the rim. A skillful or lucky “nothing but net” shot might show no color change around the rim or might be rewarded with all lights changing or flashing. Sensors that sense the passage of the basketball through the net might be positioned on Support 100, but other sensors (not shown) might sense the position of a basketball anywhere on the court. For example, such a sensor might control lighted shot guides so that wherever a basketball is on the court, only the best guide(s) to shoot at to make a basket from that position are lit, or so that the best guide(s) are lit in a contrasting color or are otherwise visible to the shooter. Such sensors could sense an RFID in the basketball, or could use machine vision techniques to track its position.
In some embodiments that include sensors, feedback to the shooter may be provided audibly, in addition to or instead of by means of lights. For example, a shooter might select a target guide so that the hoop chimes when it is hit or buzzes when it is missed, even if the shooter makes the basket. For progressive training of lining up shots, lighted guides might start out at maximum brightness and/or size and be gradually dimmed (and/or reduced in size) over days, weeks, or months, until the shooter is effectively practicing with a regulation rim.
While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.
Claims
1. A basketball training device, comprising:
- a support configured to be removably attached to a basketball hoop, the support including a plurality of shot guides placed so that at least one is visible to a person attempting to shoot a basketball into the basketball hoop.
2. The basketball training device of claim 1, wherein the support is constructed from a material selected from the group consisting of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), nylon, polycarbonate, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), aluminum, steel, tin, copper, brass, and alloys thereof.
3. The basketball training device of claim 1, wherein the support is configured to be attached to the hoop by hooks that hang from a rim.
4. The basketball training device of claim 1, wherein the shot guides are painted on the support.
5. The basketball training device of claim 1, wherein the shot guides are integral with the support.
6. The basketball training device of claim 1, wherein the shot guides include lights.
7. The basketball training device of claim 1, wherein the shot guides include retroreflectors.
8. The basketball training device of claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to detect a basketball passing through the hoop.
9. The basketball training device of claim 8, wherein the shot guides are responsive to the sensor.
10. A basketball hoop for training a basketball shooter, comprising:
- a rim including shot guides placed around the rim, wherein at least one shot guide is placed to be visible to a person attempting to shoot a basketball into the hoop.
11. The basketball hoop of claim 10, wherein the shot guides include retroreflectors.
12. The basketball hoop of claim 10, wherein the shot guides include lights.
13. A method of training a basketball shooter, comprising:
- providing shot guides on a rim of a basketball hoop, and
- having the basketball shooter practice shooting at the shot guides.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising gradually making the shot guides less visible to the basketball shooter.
15. The method of claim 13, further comprising making the shot guides responsive to whether a basketball passes through the rim.
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising making the shot guides responsive to where the basketball passes through the rim.
17. The method of claim 13, wherein the shot guides include lights.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 19, 2019
Publication Date: Apr 8, 2021
Inventor: Charles Thompson (Seattle, WA)
Application Number: 16/389,766