Lacrosse training apparatus and method

Abstract

A lacrosse training apparatus is disclosed and includes a head, a rod and a mass. The head includes a first dimension defining a first longitudinal axis and a second dimension. The rod includes a length and is disposed in mechanical cooperation with the head. The mass is disposed in mechanical cooperation with the rod. The mass is configured to move at least partially along the length of the rod in response to a desired motion of the head.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit and priority of provisional application Ser. No. 60/762,162 filed on Jan. 25, 2006 and titled LACROSSE STICK TRAINING SYSTEM, by John N. Andrea et al. The entire contents of this application are hereby incorporated by its entirety herein.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to a lacrosse training apparatus and method, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for training a user to throw a lacrosse ball.

Lacrosse in an increasingly popular sport with a growing number of participants. The sport is played on a field where a hard rubber ball is passed from player to player and thrown towards a goal to score. The ball is handled in sticks including a shaft and a head. The head generally includes an outer support structure and a net.

During the passing, throwing and shooting of the ball from a lacrosse stick, the stick is typically actuated through an arc such that the head undergoes a significant rotational acceleration. The effectiveness of the throw is often dependent on the throwing technique or form that is used. Players often struggle using a proper technique when using a lacrosse stick to throw a ball—especially novice players and athletes attempting to throw with their non-natural hand (i.e., a righty throwing left-handed and a lefty throwing right-handed).

Typical throwing errors are often related to the quality of motion of the head of the lacrosse stick. One error occurs when the plane of the head is not oriented orthogonal to the direction of the desired throw. The results of this error, for example, include reduced speed and power as well as poor directional accuracy. Another error is presented by the pushing of the head. This error may result in a throw of reduced efficiency—lacking power, speed and accuracy.

Accordingly, a lacrosse training apparatus and method which trains a user in a correct throwing technique is desired.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates to a lacrosse training apparatus including a head, a rod and a mass. The head has a first dimension defining a first longitudinal axis and a second dimension. The rod has a length and is disposed in mechanical cooperation with the head. The mass is disposed in mechanical cooperation with the rod. The mass is configured to move at least partially along the length of the rod in response to a desired motion of the head.

The present disclosure also relates to a method of training a user to throw a lacrosse ball. The method includes the steps of providing a lacrosse training apparatus and providing feedback. The lacrosse training apparatus includes a head, a rod having a length and being disposed in mechanical cooperation with the head and a mass being slidable along at least a portion of the length of the rod. The step of providing feedback includes moving the mass at least partially along the length of the rod in response to a desired movement of the head.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a lacrosse training apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates an enlarged view of a portion of the lacrosse training apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a portion of the lacrosse training apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 illustrates a side, partial cross-sectional view of a portion of the lacrosse training apparatus of FIGS. 1-3; and

FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic view of a mass, shuttles and rod of a lacrosse training apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the presently disclosed lacrosse training apparatus are now described in detail with reference to the drawings, in which like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding elements in each of the several views. As used herein the term “distal” refers to that portion of the lacrosse training apparatus, or component thereof, farther from the user while the term “proximal” refers to that portion of the lacrosse training apparatus or component thereof, closer to the user.

Various embodiments of a lacrosse training apparatus are illustrated in FIGS. 1-5 and re generally referenced by numeral 100. Lacrosse training apparatus 100 includes a head 110, at least one rod 120 (two rods 120a and 120b are illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 and 5) and a mass 130. Lacrosse training apparatus 100 is useful in training users to throw a lacrosse ball.

Referencing FIG. 1, head 110 has a first dimension X, defining a longitudinal axis A-A, and a second dimension Y, illustrated substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A-A. In the illustrated embodiments, the shape of head 110 resembles the shape of the head of a typical lacrosse stick. Rod 120 is disposed in mechanical cooperation with head 110 and is shown being substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis A-A.

With continued reference to FIG. 1, rods 120a and 120b are shown extending between a proximal support bar 140a and a distal support bar 140b. Support bars 140a is shown connected with a proximal portion 112 of head and support bar 140b is shown connected to a distal portion 114 of head 110, in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 1 further illustrates a shaft 150 is disposed adjacent proximal portion 112 of head 110. It is envisioned that shaft 150 is removably secured to head 110 to allow shafts 150 of different sizes (e.g., a long shaft used for defense; a short shaft used for offense), for instance, to be used with lacrosse training apparatus 100.

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, mass 130 is disposed in mechanical cooperation with rods 120. It is envisioned that mass 130 is the approximate weight of a lacrosse ball. Further, mass 130 is configured to move at least partially along the length of rod 120 in response to a desired motion of the head 110, discussed below. In FIGS. 1-5, mass 130 is shown in mechanical cooperation with a first shuttle 160a and a second shuttle 160b, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Shuttles 160a, 160b are slidable along a length of rods 120a, 120b, respectively, between proximal portion 112 and distal portion 114 of head 110. A pair of bearings 170, e.g., O-rings, are shown disposed within each shuttle 160a, 160b and adjacent each rod 120a, 120b, respectively, to facilitate the sliding therebetween. A cross-bar 180 is shown extending between shuttles 160a, 160b and through mass 130.

As mentioned above, lacrosse training apparatus 100 is useful in training users to throw a lacrosse ball. More specifically, mass 130 of lacrosse training apparatus 100 is configured to move at least partially along the length of rods 120 in response to a desired motion of head 110, or user's throwing motion. During a correct or acceptable throw, the head of a typical lacrosse stick (not explicitly shown) should travel through a substantial radial arc, indicated by arrow B in FIG. 4. Further, an acceptable throw may also be defined by the plane of face of head 110 being oriented substantially orthogonal to the direction of the desired throw.

Upon movement of head 110 of lacrosse training apparatus 100 in the direction (or substantial direction) of arrow B, mass 130 reacts to the centripetal forces acting thereupon and moves in the direction of arrow C. That is, in response to a head 110 moving along a desired path, mass 130 moves along rods 120 (e.g., substantially along the entire length of rods 120) from proximal portion 112 of head 110 towards distal portion 114 of head 110. Here, the frictional forces of first shuttle 160a are substantially equal to the frictional forces of second shuttle 160b, thus mass 130 and shuttles 160a, 160b remain in a normal orientation with respect to rods 120 and are therefore free to translate thereon. Here, the incidental friction acting on mass 130 and shuttles 160a, 160b is small enough to be overcome by the centripetal forces acting thereupon.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example of head 110 being moved in along a non-desired path. Such a non-desired or incorrect throw may occur when the motion of the throw is not normal to the plane or face of head 110 or when head 110 is “pushed” in the substantial direction of arrow E in FIG. 4, which is substantially perpendicular to longitudinal axis A-A. In such a circumstance, a horizontal acceleration A_H across the face of head 110 is present (indicated by arrow F in FIG. 5) in addition to the centripetal acceleration, as described above, and generally slows or stops the distal translation of mass 130 along rods 120.

In such a circumstance where an undesired motion of head 110 occurs, the horizontal acceleration A_H will cause a net force reaction of mass 130 from left to right (as illustrated in FIG. 5). In a disclosed embodiment, this horizontal acceleration retards the distal movement (in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 4) of first shuttle 160a (more specifically, bearings 170, therein), while mass 130 and second shuttle 160b are free to continue their distal translation. Such movement is illustrated in FIG. 5 and thus creates an angle θ between an axis perpendicular to rods 120 and an axis connecting first and second shuttles 160a, 160b. Thus, an effective distance d′ between shuttles 160 decreases from original distance d, where the effective distance d′ is calculated by the equation:
d′=d cos θ

The force provided by this relatively small relative movement between shuttles 160a, 160b causes a significant force between frictional elements (e.g., O-rings) of second shuttle 160b, thus effectively locking mass 130 from further distal movement along rods 120. Further, in response to a “pushing” motion of head 110 in the direction of arrow E in FIG. 4, it is envisioned that there is not enough of a centripetal force acting on mass 130 to cause a complete distal translation of mass 130 along rods 120. Thus, the movement (or lack of movement) of mass 130 along rods 120 provides feedback to the alert the user whether or not head 110 is moving along a desired path; that is whether the user's throwing motion is proper.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 5, structure, such as butterfly screws 190, may be used to alter the distance d1 between a portion of shuttle 160 and rod 120. While d1 is shown in FIG. 5 as being between rod 120 and mass 130, it is also envisioned that the distance between bearings 170 and rod 120 can be altered. Having a variable distance d1 may be useful when training users of different skill levels, for instance. For example, distance d1 can be relatively small for training users of a higher skill lever and distance d1 can be relatively large for training users with a lower level of skill. It is envisioned that the greater the distance d1, the more leeway a user has in moving head 110 along a desired path to cause mass 130 to travel along rods 120. Moreover, it is contemplated that the smaller the distance d1, the more accurate a user's throw must be to get the desired motion of mass 130 along rods 120 because there is less “play” between shuttles 160a, 160b and rods 120a, 120b. In such an embodiment, lacrosse training apparatus 100 may be adjusted based on the skill level of the user or the desired task to be practiced (e.g., passing vs. shooting). Accordingly, lacrosse training apparatus 100 may be used to fine-tune a user's skill.

It is also envisioned that feedback may be provided to the user (or a trainer/coach) using other means. For instance, an accelerometer may be provided in mechanical cooperation with (e.g., attached to) head 110, rod 120 and/or mass 130. The accelerometer may be comprised of a microchip and a digital readout, for example, and may be used to quantify the power of the throw. In the embodiment where the accelerometer is disposed on head 110, it is envisioned that rod 120 and/or mass 130 may not be part of lacrosse training apparatus 100. It is further envisioned that lacrosse training apparatus 100 may include multiple axes, such that the components of the desired motion could be compared to the undesirable components. Additionally, the use of strain gages may be used to provide quantification of the quality of motion.

Various manufacturing details in connection with disclosed embodiments of lacrosse training apparatus 100 are disclosed. It is envisioned that head 110 of lacrosse training apparatus 100 is made of injection molded components in a polymer, such as high impact nylon or polycarbonate. Rods 120 can be attached to head 110 by clamping between head 110 and support bars 140a, 140b, which may be attached via ultrasonic welding or heat staking, for example. A positioning element may be inserted within an aperture defined between head 110 and support bars 140a, 140b to achieve greater positional accuracy of rods 120a, 120b. Shuttles 160 may be hermaphroditic, such that only one part makes up all four shuttle halves (each shuttle 160a, 160b being made up of two halves). In various embodiments, shuttles 160 may be either ultrasonically welded or heat staked together. Mass 130 may be a turned mass of aluminum. Cross-bar 180 (and balls disposed at each end) may be machined from a stainless steel material. In an embodiment, mass 130 may be slid onto cross-bar 180 and the balls of cross-bar 180 may then be screwed on and positioned within a pocket of each shuttle 160a, 160b prior to the welding or heat staking. Other materials and methods of manufacture are contemplated and envisioned by the present disclosure.

The present disclosure also relates to a method of training a user to throw a lacrosse ball. The method includes the steps of providing a lacrosse training apparatus 100 (such as the apparatuses described above) and providing feedback. The step of providing feedback may include moving mass 130 at least partially along the length of rod 120 in response to a desired movement of head 110. The step of providing feedback may also include impeding movement of mass 130 along rod 120 in response to a non-desired movement of head 110.

It will be understood that various modifications may be made to the embodiments disclosed herein. Therefore, the above description should not be construed as limiting, but merely as exemplifications of various embodiments. Those skilled in the art will envision other modifications within the scope and spirit of the claims appended hereto.

Claims

1. A lacrosse training apparatus, comprising:

a head having a first dimension defining a longitudinal axis and second dimension;

a rod having a length and disposed in mechanical cooperation with the head; and

a mass disposed in mechanical cooperation with the rod;

wherein the mass is configured to move at least partially along the length of the rod in response to a desired motion of the head.

2. The lacrosse training apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mass is configured to move at least partially along the length of the rod from a proximal portion of the head towards a distal portion of the head in response to a desired motion of the head.

3. The lacrosse training apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mass is configured not to move along the entire length of the rod in response to a non-desired movement of the head.

4. The lacrosse training apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rod is disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.

5. The lacrosse training apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second rod having a length and disposed in mechanical cooperation with the head and being substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis and wherein the mass is configured to move at least partially along the lengths of the first and second rods in response to a desired motion of the head.

6. The lacrosse training apparatus of claim 5, wherein the mass is configured to move at least partially along the length of the rods from a proximal portion of the head towards a distal portion of the head in response to a desired motion of the head.

7. The lacrosse training apparatus of claim 5, wherein the mass is configured not to move along the entire length of the rods in response to a non-desired movement of the head.

8. The lacrosse training apparatus of claim 5, wherein the rods are disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.

9. The lacrosse training apparatus of claim 1, wherein the head is configured to engage a shaft adjacent a proximal portion of the head.

10. The lacrosse training apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a shuttle disposed in mechanical cooperation with the mass and being slidable along the rod.

11. The lacrosse training apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a first shuttle and a second shuttle, the shuttles being disposed in mechanical cooperation with the mass, the first shuttle being slidable along at least a portion of the length of the first rod and the second shuttle being slidable along at least a portion of the length of the second rod.

12. The lacrosse training apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mass is the approximate weight of a lacrosse ball.

13. The lacrosse training apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a shaft disposed in mechanical cooperation with a proximal portion of the head and being disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.

14. The lacrosse training apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an accelerometer disposed in mechanical cooperation with at least one of the head, rod and mass.

15. A method of training a user to throw a lacrosse ball, comprising:

providing a lacrosse training apparatus, including: a head; a rod having a length and being disposed in mechanical cooperation with the head; and a mass being slidable along at least a portion of the length of the rod;

providing feedback, including: moving the mass at least partially along the length of the rod in response to a desired movement of the head.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of providing feedback further includes impeding movement of the mass along the rod in response to a non-desired movement of the head.

17. The method of claim 15, further including a second rod having a length and disposed in mechanical cooperation with the head and being substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis and wherein the mass is configured to move at least partially along the lengths of the first and second rods in response to a desired motion of the head.

18. The method of claim 17, further including a first shuttle and a second shuttle, the shuttles being disposed in mechanical cooperation with the mass, the first shuttle being slidable along at least a portion of the length of the first rod and the second shuttle being slidable along at least a portion of the length of the second rod.

19. The method of claim 15, further including a shaft disposed in mechanical cooperation with a proximal portion of the head and being disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.