Jump Shot Tool for Billiards and Pool

Abstract

Equipment and methods for shooting a billiards jump shot to hop a cue ball off the surface of a billiards table. A billiards jump shot tool supports a pool cue white shooting a jump shot, providing the necessary lateral support for the pool cue at the correct height, enabling a novice player to shoot a very difficult billiards jump shot with i only a minimum amount of practice.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to for indoor leisure activities, and more specifically, to equipment and methods for pool and billiards.

2. Description of Related Art

Billiards, often called pool, is a popular indoor leisure activity. To play billiards a player uses a cue stick to strike a cue ball, which in turn, strikes another ball in an effort to knock it into the pocket of a billiards table. Popular games include 8-ball and 9-ball, with numerous rules variations for both.

During the course of a game the player must reposition himself at various spots around the billiards table to properly align the next shot. It often becomes necessary for the player to reach across the table to make a shot. Sometimes the shot is too far from the rail to easily reach, with the player maintaining at least one foot on the ground as required by the rules. In such situations where the player would be forced to reach onto the table too far to ensure a steady shot, the player may use a cue bridge upon which to rest the cue while taking the shot. FIGS. 1A-C depict typical cue bridges used to steady the cue while attempting shot that is too far for the player to easily reach. These typical cue bridges are depicted in the figures in their approximate actual size.

The average player may find a need to use a cue bridge several times during an evening of playing pool in order to steady the cue while aiming at a long billiards shot Players of extraordinary skill and trick shot artists may sometimes use a cue bridge, but are generally skilled enough that they could make the shot without it. Trick shot artists are renowned for their ability to make extremely difficult pool shots, as well as unusual and extraordinary shots that amaze and entertain those of ordinary skill. One such trick shot is the jump shot. To shoot a jump shot the trick shot artist strikes the ball in such a manner that it leaps off the surface of the pool table to fly through the air for a short distance. Skilled trick shot artists can sometimes jump the cue ball over another ball, causing the cue ball to strike a third ball, in order to make a shot in a rather spectacular fashion. However, a jump shot requires a great deal of skill in order to hold the cue stick steady at a relatively high vantage point while stroking the cue stick at an extremely steep downward angle towards the cue ball. In addition, a jump shot must be struck with a fair amount of force. The player must hit down on the ball with enough force to make it hop up off the felt of the pool table surface. The large force required to shoot a jump shot makes it even more difficult to hold the cue stick tip steady enough to make an accurate shot. Doing all this is beyond the skills of ordinary players.

Cue bridges can be useful for helping a player make long billiards shot that would be difficult to make without the cue bridge steadying the player's aim. However, after, considerable experimentation in trying to shoot jump shots using conventional cue bridges, the inventors recognized that cue bridges are simply not suitable for use in making a jump shot. Various embodiments of the present invention overcome this drawback, providing a tool that enables average players to shoot a jump shot.

SUMMARY

Embodiments disclosed herein address the above stated needs by providing systems and methods for embodiments of a jump shot tool configured to cradle a cue stick for shooting billiards jump shots. Typically, the jump shot tool includes a two cue stick support portion, with one being located at either end of the jump shot tool. The cue stick support portions are configured to cradle the player's cue stick at a predefined distance above a surface of a billiards table while shooting a first jump shot, e.g., 4½ inches to 6 inches high. The jump shot tool has a grip portion located adjacent the bottom end of the toot which is configured to be grasped by the player for holding the jump shot tool against the surface of the billiards table while shooting a jump shot. The two sides of the grip portion taper inwards, from bottom to top, towards each other. In embodiments of the jump tool with two cue stick support portions (one at each end of the tool) there are also two grip portions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute part of the specification, illustrate various embodiments of the invention. Together with the general description, the drawings serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:

FIGS. 1A-C depict front views of conventional cue bridges for steadying a cue stick in order to take a long billiards shot;

FIGS. 1D-E depict side and front views of a cue bridge head with a cutaway view of a cue stick positioned to take a shot;

FIGS. 1F-G depict a side view of a conventional cue bridge head with the cue stick aimed at a steep angle, and a view of the same conventional cue bridge head from the perspective of looking down the cue shaft;

FIG. 2 depicts a cue stick and cue ball being used on a pool table to shoot a jump shot;

FIG. 3A depicts a cue ball and a cut-away view of a cue stick, and typical positioning and shot angles suitable for shooting a jump shot;

FIG. 3B depicts a side view of a cue stick resting on a jump shot tool;

FIGS. 4A-B depict front views of two embodiments of jump shot tools;

FIGS. 4C-D depict cut-away views showing the cue stick support area of a jump shot tool;

FIG. 5A depicts an embodiment of the jump shot tool with protuberances on the grip portion of the tool;

FIG. 5B depicts points to be used in defining the smoothed grip shape for the jump shot tool embodiment with protuberances on the grip portion depicted in FIG. 5A;

FIG. 5C depicts a protuberance variance limit measurement shown on a cutaway view of the jump shot tool embodiment of FIG. 5A; and

FIGS. 6A-E depict the protuberance variance limits of the two different types of pool cue bridge from FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A trick shot that many average players aspire to master is the billiard jump shot, that is, hopping the cue ball up in the air, for example, high enough to clear another ball a short distance away. However, the jump shot is very difficult to shoot, and very few pool players have the skill required to make such a shot. The present inventors realized the need for a tool to assist players in shooting the jump shot, and in response, developed the “EZ-jumper” jump shot tool. The various embodiments of the present invention involve jump shot tools to assist players in shooting a jump shot, as depicted in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5. The jump shot tool differs considerably from a conventional cue bridge, as shown in FIGS. 1A-1G. Such cue bridges are not suitable for use in making jump shots.

The cue bridges depicted in FIGS. 1A-G are useful for assisting in difficult pool shots. For example, such cue bridges are quite useful for shots that are out of reach of the player—shots requiring the player to reach farther across the table than the player is capable of reaching while maintaining a steady aim. Cue bridges, however, are not suitable for use in making jump shots. For one thing, standard cue bridges do not cradle the cue stick high enough off the surface of the pool table to shoot a jump shot. To shoot a jump shot using some sort of rest, the cue stick generally needs to be cradled at least a height of five inches or more above the surface of the pool table. A standard cue bridge positioned in its ordinary manner (as depicted in FIGS. 1A-B) cradles the cue stick at a height of no more than two inches from the table surface. This can be seen by measurement 107 for FIGS. 1A-B which indicates the height of a cue stick 105 resting on the cue bridge (105 is the cross-section of a cue stick shown resting on the cue bridge). Some cue bridges can be positioned to sit higher up by rotating them 90 degrees to stand upright. Even when standing upright, as shown in FIG. 1C, the standard cue bridges of FIGS. 1A-C cradle the pool cue somewhat less than three inches off the surface of the pool table, as shown by measurement 109. Various jump tool embodiments of the present invention preferably cradle the cue stick at least four inches above the surface of the pool table, and preferably five inches from the surface, with some embodiments providing even greater heights above the pool table surface.

Aside from the size difference discussed above, there are other distinguishing characteristics between a standard cue bridge and a jump shot tool. One important characteristic is the shape of the jump shot tool where a player grasps onto it. To shoot a jump shot the player must be able to hold the jump shot tool firmly enough against the surface of the pool table to stabilize the tool for the shot. Various embodiments of the jump shot tool are designed to have dimensions and shape that enable the player to easily and comfortably hold the tool in the proper position while shooting a jump shot. The portion of the tool that a player holds on to—the grip portion—typically features inward tapering sides that slope inward towards the tool's center vertical axis from the bottom of the grip portion to the top of the grip portion. This shape is easiest for a player to pin against the surface of the pool table. Another feature of the grip portion of the tool is that it not have too many irregular edge surfaces. Both of these aspects of the tool's grip portion are discussed in further detail below, in conjunction with FIGS. 4-5. By contrast, a bridge cue has a pool cue-like shaft affixed to it and is therefore not designed to be held in one's hand.

Another distinguishing feature is the shape of the cue stick support portion of the jump shot tool as compared to the cue rest portion of the conventional cue bridges. The cue rest portion typical of cue bridges is shown in FIG. 1E as 111, and FIG. 1G as 113 (looking down the shaft of the cue stick). Even if the cue bridges of FIGS. 1A-C were scaled up to be larger in size they would still not provide the benefits of the present invention in attempting to make jump shots due to the shape of the cue rest portion of the cue bridges. A jump shot cannot be performed with a smooth, light tap to the cue ball. A jump shot must be struck with a good deal of force in a short, dart-like stroke—enough force to make the ball hop off the surface of the table. To be useful for making jump shots the jump shot tool provides lateral stability to the cue while the forceful jump shot is being attempted. The conventional cue bridge rest portion 111 of the cue bridge shown in FIG. 1E is too shallow to provide much lateral (side-to-side) support while the player is making a violent collision with the cue ball in performing a jump shot. Cue bridges are not designed to take shots at a steep angle. Instead, most shots during a game of pool are taken with the clue stick sliding across the cue rest portion in a relatively flat motion, as shown in FIG. 1D in which cue stick 123 rests on the cue rest portion 111 of cue bridge 103 (or at an angle slightly more tilted than the horizontal position shown in the figure).

A jump shot cannot be made when the cue stick is at a relatively flat position as shown in FIG. 1D. Instead, jump shots are taken at a steep angle such as that shown in FIG. 1F. However, at least two problems arise when the cue stick 125 is oriented at a relatively steep angle relative to the cue bridge 103. First, the cue bridge 103 is not nearly tall enough to provide sufficient clearance for shooting a jump shot. Second, even if the cue bridge 103 was modified to be tall enough, the cue rest portion 113 of cue bridge 103 is too shallow to provide the lateral support needed for a forceful jump shot. When the cue stick 125 is placed on cue bridge 103 at a steep angle, as in FIG. 1F, the cue rest portion appears even more shallow than when the cue stick is level. This can be seen in FIG. 1G which depicts the view of cue bridge 103 as seen looking along the shaft of cue stick 125 positioned at a steep angle. When the cue is level the cue bridge appears to have a height of distance 115, as shown in FIGS. 1D-E, and the cue rest portion has its normal depth 111. However, when the cue is oriented at a steep angle, as per FIGS. 1F-G, the cue bridge appears flattened, having an apparent height of 117 (looking down the cue stick), and the cue rest portion 113 appears flattened out. When the cue rest portion 113 is this shallow there is very little lateral support for the cue stick. This can be especially problematic if the shot being attempted is a rigorous shot with a great force such as a jump shot. Hence, even if a conventional cue bridge could be found that was tall enough to use for a billiards jump shot, the cue rest portion—the part of the cue bridge that supports the cue stick—would be too shallow to provide sufficient lateral support to make the steep angled stroke required for a jump shot.

FIG. 2 depicts a cue stick and cue ball being used on a pool table to shoot a jump shot. As shown in the figure the cue stick is positioned at a much steeper angle to shoot a jump shot, than the relatively flatter cue angle that would be used to hit an ordinary pool shot. The cue stick may be angled as much as 45 degrees or more in shooting a jump shot. Even when shooting a fairly flat jump shot intended to hop the ball a long lateral distance the cue is typically angled at least 30 degrees from horizontal, a far steeper angle than an regular pool shot. By contrast the cue stick is generally no more than 10 or 15 degrees above horizontal when shooting a regular pool shot.

Aside from the steep cue angle, a jump shot differs from an ordinary shot in that it must be struck with a much greater amount of force than most typical shots. One common shot in various games of pool, aside from a jump shot, that requires a great deal of force is the initial shot to break a group of pool balls racked in formation at the beginning of a game. Although a jump shot has a great deal of force, it differs from a shot to break the rack. In a break shot the player may use as long of a stroke on the cue stick as needed to generate sufficient force. A player will often stroke the cue stick 15 inches or more to generate the requisite force for breaking the rack of balls. By contrast, when a player shoots a billiards jump shot the steep angle prevents a stroke of much more than a few inches—around six inches or so. The player must generate sufficient force in the short stroke distance to get the ball to hop off the table. Some experts characterize this short, powerful stroke as a “dart” stroke—a stroke that rapidly generates speed and power but with a short stroke distance.

FIG. 3A shows a cue stick and cue ball, and typical positioning and shot angles suitable for shooting three types of pool shots, including a jump shot. As mentioned above, a regular pool shot is generally taken at a much flatter angle. For example, a pool shot aimed along the arrow 307 would result in an ordinary pool shot—the ball would not jump—and if hit with sufficient force, the 307 shot would cause the ball to have a bit of top spin or forward spin. On the other hand a shot aimed along arrow 305 would cause the ball to have a bit of back spin. This type of shot is used to make the cue ball stop short once it hits another ball, or if the cue ball has enough back spin on it, it will return in the direction from which it was shot. If a shot along arrow 305 was hit with sufficient force, it would be possible for the ball to leave the surface of the pool table—but this would not be a jump shot since the ball would be hopping off the tip of the pool cue not hopping off the surface of the pool table. A shot along arrow 305 that becomes airborne by hopping off the tip of the pool cue is illegal according to the rules of most pool games, and would be a scratch (loss of turn).

A jump shot occurs when the ball is driven into the table with sufficient force to cause it to hop up off the surface of the table. Pool cue 301 aimed along arrow 309, if hit with sufficient force, would yield a jump shot. As can be seen in the figure, the angle of the jump shot arrow 309 is much greater (higher above horizontal) than a typical shot angle such as 307 or 305. Moreover, to execute a jump shot the point of contact on the ball must be at a fairly high position. Typically, a jump shot strikes the top third of the ball as viewed from the side, or above line 311 in FIG. 3. It would be very difficult, if not impossible, to shoot a jump shot by striking the ball below the top third of the ball. The cue stick comes into contact at a point slightly below the axis of the ball 313, the line drawn through the center of the cue ball parallel to the direction of the stroke 309. Typically, the point of contact is about one-half of the tip width, or approximately one-quarter of an inch, below axis 313.

FIG. 3B depicts a side view of a cue stick resting on a jump shot tool. As mentioned above, the angle of the cue stick in making a jump shot is much higher than that of an ordinary shot. FIG. 3B shows a typical cue angle, about 50 degrees below (steeper than) horizontal. Jump shots may be executed at higher angles than this, or lower angles, although the angle is typically greater than 30 degrees above horizontal. A jump shot executed with a relatively flat cue angle for a jump shot—say 40 degrees—will generally not jump as high than a steeper jump shot of say 60 degrees but will travel farther horizontally. Because of the steep cue angle coupled with the force necessary to make the ball hop off the surface of the pool table, very few novice pool players have the skill necessary to make a jump shot using only their hands to position and manipulate the pool cue. The jump shot tool overcomes this problem by providing assistance in making a jump shot.

FIGS. 4A-B depict front views of two embodiments of jump shot tools. Although various embodiments of the jump shot tool can be implemented in a number of different forms, there are advantages to be realized in maintaining certain shapes and dimensions. For example, the height of the tool, the shape of the cue stick support area, and the shape of the body of the tool all play a role in its effectiveness.

One notable aspect of the jump shot tool is the height that the cue stick is cradled above the surface of the pool table. In the various embodiments this height is measured from the points where the cue stick makes contact with the jump tool. For example, on jump tool 401 the cue stick 409 makes contact within the cue stick support area at points 411 and 413. The cue stick support height 415 is the height that cue stick 409 is cradled above the surface of the pool table. In the embodiment shown the cue stick support height 415 is approximately 5¾ inches. It should be noted that the location of points 411 and 413 where the cue stick 409 contacts the cue stick support area of the tool depend upon the diameter of the cue stick. A larger diameter cue stick will sit slightly higher within the cue stick support area than a smaller diameter cue stick, producing a greater cue stick support height for the larger diameter stick. For the purposes of defining the cue stick support height we shall assume that the cue stick 409 has a 9/16 inch diameter at the cross-section where the cue stick rests on the jump shot tool, a typical cue stick diameter approximately eight inches from the tip. Cue stick support height calculations could also be made using other cue stick diameters (e.g., ½ inch), but would then take on slightly different values for the same jump shot tool.

This particular embodiment can be used as shown with end 419 upright and supporting the cue stick, or it can be used with the other end up, end 421. Notice that the “vee” of the cue support area at end 421 is cut a bit more deeply than the vee of the cue support area of end 419. This can also be seen by comparing the distance 423 with the distance 425. When the jump shot tool is used with end 419 up, as shown in the figure, the cue stick is supported at a greater support height than it is when the jump shot tool is used with end 421 upright. The distance 415, approximately 5¾ inches, is greater than the distance 417 which is approximately 5 5/16 inches. This distance, the cue stick support height, may vary somewhat, depending upon the particularities of the implementation.

Generally, embodiments of the jump shot tool are manufactured with a cue stick support height of between 5 inches and 7 inches. Other shorter or higher cue stick support heights may be used in some embodiments, but tend to either be less effective or more cumbersome. For example, in some embodiments the cue support height may be as low as 4 inches or as high as 12 inches, or any range of heights in between or including these two distances (e.g., 5 to 7 inches, 10 to 12 inches, etc.). The fact that the embodiment of jump shot tool 401 shown in FIG. 4A has two different cue stick support heights—depending upon which end is positioned up—affords a bit of an advantage in providing flexibility for adapting the jump shot tool for different conditions in shooting billiards jump shots.

Another characteristic of the jump shot tool that affects its usefulness in shooting billiards jump shots is the shape of the tool at the grip portion where the player's hand holds onto it near the surface of the pool table. Generally, the player shoots a billiards jump shot by holding the jump shot tool firmly against the pool table. Therefore, the bottom grip portion of the tool should be configured to be easily gripped against the table. This is done in some embodiments by shaping grip portion, that is, the portions of the sides toward the bottom of the jump shot tool that are grasped by the player—to taper inward as you move up the jump shot tool getting farther away from the table. As shown in FIG. 4B, for the grip portion 445 the inward tapering slopes inward towards a center vertical axis 455 of the tool as one goes from the bottom of the grip portion to the top of the grip portion. The inward tapering can be seen by comparing the shape of the bottom grip portion 445 with triangle 441, drawn in FIG. 4B for comparison. The inward tapering is characterized by the angle 453 in FIG. 4B which is approximately 69 degrees. Various embodiments may have differing amounts of inward tapering, some with as much as 85 degrees or as little as 30 degrees, and any range within or including these two taper angle extremes. A typical range for the inward tapering of the grip portion is 60 to 80 degrees. The inward tapering slopes towards a vertical center axis 455 of the jump shot tool.

The grip portion 445 need not be configured to have perfectly straight-line sides. Instead, while portions of some jump tool embodiments may have straight-line edges, the grip portion of the jump tool may be more easily held in a player's hand if it has a gentle curve, either convexing outward or concaving inward, so long as the sides of the grip portion taper inward towards the vertical centerline as you move up the grip portion starting from near the bottom at the surface of the pool table. In addition, some embodiments of the jump shot tool are symmetrical about a center axis (e.g., center axis 455) drawn through the center of one of the cue stick support areas (as shown in FIG. 4B), while other embodiments of the jump shot tool are not symmetrical about this axis.

The tapering of the grip portion 445 does not extend all the way to the pool table surface since a player does not generally grasp the jump shot tool at portions immediately proximate the surface of the pool table. Instead, the inward tapering grip portion 445 is adjacent the end part that sits on the surface of the pool table. In this context, the tapering grip portion 445 is “adjacent” in that it is nearby the end portion 443 but does not extend all the way to the surface of the pool table. Typically, the grip portion 445 is a predefined distance up from the very bottom end portion 443, e.g., 5/16 of an inch up from the end points that sit on the surface of the pool table.

The arms of the tool that rest on the pool table may be curved at their bottom ends, as shown at ends 443 of the arms below the triangle 441 shown in the embodiment of FIG. 4B. Consequently, the inward tapered grip portion 445 excludes the arm end portion 443 since the player generally does not grasp the jump tool this close to the surface of the pool table. The height of this non-inward tapered bottom portion 443 that sits on the surface of the pool table may vary according to the particular implementation of the tool. For example, the bottom portion 443 that does not taper inward in the same direction as triangle 441 may be the bottom ⅛ inch of the tool, the bottom ¼ inch, the bottom ⅜ inch, the bottom ½ inch, the bottom ¾ inch, or in some embodiments, event the bottom 1 inch of the tool. Providing rounded corners on the ends of the arms 443 below grip portion 445 makes it easier to put the jump tool in one's pocket when not in use. (Note that when the jump shot tool is reversed and the end 443 of the tool is used to shoot a jump shot, this portion becomes the top, and the portion towards the top of FIG. 4B then becomes the bottom, grip portion of the tool.)

The arms of the tool need not always have rounded or curved ends as shown for arm ends 443 of FIG. 4B. In some embodiments the grip portion 445 which tapers inward as it rises from the surface of the pool table may extend all the way down to the surface of the pool table. However, as can be seen in the figures the grip portion 445 may begin its taper at a first predefined distance from the surface of the pool table (e.g., the bottom 1⅛, ¼, ⅜, ½, ¾, 1 inch of the tool, or any distance in between). The grip portion 445 extends upward to a second predefined distance 447 from the surface of the table. Depending upon the embodiment, this distance 447 is often approximately 2 inches, as shown in FIG. 4B, but may be as little as 1½ inches or as great as 4 inches for some embodiments, or any distance in between.

In various embodiments, the horizontal width 457 at the vertical center (the width at one-half of the tool's height) is generally narrower than the tool's width at either end. The tool's width at either end may be measured at the horizontal line passing through the contact points, for example, the line in FIG. 4A passing through points 411 and 413, and also at the other end as measured at the line passing through points 459 and 461. For embodiments in which the cue stick support portion is not symmetrical and the contact points are unlevel, the horizontal line passing halfway between the two contact points can be used as a place for measuring the width of the end of the tool.

Turning, again, to FIG. 4B, the center portion 449 of the jump shot tool, the portion above the grip portion 445 but below the grip portion (if any) at the other end of the tool can be a number of different shapes without detracting from the usefulness of the jump shot tool. For example, the embodiment disclosed in FIG. B has a rounded protuberance 451 within the center portion 449 of the body of the jump tool. On the other hand, jump tool 401 depicted in FIG. 4A has a gracefully concave curving center portion without any protuberances or other added shapes or irregularities. It should be noted that the center portion 449 above grip portion 445 (or between the grip portion at each end of the jump tool if the tool is an embodiment meant to be used at both ends) need not be symmetrical in shape. Rather, the center portion 449 can be shaped for ornamental or aesthetic purposes, in accordance with various embodiments of jump shot tools.

Two other aspects of the jump shot tool that warrant consideration are the height of the arms 429 and the shape of the cue stick support area shown in FIG. 4C within the dotted box 427. As discussed above in conjunction with FIGS. 1E and 1G the shape of the cue rest portion is important for providing lateral stability for the cue stick during the forceful jump shot stroke. Even if a conventional cue bridge could be found in a size tall enough to shoot a jump shot, the shape of the conventional bridge's cue rest portion 111 is inadequate for providing the lateral stability necessary. Most cue bridges are designed to have the cue stick rest upon the bottom part of the cue rest portion 111 shown in FIG. 1E. This is acceptable for smoothly stroking the cue stick in a relatively level ordinary pool shot, but not for the steep angled, forceful stroke of a jump shot. The shape of cue rest portion 111 gives rise to horizontal instability in the cue stick in an attempt to use a cue bridge for forceful, highly angled pool shots, thus rendering the cue bridge unsuitable for jump shots. To overcome this disadvantage and provide the necessary lateral support for a forceful jump shot the cue stick support portion of various embodiments of the jump tools disclosed herein differ from cue stick bridges in at least three respects—the shape of the vee of the cue stick support portion, the amount of space provided beneath the cue stick and the bottom of the vee (or lowest point of the cue stick support portion), and the depth of the vee.

Referring to FIGS. 4D, one aspect of the shape of the cue stick support portion 427 shown in the dotted box is defined by the angle 433 of the vee formed by the arms of the jump shot tool. Another aspect is the cue stick clearance 435—the distance 435 between the bottom of cue stick 409 and the point 431 of the bottom of the cue stick support portion directly below it, as shown in FIG. 4C. A cue stick support portion 427 is said to be characterized by a cue stick clearance of a given distance if there is that given distance of space beneath a cue stick 409 resting on the cue stick support portion 427, e.g., 1/16 inch of space, ⅛ inch of space, ¼ inch of space, or like amount of space between the cue stick 409 and the point of the cue stick support portion 427 beneath it.

These two parameters of the cue stick support portion 427—the cue stick clearance 435 and the vee angle 433—determine how effectively the cue stick is supported during a steeply angled, forceful jump shot But the measurement of these two parameters depends, in part, upon the characteristics of the cue stick being used for the measurement, and in particular, upon the diameter of the cue stick. Cue sticks come in various lengths, thicknesses and sizes, and therefore have varying diameters. Moreover, all cue sticks taper slightly from the narrowest portion near their tip to the handle end which is thick enough to be comfortably held in a player's hand. So the diameter of a given cue stick will vary depending upon what point in its length the diameter measurement is taken. For the purposes of defining the vee angle we shall assume that the cue stick 409 has a diameter of 9/16 inch at the cross-section 409 where the cue stick rests on the jump shot tool, a typical cue stick diameter approximately eight inches from the tip. It should be noted that some trick shot artist have recently been using special jump stick cue sticks which are shorter and slightly thicker than an ordinary cue stick. These jump sticks can readily be used with various embodiments of the present invention since their slight increase in tip thickness is easily accommodated by the shape of the cue stick support portion 427. However, for the sake of consistency, a diameter of 9/16 inch at the cross-section 409 will be used in determining the various parameters associated with the cue stick support portion 427.

In some instances it may be difficult to tell whether a conventional cue bridge such as cue bridge 103 of FIG. 1 supports the cue stick on the flat (or slightly rounded) bottom part of the cue stick rest, or on two points with a space beneath the cue stick. In order to determine whether there is a space beneath the cue stick the following test may be used. First, mark the top edge of the cue stick rest portion with a dry erase marker or other such liquid. Then wrap a thin piece of absorbent material around the cue stick, such as a piece of tissue paper, and rest the cue stick with tissue paper on the cue stick rest portion of the cue bridge. The ink (or other liquid) staining the tissue paper should reveal whether or not there is an appreciable space beneath the cue stick rest portion of the cue bridge.

As depicted in FIG. 4D the vee angle 433 of cue stick support portion 427 is defined by the angle of the jump tool's arms relative to each other at the points 437 and 439, the innermost (towards the center axis) two points where the cue stick comes into contact with the cue stick support portion. The angle at these two contact points is used to define the vee angle because these two points are readily ascertainable, even for cue stick support portions that are curved or otherwise shaped irregularly—since the cue support portion need not be a straight-line notch formed by two intersecting line segments. Instead of having straight-line sides, various embodiments feature cue stick support portions with gently curving shapes. The embodiment depicted in FIG. 4D has a cue support vee angle 433 of approximately 50 degrees, as measured at the points 437 and 439 where the cue stick contacts cue support portion 427. Some embodiments may have cue support vee angles of as little as 30 degrees while other embodiments have cue support vee angles of as much as 90 degrees. Some embodiments have a cue support vee angle within the range of 40 to 60 degrees. However, various other embodiments may have vee angles within any range between or including the two bounds of 20 to 90 degrees (e.g., 45 to 70 degrees, 40 to 90 degrees, etc.). Cue stick support portions having a vee angle that is too large do not provide the needed lateral support, while vee angle that are too small tend to produce too much friction as the cue is stroked. Conventional cue bridges typically have a vee angle that is somewhat larger than 90 degrees, often approaching 180 degrees (supported by the center, horizontal surface). For example, it would be difficult to define the vee angle of the cue bridge shown in FIG. 1E since the cue stick is supported by the bottom portion of the cue rest area 111. The two innermost points of contact would be very close together near the center part of the cup supporting the cue stick. Hence, a vee angle for cue bridge 103 of FIG. 1E would approach 180 degrees (the horizontal surface as the bottom of cue rest 111). As discussed above in conjunction with FIGS. 1D-G, this vee angle is too large to provide the lateral support needed for shooting a billiards jump shot.

Two other factors to consider for the cue stick support portion are the amount of clearance space provided beneath the cue stick and the distance between the points where the cue stick contacts the support portion of the tool. This space is depicted in FIG. 4C as the cue clearance space 435. If there is no cue clearance space—that is, if the cue stick sits on the bottom of the cue stick support portion—then it would be very difficult to maintain lateral stability when shooting a jump shot due to the steep angle and force required for the shot. For example, it would be quite difficult to shoot a jump shot using a flat-edged support—say, a rectangular piece of wood sized 2 inches wide by 5 inches high. The cue would simply slip off the wooden support when force was applied at a steep angle. Conventional cue bridges suffer from this same defect, to a lesser extent. As discussed above, in conjunction with FIGS. 1D-G, the cue rest portion of a cue bridge is effectively flattened out due to the extreme shot angle. Due to this the conventional cue bridge provides very little lateral support when a forceful, steep-angled shot is taken. But in various embodiments of the present invention where there is some amount of clearance space beneath the cue stick, the cue stick rests upon two points of the jump shot tool. This can be seen in FIG. 4A as the cue stick rests upon points 411 and 413. The embodiments of the present invention depicted in FIGS. 4A-D have nearly ¼ inch of cue clearance space. There is not necessarily any minimum amount of clearance that is mandatory, so long as there is sufficient clearance for the cue stick to make contact in two spots. Some embodiments of the jump shot tool may have a cue clearance space of ⅜ inch, ¼ inch, ⅛ inch, 1/16 inch, or even as little as 1/100 inch, so long as there is an appreciable amount of cue clearance space between the cue stick 409 and the cue stick support portion 427.

As for the distance between the points where the cue stick contacts the jump shot tool, having these two contact points adequately distanced apart by a sufficient amount helps to provide the needed lateral support. This horizontal spacing is shown in FIG. 4A as the contact point lateral distance 463, and is approximately ½ inch in the embodiment depicted in the figures. Some embodiments of the jump shot tool may have a contact point lateral distance of as little as 3/16 inch while other embodiments approach 17/32 inch, or any range in between these two extremes. For those embodiments that have a non-symmetrical cue stick support area, the horizontal distance between the contact points is used for the contact point lateral distance, in the event the contact points touch the cue stick at slightly different heights.

FIG. 5A depicts an embodiment 501 of the jump shot tool with protuberances on the grip portion of the tool. The shape of the grip portion can be quite important for the jump shot tool since the shape affects how easily the tool can be pinned to the surface of the pool table while making a billiards jump shot. However, it can be difficult to define the grip shape for a jump shot tool with multiple protuberances or other irregular shapes present on the portion grasped by a player's hand. FIGS. 5A-C and the ensuing discussion provide one preferred way of defining the grip shape by specifying two parameters for the shape of grip portion—namely, a smoothed grip shape parameter that approximates the irregular shape, and a protuberance variance limit parameter that defines the maximum distance the shape irregularities are from the smoothed grip shape approximation.

The first step in determining the smoothed grip shape approximation of the grip portion enclosed in the dashed line box 511 of FIG. 5A is to label the inflection points of the irregularly shaped grip portion. The inflection points are the points at which a curved line defining the outer boundary of the grip portion changes in direction from a concave (inward) curve to a convex (outward) curve, or vice versa. An inflection point can be found between a maximum point on a curve (a peak) and an adjacent minimum point on the curve (a valley). Turning to FIG. 5A, by way of example two of the peaks on the grip portion are labeled 503 and two adjacent valleys are labeled 505. Between each peak point and its adjacent valley point on the curve defining the grip portion of the tool is an inflection point. Several inflection points 507 are labeled in FIG. 5A. (There are other peaks, valleys and inflections points indicated with an X on FIG. 5A that are not otherwise labeled, for the sake of clarity in the drawing.)

FIG. 5B depicts the smoothed grip shape approximation 509 for the jump shot tool of FIG. SA. Once the inflection points are labeled, the smoothed grip shape approximation 509 can be drawn starting at the endpoints of the grip portion and drawing through the inflection points 507 with a gently curving line. One alternative definition for a smoothed grip shape is to connect the inflection points with straight line segments. This approach is disadvantageous in that it produces a jagged shape which is not as useful as a parameter for describing the grip portion. Instead, it is more descriptive of the grip portion shape to use a gently curving line that passes through the inflection points (or passes through as many inflection points as possible while passing nearby one or more others). Smoothed grip shape approximation 509 was generated using such an approach to create a gently curving line that passes through each of the inflections points while connecting the top and bottom points defining the grip portion of the jump shot tool. By “gently curving” it is meant that a radius of the curve shall be no greater than ⅓ the distance between the endpoints of the grip portion of the tool. (Note: The radius of the curve near the top inflection point of the two inflection points on FIG. 6E is approximately ⅓ the distance between the endpoints of the grip portion of the bridge 101.) It should be noted that the smoothed grip shape approximation 509 of the jump shot tool embodiment depicted in FIG. S A is characterized by a gently inward tapering slope, as discussed above in conjunction with 441 of FIG. 4B.

Once the smoothed grip shape approximation 509 has been determined, it can be used to generate the protuberance variance limits 513 and 515. The smoothed grip shape approximation is also useful for determining whether the grip portion shape tapers inward toward the center axis of the jump shot tool, or outward. The protuberance variance limit parameter indicates the maximum distance the protuberances of the grip portion can deviate around the smoothed grip shape approximation 509. For example, the protuberance variance limits 513 and 515 define an area 3/16 inch wide with the smoothed grip shape approximation 509 running through its center. The protuberance variance limit is a parameter that defines an area containing any protuberances or other irregularities of the jump tool's grip portion. As such, the protuberance variance limit spans the length of the grip portion of the tool, and is as wide as its specified dimension, e.g., 3/16 inch for the protuberance variance limit defined by points 513 and 515. Different jump tool embodiments according to the present invention may have protuberance variance limits of varying widths, including for example, any distance or range of two distances less than ⅜ inch, with the grip portion tapering inward towards the center of the tool as you move up the tool from the surface of the table to the cue stick support area. Some embodiments have a have protuberance variance limit of up to ¾ inch, or any range of limits less than or including this distance. In some non-symmetric embodiments of the jump shot tool the protuberance variance limit may differ on one side of the tool as compared to the other side of the tool. For example, the left side of jump shot tool 501 in FIG. 5A could be modified to be a single, smooth gradual curve (a protuberance variance limit of 0 inches), while the right side retains a protuberance variance limit of 3/16 inch.

Another consideration of the grip section is its thickness and shape in the thickness direction, i.e., the direction perpendicular to plane of triangle 441 of FIG. 4B which may be called the Z direction. Typically, embodiments of the jump shot tool are flat along the plane of triangle 441, and have a thickness within the range of 1/32 inch to 7/16 inch, often having a thickness of slightly less than ¼ inch or less. FIG. 3B depicts a side view of a typical jump shot tool embodiment. Some embodiments of the jump shot are curved somewhat, for example, to more easily fit in a player's back pants pocket. Some embodiments may also have variations in thickness in the Z direction, including holes, recessed portions or raised portions.

FIGS. 6A-E depict the protuberance variance limits of the two different types of conventional pool cue bridge from FIG. 1. The protuberance variance limits are determined by first finding the inflection points of the area that would be the grip area if it was possible to use the cue stick bridge for a jump tool. A gradual curve 607 is then drawn connecting the endpoints of the body of the cue bridge (even though a cue bridge isn't designed to be gripped by a player's hand), and passing through the inflections points. As shown in FIG. 6B, the gradual curve 607 is in the middle of the two boundaries of the protuberance variance limits 619 and 621. The protuberance variance limit 619 is the closest boundary, shaped the same as gradual curve 607, that bounds the edges of the body of cue bridge 103. The protuberance variance limit 621 is the same distance away from gradual curve 607 on the other side. The cue bridge 103 has a protuberance variance limit of distance 609 of slightly more than ⅜ inch, however, unlike various embodiments of the jump shot tool, the edges of the body of cue bridge 103 tapers outward rather than inward as indicated by the smoothed grip shape line 603. As shown in FIG. 6D the left edge 603 of cue bridge 101 has a protuberance variance limit of distance 613 which is approximately 7/16 of an inch. The other side 605 of cue bridge 101 has a protuberance variance limit of distance 617 which is slightly less than ¾ inch.

The term pool and billiards have been used interchangeably throughout this disclosure. The jump shot tool is referred to as an EZ-jumper jump shot tool in this disclosure. At the time of filing this patent application, an application for trademark protection for the mark “EZ-jumper” is being prepared but has not yet been granted. Various example embodiments are provided above in terms of the jump shot tool itself, with description also being provided for methods of using the tool. The methods of using the jump shot tool are intended to be within the scope of the embodiments of the present invention.

The description of the various example embodiments provided above is illustrative in nature and is not intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses. Thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the embodiments of the present invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A jump shot tool for shooting a billiards jump shot, said jump shot tool comprising:

a cue stick support portion located at a top end of said jump shot tool and configured to cradle a cue stick a predefined distance above a surface of a billiards table while shooting the jump shot;

a bottom end portion located on an opposite end of the jump shot tool from the cue stick support portion, said bottom end portion comprising a rounded tip configured to sit on the surface of the billiards table while shooting the jump shot; and

a grip portion of the jump shot tool located adjacent the bottom end portion of said jump shot tool and configured to be grasped in a player's hand to hold the jump shot tool against the surface of the billiards table while shooting the jump shot;

wherein said grip portion is configured to have two sides that taper inwards towards each other, from bottom to top; and

wherein said predefined distance is at least 5 inches; and

wherein the cue stick support portion is configured to cradle the cue stick at two contact points, and the cue stick support portion has a vee angle of no more than 60 degrees as measured at the two contact points.

2. The jump shot tool according to claim 1, wherein the cue stick support portion is configured such that there is a space below the cue stick being cradled at the two contact points and above a bottom point of the cue stick support portion.

3. (canceled)

4. The jump shot tool according to claim 1, wherein the two contact points are at least ⅜ of an inch apart.

5. The jump shot tool according to claim 1, wherein the cue stick support portion is characterized by at least ⅛ inch of cue stick clearance.

6. A jump shot tool configured to cradle a cue stick for shooting billiards jump shots, said jump shot tool comprising:

a first cue stick support portion located at a first end of said jump shot tool and configured to cradle the cue stick a first distance above a surface of a billiards table while shooting a first jump shot;

a first grip portion of the jump shot tool located adjacent a second end of said jump shot tool and configured to be grasped to hold the jump shot tool against the surface of the billiards table while shooting the first jump shot, said first grip portion having two sides that taper inwards, from bottom to top, towards a vertical center axis of the jump shot tool;

a second cue stick support portion located at the second end of said jump shot tool and configured to cradle the cue stick a second distance above the surface of the billiards table while shooting a second jump shot, wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance; and

a second grip portion of the jump shot tool located adjacent a first end of said jump shot tool and configured to be grasped to hold the jump shot tool against the surface of the billiards table while shooting the second jump shot, said second grip portion having two sides that taper inwards, from bottom to top, towards the vertical center axis of the jump shot tool;

wherein the second distance is at least 4 ½ inches; and

wherein the first cue stick support portion is configured to cradle the cue stick at a first and a second contact point on the jump shot tool while shooting the first jump shot; and

wherein the first cue stick support portion has a vee angle of no more than 60 degrees as measured at the first and the second contact points.

7. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

9. The jump shot tool according to claim 6, wherein a vertical center width of the jump shot tool is narrower than a width at a line passing through the first and the second contact points.

10. The jump shot tool according to claim 6, wherein the first and the second contact points are at least ⅜ of an inch apart.

11. The jump shot tool according to claim 6, wherein the first cue stick support portion is characterized by at least 1/16 inch of cue stick clearance.

12. The jump shot tool according to claim 11, wherein the first grip portion is characterized by a protuberance variance limit of no more than ¼ inch, said protuberance variance limit being based on a smoothed shape approximation of the first grip portion.

13. The jump shot tool according to claim 1, wherein the grip portion begins no further than ½ inch from the bottom end portion and extends to at least two inches from the bottom end portion, said two sides tapering inwards towards each other from a bottom of the grip portion to a top of the grip portion.

14. The jump shot tool according to claim 13, wherein the grip portion is characterized by a protuberance variance limit of no more than ¼ inch, said protuberance variance limit being based on a smoothed shape approximation of the first grip portion.

15. The jump shot tool according to claim 1, wherein said vee angle is no more than 45 degrees as measured at the two contact points.

16. The jump shot tool according to claim 15, where the cue stick has at least a 9/16 inch diameter at a cross-section 8 inches from a tip of the cue stick.

17. The jump shot tool according to claim 1, wherein the jump shot tool is symmetrical about a center axis drawn from a center of the cue stick support portion through the bottom end portion.

18. The jump shot tool according to claim 6, wherein the first grip portion begins no further than ½ inch from the second end and extends to at least two inches from the second end towards the first end, said two sides of the first grip portion tapering inwards towards the vertical center axis from a bottom of the first grip portion to a top of the first grip portion.

19. The jump shot tool according to claim 18, wherein the second grip portion begins no further than ½ inch from the first end and extends to at least two inches from the first end, said two sides of second grip portion tapering inwards towards the vertical center axis from a bottom of the second grip portion to a top of the second grip portion.

20. The jump shot tool according to claim 6, wherein said vee angle is no more than 45 degrees as measured at the first and the second contact points.

21. The jump shot tool according to claim 20, where the cue stick has at least a 9/16 inch diameter at a cross-section 8 inches from a tip of the cue stick.

22. The jump shot tool according to claim 6, wherein the jump shot tool is symmetrical about a center axis drawn from a center of the first cue stick support portion to the second cue stick support portion.