Basketball shooting instruction device

A basketball shooting instruction device for use on a ground surface is provided with a feet positioning assembly, a support pole fixedly connected to a foundation juncture of the feet positioning assembly, and a shot box positioned on an upper end of the support pole.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a basketball shooting instruction device, and more specifically to a training aid that assists a person shooting a basketball (also referred to as a “shooter”) to have the proper form in standing and shooting a basketball to improve his or her ability to shoot a basketball consistently, accurately and with form that is advantageous when playing the game of basketball.

Basketball is a challenging sport and has many components related to the mastery of controlling the basketball. These components include dribbling, passing and shooting as the most basic components on the offensive side of the ball. For young basketball players, understanding and mastering good shooting techniques can be a challenging and difficult process. Often their feet are not squared, their elbows bend outwardly, their arch is flat, and they frequently use both hands when shooting the basketball. All of these errors in technique make for poor form and inconsistent results for the shooter. Without improving the player's technique, the shooting never improves and the shooter never becomes a good offensive basketball player. Having a basketball shooting aid can assist with muscle memory if multiple shots are practiced routinely with the basketball shooting aid and those multiple shot attempts are repeated over an extended period of time.

Several basketball shooting aids exist to help a shooter shoot a basketball but these basketball shooting aids have several shortcomings. One typical shortcoming is that the whole body is often neglected with existing training aids and devices, as one or two specific body parts are addressed with these shooting aids. For example, several of these shooting aids assist the shooter to shoot a basketball with one hand or to shoot a basketball while keeping the elbow in. In one example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,324,026, discloses a wearable elbow harness which assists the shooting arm to move up and down. In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,685, discloses a training aid in the form of a vest with a curved guide arm to assist the shooting arm go through a desired path. And yet in another example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,599,016 discloses a detachable rectangular frame that adjusts vertically to simulate when the user has shot over a defensive player's arm and assists the shooter with following through on his shot. These devices focus on the arm movement but miss other important body positioning elements.

Other basketball shooting aids do assist a shooter's lower body positioning. U.S. Pat. No. 6,949,034 discloses an apparatus that restricts the movement of the leading shin when a basketball is shot. There are also parts of the apparatus to prevent the shooter from bringing his arm down after a shot and thus encourages following through on a shot attempt. U.S. Pat. No. 6,213,899 discloses a framed structure that creates a restricting enclosure and is convertible for left and right handed shooters. However, the configuration of the inventions found in these patents are not optimized for easy adjustments for different shooters and portability from moving the device from one place to another.

Thus, there is a need for a basketball shooting aid that accommodates the required foot placement of the basketball shooter. Furthermore, there is a need for a basketball shooting aid that assists the shooter in keeping his elbow in and his arm restricted to a planar field of motion. Moreover, there is a need for a basketball shooting aid that can accommodate left and right handed shooter. The height of the basketball shooting aid should be adjustable to accommodate the varying heights and sizes of individual shooters. There is also a need for the basketball shooting aid to be portable. Portability requires that the basketball shooting aid be easy to assemble and disassemble and compactable into an easy carrying package. Additionally, there is a need for the basketball shooting aid to be stable and sturdy enough to be placed on a flat surface such as a gymnasium floor and not fall while being used or accidentally bumped.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above-identified needs are addressed by the present basketball shooting instruction device. One feature of the present invention is a feet positioning assembly to assist with the feet placement of the shooter when practicing with the basketball shooting instruction device. The feet positioning assembly is provided with a non-shooting foot side bar that is moveable along a non-shooting foot lead bar. The non-shooting foot lead bar is moveable along a shooting foot side bar. In this manner, the feet positioning assembly is adjustable to accommodate the shooter's legs and feet while also providing stability to the basketball shooting instruction device.

Another feature of the present invention is a height adjustable support pole that is provided and is fixedly connected to a foundation juncture of the foot positioning assembly. The height adjustable support pole is preferably moveable in a vertical direction to accommodate the various heights a shooter might need. Furthermore, a shot box is positioned on an upper end of the height adjustable support pole. The shot box is further provided with an elbow bar located on a lower, outside corner of the shot box and a guide bar located on an inside bar of the shot box. These components assist the shooter with form in keeping the non-shooting hand away from the ball when the ball is released, keeps the elbow in, and assists in following through after the shot has been attempted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now toFIG. 1, a basketball shooting instruction device10for use on a ground surface is generally provided with a feet positioning assembly12, a support pole14and a shot box16. The support pole14is most preferably a height adjustable support pole18to accommodate shooters of varying heights. The adjusting feature of the height adjustable support pole18is best illustrated inFIG. 1andFIG. 4whereFIG. 1illustrates the height adjustable support pole18in a down position andFIG. 4illustrates the height adjustable support pole in an up position. The feet positioning assembly12serves to add stability to the rest of the basketball shooting instruction device10and to aid with the positioning of the shooter's feet20.

The feet positioning assembly12is provided with a shooting foot side bar22. The shooting foot side bar22runs parallel to an inner side of the shooter's shooting foot24. Generally, the shooting foot side bar22is not moveable and is made of a rigid material such as wood, metal, ceramic or plastic. The shape of the shooting foot side bar22is preferably cylindrical but may also be of other functional shapes such as rectangular, hexagonal or other. In the most preferred embodiment, PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) tubes are used as PVC tubes are simple, durable, light and inexpensive. In one embodiment, 1¼ inch schedule40PVC pipes are used with 1¼ inch PVC fittings are used to connect the various sections. The length of the shooting foot side bar22is sufficient enough to accommodate the shooter's shooting foot24along with 1 to 15 inches in front of the shooting foot and 1 to 15 inches behind the shooting foot. Preferably, the length of the shooting foot side bar22is from about 1 foot to 8 feet in length. More preferably, the length of the shooting foot side bar22is from about 2 feet to 6 feet in length. In the most preferred embodiment, the length of the shooting foot side bar22is from 30 inches to 40 inches in length.

Movedly affixed to the shooting foot side bar22is a non-shooting foot lead bar26. The non-shooting foot lead bar26is made of a rigid material such as wood, metal, ceramic or plastic. The shape of the non-shooting foot lead bar26is preferably cylindrical but may also be of other functional shapes such as rectangular, hexagonal or other. In the most preferred embodiment, PVC tubes are used. A slip-slide PVC tee is used to make the non-shooting foot lead bar26moveable along the shooting foot side bar22. The cylindrical design of the slip-slide PVC tee allows the non-shooting foot lead bar26to flip to the opposite side of the shooting foot side bar22. In looking atFIG. 3, the non-shooting foot lead bar26would reside on the opposite side of the support pole14. In this manner, shooters that are left handed and right handed can be accommodated by the present invention without the need of an additional basketball shooting instruction device. A left handed shooter simply has to flip the non-shooting foot lead bar26to the opposite side as shown inFIG. 1to assist with his shooting needs. The non-shooting foot lead bar26is placed at the toe of the non-shooting foot28so that the shooter will have a consistent placement of his non-shooting foot28. Preferably, the length of the non-shooting foot lead bar26is from about 8 inches to 4 feet in length. More preferably, the length of the non-shooting foot lead bar26is from about 1 foot to 2½ feet in length. In the most preferred embodiment, the length of the non-shooting foot lead bar26is from 12 inches to 24 inches in length.

Movedly affixed to the non-shooting foot lead bar26is a foot side bar30. The foot side bar30is made of a rigid material such as wood, metal, ceramic or plastic. The shape of the non-shooting foot lead bar30is preferably cylindrical but may also be of other functional shapes such as rectangular, hexagonal or other. In the most preferred embodiment, PVC tubes are used. A slip-slide PVC tee is used to make the foot side bar30moveable along the non-shooting foot lead bar26. The cylindrical design of the slip-slide PVC tee allows the foot side bar30to flip to the opposite side of the non-shooting foot lead bar26. In this manner, the non-shooting foot lead bar26can be placed behind the heel of the non-shooting foot28instead of in front of his toe. A shooter may elect this position if he desires a more open position of his feet while shooting. The purpose of the foot side bar30is to space the feet to be roughly the same distance apart as the shoulders' of the shooter. This distance is generally accepted as the best distance for proper form, but the shooter or coach may adjust the distance as needed for the individual shooter. Preferably, the length of the foot side bar30is from about 6 inches to 3 feet in length. More preferably, the length of the foot side bar30is from about 8 inches to 18 inches in length. In the most preferred embodiment, the length of the foot side bar30is from 10 inches to 16 inches in length.

Towards a pole end32of the shooting foot side bar22is a plurality of stability bars34. The plurality of stability bars34provide a plane of support to support a height adjustable support pole18. The plurality of stability bars34and the shooting foot side bar22are connected together by a foundation juncture36. The foundation juncture36receives each stability bar34and the shooting foot side bar22through a plurality of respective receiving holes38. The foundation juncture36in one embodiment is a 5-way PVC cross of 1¼ inch in diameter receiving holes; however, other foundation junctures36may be used that serve the same purpose. The length of the plurality of stability bars34is dependent on the balance requirements of the height adjustable support pole18and the shot box16. Generally one or more inches is required but less than 24 inches is generally sufficient. To further aid with the stability of the basketball shooting instruction device10, PVC end caps40may optionally be provided at the end of each stability bar34, the shooting foot side bar22and the non-shooting foot lead bar26. The PVC end caps40will prevent slippage on a smooth surface and assist with the balance of the basketball shooting instruction device10.

Extending upwardly at an approximate 90 degree angle from the plane created by the plurality of stability bars34and the shooting foot side bar22at the foundation juncture36is the support pole14and more preferably, the height adjustable support pole18. The height adjustable support pole18is fixedly connected to the foundation juncture36by inserting a lower end42of the height adjustable support pole18into a corresponding receiving hole38of the foundation juncture36. The shape of the height adjustable support pole18is preferably cylindrical but may also be of other functional shapes such as rectangular, hexagonal or other useable shape. In one particular embodiment, PVC tubes are used.

The height adjustable support pole18is capable of moving in a vertical direction relative to the ground surface to adjust the height of the shot box16. To do this, a multitude of embodiments exist to achieve this. One means to achieve this adjustability is to use two separate poles that have two separate widths so that one can be received into the other. In this embodiment, a wider pole or PVC pipe is used for a lower segment44of the height adjustable support pole18. In one example, a 1¼ inch schedule40PVC pipe. The length of the lower segment44is preferably between 30 inches and 50 inches. The length of the lower segment44is more preferably between 35 inches and 45 inches. A narrower pole or PVC pipe is used for an upper segment46of the height adjustable support pole18. In the one example previously mentioned, a 1 inch schedule40PVC pipe may be used. The length of the upper segment46can vary, but generally the upper segment46is preferred to be less than the length of the lower segment44. To adjust the height, the upper segment46is slid vertically up and down into the lower segment44. To secure the upper segment46at a height, a plurality of holes with a securement pin may be used (not shown) or when using PVC piping, a washer48may be used. In the embodiment described herein with using a 1 inch scheduled40PVC pipe as the upper segment46, a 1 inch inner diameter large rubber washer48works well with the 1¼ inch schedule40PVC pipe used for the lower segment44. The friction created is enough to prevent slippage of the shot box and with a bit of force, the shooter or a coach can adjust the shot box to be higher or lower by moving the upper segment46up and down within and relative to the lower segment44.

Now referring toFIGS. 2 and 3, the shot box16is positioned on an upper end50of the support pole14or height adjustable support pole18. The shot box16is generally comprised of at least 3 sides that create an open rectangle or square that resides perpendicular to the plane created by the plurality of stability bars34and the shooting foot side bar22that a shooter has to shoot through. The shot box16may reside linearly with the height adjustable support pole18, but the shot box16preferably resides closer to the shooter than the height adjustable support pole18. To achieve this position, an angled elbow52is optionally used to extend a shot box support pole54in a planar direction relative to the shooting foot side bar22away from the height adjustable support pole18. The shot box support pole54only needs to extend a few inches where as little as 1 inch to 24 inches should be sufficient. In a more preferred embodiment, the shot box support pole54is 2 inches to 8 inches. In one embodiment, a 45 degree PVC elbow is used as the angled elbow52and the shot box support pole54is about 3 inches long.

The shot box16is mounted on the shot box support pole54but may optionally be mounted directly on the support pole14. In one embodiment, the mounting of the shot box16occurs via a 90 degree tee56. The advantage of the 90 degree tee56is that the 90 degree tee56will hold a lower shot box bar58that is typically made of PVC pipe firmly but adjustably. The 90 degree tee56is also preferably made of PVC. The lower shot box bar58makes up the bottom side of the shot box16. Thus, if the shot box16is not perpendicular to the plane created by the plurality of stability bars34and the shooting foot side bar22, the shot box16can be adjusted. The lower shot box bar58can be one single bar if the 90 degree PVC tee56will accommodate one PVC pipe going through the 90 degree PVC tee56; however, generally two small 1 inch schedule40PVC pipes must be used that are approximately 2-8 inches (most preferably between 3 and 6 inches) in length that extend from each side of the 90 degree PVC tee56. An inside shot box bar60and an outside shot box bar62extend upwardly at the ends of the lower shot box bar58to create a shot box plane. The length of the inside shot box bar60and the outside shot box bar62may vary, but generally between 10 and 30 inches is deemed workable with a height of 21-24 inches being preferred. Optionally, the outside shot box bar62is longer than the inside shot box bar60to create stability for the shot box16.

The shot box16is further provided with an elbow bar64located on a lower, outside corner of the shot box16. This lower, outside corner resides where the outside shot box bar62and the lower shot box bar58meet. The elbow bar64extends at about a 90 degree angle from the plane create by the shot box16towards the shooter to assist in keeping the shooter's shooting elbow in. Thus, the elbow bar64preferably extends 6 to 24 inches from the plane of the shot box and may be attached to the shot box using a 3 way 90 degree PVC elbow.

A guide bar66is located on the inside shot box bar60. The guide bar66extends vertically upward and resides parallel to the inside shot box bar60and is connected to the inside shot box bar by a slip-slide PVC tee68, a connecting bar70, and a 90 degree PVC elbow72attached in series. The slip-slide PVC tee68is provided with a means of adjustment to allow the shooter or a coach or user to adjust the height of the guide bar66and if desired, the guide bar66can be swung inwardly towards the shot box16to make a smaller shot box. The means of adjustment is preferably provided by a 1 inch inner diameter rubber O-ring placed around the inside shot box bar60and internally to the slip-slide PVC tee68. However, the main function of the guide bar66is to give the shooter a point of reference on when to release the ball when shooting and keeps the non-shooting hand away from the shooting hand so as to not interfere with the form of the one-handed shot.