Basketball shooting improvement apparatus

A basketball shooting improvement apparatus includes a base member which includes a front side, a rear side, and two transverse sides extending between the front side and the rear side. The base member is oriented in a first plane, and hook members are connected to the base member. The hook members include downwardly descending hook ends which descend below the first plane, and the hook members extend beyond the front side of the base member. The hook members extend from the transverse sides of the base member. A tension clamp assembly is connected to the base member. A riser member, supported by the base member, extends upward from the base member. The riser member includes a distal end, and a check point assembly is connected to the distal end of the riser member. The riser member may include an ascending riser portion which ascends above the base member. A transverse riser portion is connected to the ascending riser portion. The transverse riser portion extends beyond the hook ends of the hook members. The check point assembly includes a check point member located above the base member by an elevation distance. The check point assembly includes structures to enable the elevation distance of the check point member above the base member to be adjusted.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates generally to the game of basketball and, more 
particularly, to devices especially adapted for improving accuracy in 
shooting baskets. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Throughout the years, a number of innovations have been developed relating 
to devices for improving one's accuracy in shooting baskets in basketball, 
and the following U.S. patents are representative of some of those 
innovations: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,213,606, 4,226,416, 4,506,886, 4,621,811, 
4,836,539, and 5,364,092. More specifically, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,213,606, 
4,226,416, 4,836,539, and 5,364,092 disclose basketball shooting 
improvement devices which employ auxiliary hoops or cylindrical devices 
attached to the basketball hoop. Although well intentioned, such devices 
modify the effective geometry of the basketball hoop. In this respect, it 
would be desirable if a basketball shooting improvement device were 
provided which does not alter the effective geometry of the basketball 
hoop. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,506,886 discloses the general idea of mounting a basketball 
target above the basketball hoop so that the target is centered with 
respect to the center of the hoop. This target is permanently mounted on 
the backboard above the hoop. As a result, the mounting structures 
interfere with normal backboard rebound action. In this respect, it would 
be desirable if a basketball shooting improvement device were provided 
which is not mounted on the backboard above the hoop and does not 
interfere with normal backboard rebound action. 
Moreover, U.S. Pat. No. 4,506,886 also discloses that the target is used 
for aiming the basketball when shooting. It has been learned from detailed 
analyses of basketball shots that, in addition to aiming, proper 
follow-through is important for success in free throw attempts. None of 
the prior art cited discloses a technique for improving one's 
follow-through. In this respect, it would be desirable if a basketball 
shooting improvement device were provided which facilitates a person's 
improving one's follow-through when shooting. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,811 discloses a basketball training aid which employs a 
ball tethered to a support which is supported by the hoop support bracket 
which supports the hoop and is located between the hoop and the backboard. 
The tethered ball may aid in the improvement of shots which are relatively 
close to the hoop. However, for distant shots, the tethered ball is not 
practical. In this respect, it would be desirable if a basketball shooting 
improvement device were provided which does not employ a tethered ball. 
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known 
to use various devices for improving basketball shooting accuracy, the 
prior art described above does not teach or suggest a basketball shooting 
improvement apparatus which has the following combination of desirable 
features: (1) does not alter the effective geometry of the basketball 
hoop; (2) is not mounted on the backboard above the hoop and does not 
interfere with normal backboard rebound action; (3) facilitates a person's 
improving one's follow-through when shooting; and (4) does not employ a 
tethered ball. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the 
unique basketball shooting improvement apparatus of the present invention 
as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other 
advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be 
rendered evident. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
To achieve the foregoing and other advantages, the present invention, 
briefly described, provides a basketball shooting improvement apparatus 
which includes a base member which includes a front side, a rear side, and 
two transverse sides extending between the front side and the rear side. 
The base member is oriented in a first plane, and hook members are 
connected to the base member. The hook members include downwardly 
descending hook ends which descend below the first plane, and the hook 
members extend beyond the front side of the base member. The hook members 
extend from the transverse sides of the base member. A tension clamp 
assembly is connected to the base member. A riser member, supported by the 
base member, extends upward from the base member. The riser member 
includes a distal end, and a check point assembly is connected to the 
distal end of the riser member. 
The riser member may include an ascending riser portion which ascends above 
the base member. A transverse riser portion is connected to the ascending 
riser portion. The transverse riser portion extends beyond the hook ends 
of the hook members. Preferably, the riser member is made from pliable 
material. 
The check point assembly includes a check point member located above the 
base member by an elevation distance. The check point assembly may include 
a shaft member which is connected to the riser member. The check point 
member is connected to the shaft member. The shaft member includes a lock 
channel, and the distal end of the transverse riser portion includes a 
plurality of pairs of pin-receiver channels. The lock channel of the shaft 
member can be placed in registration with selected pairs of the 
pin-receiver channels. A lock pin is inserted through a selected pair of 
the pin-receiver channels and through the lock channel for locking the 
check point assembly in a selected position with respect to the transverse 
riser portion. 
The above brief description sets forth rather broadly the more important 
features of the present invention in order that the detailed description 
thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the 
present contributions to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of 
course, additional features of the invention that will be described 
hereinafter and which will be for the subject matter of the claims 
appended hereto. 
In this respect, before explaining a preferred embodiment of the invention 
in detail, it is understood that the invention is not limited in its 
application to the details of the construction and to the arrangements of 
the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in 
the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being 
practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood, 
that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose 
of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon 
which disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for 
designing other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the 
several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, 
that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions 
insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present 
invention. 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and 
improved basketball shooting improvement apparatus which has all of the 
advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved 
basketball shooting improvement apparatus which may be easily and 
efficiently manufactured and marketed. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and 
improved basketball shooting improvement apparatus which is of durable and 
reliable construction. 
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved basketball shooting improvement apparatus which is susceptible of 
a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and 
which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the 
consuming public, thereby making such basketball shooting improvement 
apparatus available to the buying public. 
Still yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved basketball shooting improvement apparatus which does not alter 
the effective geometry of the basketball hoop. 
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved basketball shooting improvement apparatus that is not mounted on 
the backboard above the hoop and does not interfere with normal backboard 
rebound action. 
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved basketball shooting improvement apparatus which facilitates a 
person's improving one's follow-through when shooting. 
Even another object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved basketball shooting improvement apparatus that does not employ a 
tethered ball. 
These together with still other objects of the invention, along with the 
various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed 
out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this 
disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating 
advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should 
be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there 
are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
With reference to the drawings, a new and improved basketball shooting 
improvement apparatus embodying the principles and concepts of the present 
invention will be described. 
Turning to FIGS. 1-6, there is shown an exemplary embodiment of the 
basketball shooting improvement apparatus of the invention generally 
designated by reference numeral 10. In its preferred form, basketball 
shooting improvement apparatus 10 includes a base member 12 which includes 
a front side 13, a rear side 15, and two transverse sides 17 extending 
between the front side 13 and the rear side 15. The base member 12 is 
oriented in a first plane 19, and hook members 14 are connected to the 
base member 12. The hook members 14 include downwardly descending hook 
ends 16 which descend below the first plane 19, and the hook members 14 
extend beyond the front side 13 of the base member 12. The hook members 14 
extend from the transverse sides 17 of the base member 12. A tension clamp 
assembly 40 is connected to the base member 12. The tension clamp assembly 
40 has clamping arms 50, and the clamping arms 50 are urged towards each 
other by tension spring 52. A riser member, supported by the base member 
12, extends upward from the base member 12. The riser member includes a 
distal end 24, and a check point assembly 26 is connected to the distal 
end 24 of the riser member. 
The check point assembly 26 includes a cheek point member 29 located above 
the base member 12 by an elevation distance 27. The elevation distance 27 
is greater than the diameter of a basketball 21. Preferably, the check 
point member 29 is made from a soft, flexible material. 
The riser member may include an ascending riser portion 20 which ascends 
above the base member 12. A transverse riser portion 30 is connected to 
the ascending riser portion 20. The transverse riser portion 30 extends 
beyond the hook ends 16 of the hook members 14. Preferably, the riser 
member is made from pliable material. 
The check point assembly 26 may include a shaft member 32 which is 
connected to the riser member. The check point member 29 is connected to 
the shaft member 32. The shaft member 32 includes a lock channel 34, and 
the distal end of the transverse riser portion 30 includes a plurality of 
pairs of pin-receiver channels 36. The lock channel 34 of the shaft member 
32 can be placed in registration with selected pairs of the pin-receiver 
channels 36. A lock pin 38 is inserted through a selected pair of the 
pin-receiver channels 36 and through the lock channel 34 for locking the 
check point assembly 26 in a selected position with respect to the 
transverse riser portion 30. By adjusting the locked position of the shaft 
member 32 with respect to the transverse riser portion 30, the elevation 
distance 27 of the cheek point member 29 with respect to the base member 
12 can be adjusted. 
To use the basketball shooting improvement apparatus 10 of the invention, 
the apparatus 10 is first installed on an existing backboard and hoop 
combination. More specifically, a backboard 44 has a hoop support bracket 
46 connected to it. A hoop 48 is connected to the hoop support bracket 46. 
To install the basketball shooting improvement apparatus 10 of the 
invention, the base member 12 is placed upon the hoop support bracket 46. 
If desired, a resilient pad 55 can be placed between the hoop support 
bracket 46 and the base member 12. The hook ends 16 of the hook members 14 
are placed in engagement with portions of the hoop 48. The base member 12 
is moved towards the backboard 44 so that the hook ends 16 of the hook 
members 14 firmly engage the hoop 48 such as most clearly shown in FIGS. 2 
and 6. Then, the tension clamp assembly 40 is installed. That is, the 
tension clamp assembly 40 is installed so that the clamping arms 50 clamp 
the base member 12 together on the top surface of the hoop support bracket 
46. When the basketball shooting improvement apparatus 10 is installed on 
the hoop support bracket 46, the ascending riser portion 20 of the riser 
member orients the check point member 29 so that the check point member 29 
is located an elevation distance 27 above the base member 12. In addition, 
the transverse riser portion 30 of the riser member positions the check 
point member 29 centrally located with respect to the center of the hoop 
48. 
Once installed, the basketball shooting improvement apparatus 10 can be 
used in the following way. As shown in FIG. 1, a player 54 shoots a 
basketball 21 towards the hoop 48. For most desirable shooting form, the 
player 54 shoots in such a way that after the basketball 21 is airborne, 
the player 54 can align one of his eyes with the wrist of the shooting arm 
with the check point member 29. When a basketball 21 is shot so that the 
player 54 can align his eye with his wrist with the check point member 29, 
then the player 54 has made the shot with desirable form. 
More specifically, the check point member 29 is positioned to mark the 
center of the hoop 48 in a position somewhat elevated above the hoop 48. 
By a player 54 aligning his eye and wrist with the check point member 29 
as described above, the player 54 is trained to have a high straight 
release and to maintain a proper follow-through. Stated somewhat 
differently, the check point member 29 is the target to which the fingers 
and wrist should point when the basketball 21 is released to the basket. 
The components of the basketball shooting improvement apparatus of the 
invention can be made from inexpensive and durable metal and plastic 
materials. 
As to the manner of usage and operation of the instant invention, the same 
is apparent from the above disclosure, and accordingly, no further 
discussion relative to the manner of usage and operation need be provided. 
It is apparent from the above that the present invention accomplishes all 
of the objects set forth by providing a new and improved basketball 
shooting improvement apparatus that is low in cost, relatively simple in 
design and operation, and which may advantageously be used without 
altering the effective geometry of the basketball hoop. With the 
invention, a basketball shooting improvement apparatus is provided which 
is not mounted on the backboard above the hoop and does not interfere with 
normal backboard rebound action. With the invention, a basketball shooting 
improvement apparatus is provided which facilitates a person's improving 
one's follow-through when shooting. With the invention, a basketball 
shooting improvement apparatus is provided which does not employ a 
tethered ball. 
Thus, while the present invention has been shown in the drawings and fully 
described above with particularity and detail in connection with what is 
presently deemed to be the most practical and preferred embodiment(s) of 
the invention, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art 
that many modifications thereof may be made without departing from the 
principles and concepts set forth herein, including, but not limited to, 
variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of 
operation, assembly and use. 
Hence, the proper scope of the present invention should be determined only 
by the broadest interpretation of the appended claims so as to encompass 
all such modifications as well as all relationships equivalent to those 
illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification. 
Finally, it will be appreciated that the purpose of the foregoing Abstract 
provided at the beginning of this specification is to enable the U.S. 
Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the 
scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar 
with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a 
cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of 
the application. Accordingly, the Abstract is neither intended to define 
the invention or the application, which only is measured by the claims, 
nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any 
way.