Abstract:
A device and method are used to train a person to play a sport of the type using a racquet or paddle. The device comprises a brace for constraining a person&#39;s arm, wrist and hand to remain in a precise relative orientation during play. The method concerns a technique for using the aforesaid brace and, while so doing, training the muscles of the arm, wrist and hand ( 1 ) to properly swing the racquet or paddle to engage the ball while avoiding undue muscle stress, and ( 2 ) to consistently throw the ball properly upward during a serve.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority from Provisional Application No. 62/036,697 filed Aug. 13, 2014, and entitled “THE TENNISHAND BRACE.” 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention concerns a device and method for training a person to play a sport using a racquet, as in tennis, racquetball, squash or badminton, or using a paddle, as in paddleball or ping pong. The device comprises a brace for constraining a person&#39;s arm, wrist and hand to remain in a precise relative orientation during play. The method concerns a technique for using the aforesaid brace and, while so doing, training the muscles of the arm, wrist and hand (1) to properly swing the racquet or paddle to engage the ball while avoiding undue muscle stress, and (2) to consistently throw the ball properly upward during a serve. 
         [0003]    Hereinafter, the term “racquet” will be used to denote, and should be understood to include, all types of racquets and paddles that are used in playing various games by striking a ball or a shuttlecock. Such an implement comprises a usually oval-shaped “head” and an attached handle having a gripping portion at its free end. The head of a tennis, squash or badminton racquet normally consists of an open frame within which is stretched a netting of strings, for example of nylon. The head of a paddle normally consists of a flat, oval-shaped board covered on both sides with a mat of rubber or plastic. 
         [0004]    Tennis players, as well as players of other games and sports that employ a racquet, are frequently unable to improve their skill beyond a certain level because of the way they grip and swing the racquet during play or the way they throw the ball in the air daring a serve. Practicing the sport while swinging the racquet incorrectly does not result in improvement and, in fact, may make it more difficult to improve one&#39;s skill because such activity reinforces the “muscle memory” of incorrect play, requiring the player to later unlearn trained-in movements of the arm, wrist and hand before new movements can be learned. 
         [0005]    Numerous aids have been devised to assist and/or train persons in playing games that require arm, wrist and/or hand coordination. For example, the U.S. Pat. No. 3,726,525 to Jackson discloses an wristband support which, is said, “enables the bowler to attain a substantially consistent lift and spin on the bowling ball as it is delivered towards the pins.” The U.S. Pat. No. 8,414,430 to McKinley discloses an arm and hand brace “designed to aid a basketball player in developing muscles to enhance a player&#39;s basketball skills including, for example, dribbling passing and/or shooting.” 
         [0006]    The U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2010/0081981 to Cheng discloses a support for restraining motion of the wrist while playing sports such as golf and bowling, so as protect the wrist against injury. Similarly, various arm, wrist and hand braces have been developed to prevent muscle injury such as “tennis elbow” and “carpal tunnel syndrome.” References disclosing such devices are the U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2006/0229539 to Toda (“Therapeutic Tool for Tennis Elbow”) and the U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,460 to Working (“Carpal Brace”). 
         [0007]    The game of tennis is particularly susceptible to causing muscle injury due to the highly unbalanced nature of the racquet. The head portion of the racquet adds such weight to the distal end of the handle that, when the proximal end of the handle is gripped with one hand and the racquet is swung improperly, it causes undue stress on the muscles of the wrist and arm. 
         [0008]    Furthermore, because of the weight of the head, it is difficult for an untrained or improperly trained person to consistently control the swing of the racquet during all types of play. 
         [0009]    Finally, tennis players often find it difficult to properly toss a tennis ball up in the air to the height required for an effective serve. The ability, or lack thereof, to serve the ball during a game is often a determinative factor in winning the game. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a device and method to aid in training a person to play tennis and/or other, similar games of skill wherein a racquet is used to strike a ball. 
         [0011]    This object, as well as other objects which will become apparent from the discussion that follows, is achieved, in accordance with the present invention, by restraining the player&#39;s hand that grips the handle of the racquet in such a way that its palm faces outward in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of the player&#39;s wrist and arm. 
         [0012]    The invention works to hold the player&#39;s hand in the appropriate position while gripping the racquet and/or striking the ball. This causes the player to fully extend the arm when addressing the ball, allowing the racquet to swing properly. 
         [0013]    The present invention is particularly applicable to the game of tennis, although it is useful also for other games where a racquet is used, to strike a ball or shuttlecock. 
         [0014]    The main difficulty that tennis players face when striking a tennis ball is their tendency to shorten their arm motion, thus not allowing the racquet to be swung properly. To perform the proper racquet motion, the tennis player needs to extend his/her arm. If that does not occur, a proper racquet swing is simply not possible. The player&#39;s arm needs to foe at full extension from the shoulder when swinging the tennis racquet. This should be the goal of every tennis player, but even with practice this is difficult to achieve. 
         [0015]    The device according to the invention serves to keep the plane of the player&#39;s hand between a 45 and 90 degree angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the player&#39;s arm, so that the hand moves directly toward the ball and extends the arm fully during a swing of the racquet. 
         [0016]    By keeping the arm straight, the tennis player avoids the possibility of acquiring a so-called “tennis elbow”. The principal reason for “tennis elbow” is that the player shortens his/her arm to address the tennis ball by bending the elbow. If the elbow is bent while striking the ball, the tension and shock is absorbed by the arm muscles. 
         [0017]    The device according to the invention is designed to prevent the player from bending his/her elbow and require the extension of the arm so that the shock, tension and vibration received from the strike of the ball by the racquet is passed to, and absorbed by, the rest of the body. By achieving the proper swing the tennis player avoids the danger of developing the dreaded “tennis elbow.” 
         [0018]    The ball toss during a serve is considered by tennis instructors and the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) to be 90% of the serve. The issue that most beginners face in practicing the serve is repeating a consistent toss. The reason for inconsistency is that most players involve the wrist and hand to toss the ball up, instead of allowing the ball to be tossed by the smooth momentum of the entire arm moving up. 
         [0019]    The device according to the invention is designed to keep the wrist and hand fixed in place to allow the tennis player to toss the tennis ball more consistently. 
         [0020]    Through using the device according to the invention, a player can practice a certain racquet or ball toss motion in the same way each time and allow the body to get used to this proper motion. Using the device can help players develop the technique and remember the proper motion through “muscle memory.” Through repeating this motion with the aid of the device over a certain period of time, the player will be able to reproduce the same motion without the device, which is the goal of the present invention. 
         [0021]    According to a preferred embodiment of the indention, the device for restraining the player&#39;s hand comprises: 
         [0022]    (a) a solid brace configured to be applied to the player&#39;s wrist and hand to fix their orientation with respect to the player&#39;s arm; and 
         [0023]    (b) at least one flexible strap for holding the brace tightly against the player&#39;s arm, wrist and hand to thereby constrain the wrist and hand against movement with respect to the arm while allowing the hand to grip a racquet or toss a ball. 
         [0024]    The device orients the player&#39;s hand with the palm facing outward in a plane disposed at an angle of between 45 and 90 degrees, and preferably in the range of 65 to 85 degrees, with respect to a longitudinal axis of the player&#39;s arm. 
         [0025]    The present invention also includes a method or technique for using the device and, while so doing, training the muscles of the arm, wrist, and hand to properly swing a racquet or toss a ball. The method comprises the steps of: 
         [0026]    (a) applying the device to the arm, wrist and hand to hold them in the given, relative orientation; 
         [0027]    (b) practicing swinging the racquet or tossing the ball until muscles of the arm, wrist and hand have learned to maintain the given orientation while holding the racquet or ball; 
         [0028]    (c) removing the device; and 
         [0029]    (d) playing the sport while holding the racquet or ball with the arm, wrist and hand in the same given orientation. 
         [0030]    For a full understanding of the present invention, reference should now be made to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0031]      FIG. 1  is a detailed view of a tennis player&#39;s hand properly holding a tennis racquet. 
           [0032]      FIG. 2  is a representational diagram of a tennis player during a forehand swing of the racquet, while maintaining the hand orientation shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0033]      FIG. 3  is a representational diagram of a tennis player during a backhand swing of the racquet, while maintaining the hand orientation shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0034]      FIG. 4  is a representational diagram of a tennis player during a serve of the ball, while maintaining the hand orientation shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0035]      FIG. 5  is a representational diagram showing the orientation of a player&#39;s arm wrist and hand which is maintained by a braces according to the present invention. 
           [0036]      FIG. 6  is a detailed view of a player&#39;s arm, wrist and hand restrained by means of a brace according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0037]      FIGS. 7 and 8  are a detailed views of the back and front sides, respectively, of a player&#39;s hand using the brace of  FIG. 6 . 
           [0038]      FIGS. 9 and 10  are detailed views of the back and front sides, respectively, of a player&#39;s hand using a brace according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0039]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a plastic insert for the brace of  FIGS. 9 and 10 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0040]    The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to  FIGS. 1-11  of the drawings. Identical elements in the various figures ere identified with the same reference numerals. 
         [0041]    The discussion below and the embodiments illustrated in the figures particularly relate to the sport of tennis. It will be understood, however, that the invention is equally applicable to other sports which are played with a racquet. 
         [0042]    Furthermore, the discussion and figures make no mention of the size of the brace according to the invention. It will be understood that the brace can be adjusted in size, and/or made and sold in different sizes, to fit any size person. Preferably the brace is fabricated in small, medium and large sizes. 
         [0043]      FIG. 1  shows the preferred orientation of the arm  1 , wrist  2  and hand  3  while gripping the handle of a tennis racquet  4 . Since for a beginner, at least, this orientation is a somewhat unnatural, training is normally required to impart the proper way to swing the racquet in both forehand and backhand. The aim of the present invention is to maintain the tennis player&#39;s hand in the appropriate position while swinging the racquet to strike the ball. This forces the player to hold his/her arm straight while swinging the racquet. 
         [0044]      FIGS. 2-4  show a tennis player engaged in swinging a racquet in forehand ( FIG. 2 ) and in backhand ( FIG. 3 ), and in tossing a ball ( FIG. 4 ) during a serve. In all three diagrams, the player maintains the arm, wrist and hand orientation shown in  FIG. 1  such that the moving arm remains straight. 
         [0045]    While playing the game of tennis, there is a need to: 
         [0046]    (a) Ensure proper motion of the arm holding the racquet during both forehand and backhand swings; 
         [0047]    (b) Prevent the formation of “tennis elbow” which results from incorrect arm motion; and 
         [0048]    (c) Improve the ball toss motion during a serve. 
         [0049]    The present invention is intended to fulfill all three needs by maintaining the arm, wrist and hand in the proper orientation when holding the racquet and tossing the ball. 
         [0050]      FIG. 5  shows, with a diagram in side view, an arm  1 , wrist  2  and hand  3  in this proper orientation. As illustrated there the plane  6  defined by the surface of the palm of the hand  3  is maintained, to the extent that it is possible and also reasonably comfortable for each individual, at a 90 degree angle with respect to the axis  8  of the arm. In practice, the angle will be somewhat less than 90 degrees, in the range of between 45 and 90 degrees but preferably in the range of 65 to 85 degrees. 
         [0051]    The present invention provides a brace device, designed to fit on a tennis player&#39;s arm, wrist and hand, which is used when practicing the forehand and backhand swings of the racquet (either the right or left arm or both) and also the ball toss motion of the arm during a serve. As noted above, the device can be made in different sizes to fit both children and adults of all sizes and ages. The device is intended to be used only to practice one of the three motions. When practicing the forehand, it is put on the favored hand. When practicing the backhand and the service toss, it is used on the opposite hand. 
         [0052]    The brace device constrains the wrist and hand against movement with respect to the arm, while allowing the hand to grip a racquet in such a way that the palm faces outward in a plane disposed at an angle in the range of 45 to 90 degrees with respect to the axis of the player&#39;s wrist and arm. 
         [0053]    During training, the device is applied to the player&#39;s arm, wrist and hand to hold the hand in this orientation. The player practices swinging a racquet and/or tossing a ball in the air until muscles of his/her arm, wrist and hand have learned to maintain this orientation while performing this activity. The device is then removed and, due to the training, the player plays tennis (or another sport that requires a racquet) while continuing to hold the racquet with the arm, wrist and hand in the same orientation. 
         [0054]      FIGS. 6-9  illustrate a first preferred embodiment of the brace device according to the invention. It comprises a rigid, preferably plastic strip of material  12  designed to fit snugly on the back of the wrist and hand and attend several inches down the arm. The strip  12  is held in place by a flexible strap  14  that surrounds the arm and a flexible strap  15  with attached flexible strips  16  that hold the strip  12  in place next to the wrist and hand. The flexible straps and strips are preferably secured by hook and loop (Velco™) fasteners. 
         [0055]    The rigid strip of material  12  is bent at an angle between 45 and 90 degrees, and preferably in the range of 65 to 85 degrees, to maintain the proper orientation of the arm, wrist and hand as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0056]      FIGS. 9-11  illustrate a second preferred embodiment of the brace device according to the invention. This device is in the nature of a glove  18  that can be strapped tightly to secure a rigid brace  20  ( FIG. 11 ) that fits snugly along either the back of the arm, wrist and hand or the front of the arm, wrist and hand.  FIG. 9  shows the back of the hand and  FIG. 10  the palm, with the brace  20  illustrated in dashed lines. Metal bands  21  around the fingers and straps  22  around the arm keep the brace  20  tightly in place. As shown in  FIG. 11 , the brace is slightly curved in cross section to fit the arm, wrist and hand, and is bent to hold the hand at an angle of between 45 and 90 degrees, and preferably between 65 and 85 degrees, with respect to the axis of the arm. 
         [0057]    There has thus been shown and described a novel training device and method for playing a sport with a racquet which fulfills all the objects and advantages sought therefor. Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the subject, invention will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering this specification and the accompanying drawings which disclose the preferred embodiments thereof. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention, which is to be limited only by the claims which follow.