APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE TRAINING AND EXERCISING OF BALL GAMES

Abstract: Apparatus for facilitating the training and exercising of ball games, comprising a training and exercising board (10) at which a player participating in the training can target the ball and having a ball receiving surface (1) made of a resilient and translucent material, the exercising board (10) comprises a plurality of fields; a segmented light source (3) that has segments associated with respective ones of said field for illuminating a selected one of said fields in accordance with an appropriate control received through control lines; a hit detector (7) associated with the training and exercising board (10) capable of detecting the time and field of the hit of the incident ball; a field unit (11) generating a signal instructing the player to shoot the ball; a central unit (8) connected to the control lines of the segmented light source (3) to select the field to be illuminated, and to the hit detector (7) for receiving data relating to the field and time of the hit; and a communication link between the field unit (11) and the central unit (8) for the transmission of information relating to the next illumination.

Description: APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE TRAINING AND EXERCISING OF BALL GAMES The invention relates to an apparatus for facilitating the coaching and training of ball games and comprises a training board, at which a player can target a ball, and a trainer's unit, which can be operated by the coach and which indicates when the ball has been shot. Coaching of ball games occurs both in competitive sports and during physical education lessons in schools by conventional methods and without the aid of any supporting instrumentation. The term "supporting instrumentation" does not cover widely-used gymnastic training equipment used to develop muscular strength or similar machines but instead includes an apparatus designed especially for learning and developing the ball handling skills and shooting technique associated with the chosen ball game. There are known target indicating equipment, which are used mainly in shooting sports. In the case of ball games, where the technique of shooting the ball can be exercised only on the playing field in front of the goal, no instrument has been known which could assist the coach. In the case of ball games, training has great significance because the accuracy of throwing, kicking, heading, or passing the ball largely depends on the developed skill of the player and on the perfection of his reflexes. The process of hitting the target consists of several smaller, elementary movements, and, with a suitable assistance, these elements can be exercised. The need for such a device is demonstrated, for example, from the book of Gyorgy Mezey: "Elvonalbeli labdarugόk felkeszitese (training of first rank football players) edited by Medicina Sport, Budapest, 1988. In the chapter "Theoretical basis of professional knowledge," Fig. 6 (page 82) shows data on the load on a football player and the components of that load. Here, one can see that the game is nothing more than the quasi-reflexive repetition of a few exercised movements, and the skill level of the player is determined largely by the degree of perfection of the important movements. In the chapter entitled "perfection of coaching conditions," the author states that the technical assistance available to the coach has not improved for several decades, and the best available assistance is the spring-wall, which, according to Figs. 23 and 24, is a spring supported board having the size of a goal and from which the ball will be reflected. With regard to this situation, there is a need for an instrumental device that can assist the coach in developing a player's ball handling and targeting techniques and which can objectively measure the player's actual skill. The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus capable of satisfying the above need and thereby improve the efficiency of training. It has been discovered that if a board is arranged on a playing field, has a size corresponding to the size of the target, i.e. goal, used in a given game, and is divided into a number of fields in which the value and arrangement of the individual fields correspond to the abilities of the player; if it is made possible for the coach to select a field and distinguish this selected field, for example by illumination, and the player then is asked to shoot the ball to this selected field; and if the result of this shot is evaluated and the time elapsed between the request and the arrival of the ball on the board is measured, then a device is obtained which thereby can substantially improve the efficiency of a player's training. According to the invention, an apparatus has been provided for facilitating the coaching and training of ball games comprising a tiaining and exercising board at which the player in the coaching program can target his ball, this board being comprised preferably of a rigid frame, a resilient and translucent ball-receiving surface stretched across the frame, a segmented light source arranged behind this surface to illuminate the separate fields of the surface in accordance with an appropriate control, and a hit detector that is provided in association with the training and exercising board and is capable of detecting the time and place (field) of the hit of the arriving ball; a field unit that can be operated by the coach or triggered by the passed ball and can provide a signal instructing the player to shoot the ball; a central unit which is connected to the control lines of the segmented light source and which receives from the hit detector the data that determine the place and time of the hit; and a communication link between the field and central units. It is preferable that the ball-receiving surface of the training and exercising board is made by a net or a textile material. In a preferable embodiment, the hit detector senses the place of the impact, or hit, of the ball with an accuracy corresponding to the size of the fields that can be illuminated by the segmented light source, i.e. the field size will be the same for detection as for illumination. Training efficiency will be improved if the central unit is coupled to a hit indicator that displays, at a minimum, the value of the hits for the player. Further advantages will be obtained if the field unit comprises a mode selector. The objectivity of the training course is increased if the central unit comprises a random generator which selects the field to be illuminated randomly in response to a start command received from the field unit. Training possibilities will be enhanced if the apparatus comprises a plurality of training and exercising boards arranged according to a multiple tiaining or coaching program and connected to form a single, multi-field board. From the perspective of the practical realisation of the invention, it is preferable if the function of the hit detector is based on mechanical, optical, or opto- electrical principles. The field unit might comprise a ball sensor that senses when a ball is passed to the player using the apparatus, and triggers a random generator in the central unit to illuminate one of the fields, where the player should kick the ball. The invention will now be described in connection with preferred embodiments thereof, wherein reference will be made to the accompanying drawings. In the drawing: Fig. 1 shows the front view of an embodiment of the training and exercising board;Fig. 2 shows the side view of the board of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows the use of the training and exercising board in a portion of a playing field; Fig. 4 shows the block diagram of the apparatus; Fig. 5 shows temporal diagrams of significant events; Fig. 6 is the schematic view of an apparatus using a plurality of training boards; Fig. 7 is a schematic view of an apparatus used for exercising tennis hits; and Fig. 8 shows how a slalom-type tiaining can be carried out. The first embodiment of the training and exercising board, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, has a multi-layered structure. The surface 1 of the board 10 that faces the playing field is made by a net, foil, translucent textile, or any other material that can endure the hitting force of the incident ball. This force presses the surface 1 into a sensing field 2 located behind the surface 1. The translucent design of the surface 1 makes the illuminated, individual field of the sensing fields 2 visible and distinguishable from the adjacent non-illuminated fields 2 for the player, if he watches the board 10. Respective light sources 3, e.g. lamps, are arranged behind each of the sensing fields 2 to illuminate the associated sensing field at instants determined by the coach. The training and exercising board 10 is a separate, self-supporting unit and is mounted on a rigid frame 4. The size of the frame 4 is determined by the objective of the training. In the case of the playing field shown in Fig. 3, the training and exercising board 10 extends to the full size of goal 5 and is held by the goal frame by means of suspension springs (not shown). The whole front surface of the training and exercising board 10 is divided into as many fields as required to accomplish the purpose of the training, and respective sensing fields are associated with each field. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the whole surface is divided into four parts along the horizontal edge and into three parts along the vertical edge, thus yielding twelve separate sensing fields 2. The individual light sources 3 of the respective sensing fields 2 are encircled by respective light diverting casings 6; thus each of the light sources 3 can illuminate only the associated sensing field 2. The surface of the sensing fields 2 has sufficient rigidity and stability to endure and resist the force of the hit of the incident ball. This rigidity and stability can be decreased by the attenuation of the surface 1. Respective hit detectors 7 are associated with each of the sensing fields 2 and are adapted to provide an electric signal to a central unit 8 if a ball hits the associated sensing field 2. The sensitivity is sufficiently high to detect even the slightest hit. The block diagram of Fig. 4 shows that the apparatus according to the invention comprises, in addition to the training and exercising board 10 and the central unit 8, a third unit, the field unit 11, which is always on the playing filed and it is available to assist the coach in issuing instructions and in receiving information on the results. Preferably, the field unit 11 has a portable design, and its communication with the central unit 8 is provided by means of a wireless (radio or infrared) connection. The surface of the field unit 11 is divided into several parts. Field control part 11a is preferably a keyboard that comprises keys arranged in the same pattern as the sensing fields 2 on the board 10; pushing any of these keys will cause the associated field 2 to illuminate. Mode selector part 1 lb is used for the selection of the appropriate mode of operation and for the selection of the type of information that will be displayed on the third part, the display l ie. The apparatus can optionally comprise a hit counter 12, which is nothing more than a large scoreboard placed close to the training and exercising board 10 and is adapted to display predetermined information to the player, the other players, and the coach. The central unit 8 is a small computer or task processor provided with an appropriate program that receives output signals from the hit detectors 7, forwards the illumination command signals to the selected light of the light sources 3, and performs operations according to the selected mode. The connections among the central unit 8, the training and exercising board 10, and the hit counter 12 can be provided by wires or by wireless technology. The operation of the apparatus according to the invention is as follows. The form and size of the training and exercising board 10 correspond to the usual size of the goal used in the ball game to be practised, or, in case of a general kind of ball training, it may correspond to predetermined dimensions. The number and size of the fields 2 may depend on the skill level of the player. In the case of advanced players, a larger number of fields can be used. If the training is carried out with a single player, the task lies preferably in that the player should forward the ball immediately after seeing the light signal illuminated in one of the fields. The ball can be forwarded by kicking, throwing, heading, or hitting the ball with a bat. When the ball arrives at the surface of the training and exercising board 10, the hit detector 7 associated with the sensing field 2 hit by the ball then detects the impact and forwards a signal to the central unit 8. This unit 8 determines the time elapsed between the moments of illumination and the hit, and evaluates the accuracy of the shot ~ if the targeted field is hit, the player receives 10 points; if any of the adjacent fields were hit, the player receives 6 points; a hit two fields away from the targeted one counts 2 points; and any hit three fields away from the targeted one counts 1 point. In the case of smaller fields, the coach can work out specific evaluation systems that can be stored in the central unit 8. The hit counter 12 displays, for example, the point value of the hit i.e. the score. The delay time and value of the hit represent data that objectively express the result of the training. The apparatus can be used for training in activities in which serving has significance. In that case, in response to the light signal, one player forwards the ball to the other player participating in the training and who has to serve; his task will be to serve the ball to the displayed field as quickly as possible. In such cases, it is preferable to use a plurality of field units 11; the other field units can be used by other participants in the training course to provide signals to the central unit 8 when the passing and the serving players have touched the ball. The time diagrams of Fig. 5 show such a case. Pulse A corresponds to the lighting of the light signal, pulse B is generated when the passing player has touched the ball (it has a delay time a), the pulse C indicates the moment when the serving player has touched the ball (the full delay time is b), and finally pulse D is generated by the hit detector 7 (its full delay time is c). From these data, the reaction times of both the passing and serving players can be determined and the valuation of the hit may occur as described above. In addition to the embodiments shown, the apparatus according to the present invention can be made in several other forms. The frame 4 might have its own support or standing device so that there is no need to suspended the frame 4 on an existing goal. In that case, more apparatuses can be arranged on the playing field, and the training can take place simultaneously with each apparatus. The board can be designed so that the surface 1 can resist the impact of the ball. Such a surface can be made by a net of sufficient strength and density. In that case, the detection of the hit and its location need not be by mechanical ways; optical and electronic sensors can also be used. The term "electronic hit sensing" may cover the use of video cameras and associated picture evaluation devices. The essence of the invention does not depend on the way in which the hits are sensed but instead on the new way of sensing and training for the games. During training, subjective factors can be minimized because, for example, the coach does not determine the field that will be illuminated but only the moment of the illumination. In response to a lighting command, the central unit 8 will use one of the random generators built therein to select randomly the field to be illuminated. In this way, the player cannot get accustomed to the habits of the coach and cannot predict the next illuminated field. In the first embodiment, the fields of the training board are arranged on a single board. Fig. 6 shows schematically an additional embodiment which comprises a pair of boards 13 and 14 arranged at two sides of the playing field in front of the player. The boards 13 and 14 represent respective fields, and their selection and illumination occurs in a random manner upon command by the coach as described above. The task of the player is to select between directing the ball to the target on the left or to the right. In such cases, in spite of their separate arrangements, the two boards can be regarded as fields of a single apparatus. The boards 13 and 14 may each comprise several fields, and in that cases the task will be the selection of a board and its illuminated field, whereby the player's shooting accuracy can be improved. The fields of the boards 13 and 14 together constitute all fields of the apparatus. Fig. 7 shows another embodiment. Here, a portion of a tennis field is shown, and, at the midpoint of the field behind the net 15, there is provided a ball tossing machine 16. Behind the ball tossing machine 16, close to the end of the playing field at both edge regions, respective boards 17 and 18 are arranged at an appropriate height. The illumination of these boards occurs similar to that of boards 13 and 14. The training player has the task of hitting the received ball to the selected board 17 or 18. Fig. 8 illustrates the use of the apparatus for training slalom-type movements. Several slalom poles 24, 25 and 26 (also referred to as witch's hat) are arranged along the field, and the player has to run along the path illustrated by the long arrows. Respective pairs of boards 19, 20; 21,22; and 23,24 are arranged at both sides of the path, and the apparatus can provide a light signal on either of them. The small balls illustrate the non-illuminated light, while the star signals show the boards illuminated. Fig. 8 shows three stations I, II and III, each are associated with a pair of boards and a slalom pole. In each slalom pole there is provided a field unit, which has a built in ball sensor for sensing passage of a ball across a sector where it is directed. When a ball is passed to the player shown in Fig. 8, the field unit in the slalom pole 24 senses its movement, passes information to the central unit 8, and this starts a random generator that illuminates one of the lights associated with the two boards 19 and 20. Fig. 8 shows that the lamp of board 19 is illuminated. The player has to target the board 19. The player continues his run and the next sensor built in the slalom pole 25 senses the reflected ball flying towards the player, and in a similar way triggers the illumination of one of the next boards 21 and 22. The same occurs in the next station. This way of operation differs from the previous one in that the triggering of the light signal has become independent from the coach, the movement of the ball towards the player starts the next event, i.e. the illumination of one of the next boards or fields. In this way there remains no subjective factor in this training. The display 12 is used to show the results of the training, whether the ball has hit the target board, and it can display the important delay times as well. By the regular use of the apparatus according to this invention, the quality and certainty of shooting will improve, and both hand and foot co-ordination and sensing will be better. The player's decision making abilities also can be improved because reaction time will decrease allowing the player overcome surprising situations more easily. In the case of competitive-level players, the aforementioned effects will be experienced just as in the case of amateurs and students. A further advantage lies in that the apparatus provides new possibilities for the coach to create new training plans and programs. It is possible, for example, to exercise a predetermined movement or range of movements under controlled and quiet circumstances. The immediate determination of the results motivates the players to a surprisingly high degree, whereby the time required for training and learning decreases. The apparatus also can be used for training with children, and in such cases it unites the advantages of computer games and physical movements. In addition to athletic purposes or in combination therewith, the use of the apparatus according to the invention can be used for therapeutic purposes. The therapeutic effect will be improvement co-ordination of movements, decreased reaction time, and enhanced decision making capability. The basic advantages of the invention can be summarised as follows: 1. Ball skill development • Extra precise development due to the repetition of the same movement; • Development is very fast: 10-50 repetitions per minute, depending on the complexity of the drill; • Parallel development of both feet (in case of tennis both hands) which provides better ball skills due to the body balance and the involvement of both brain hemispheres; • The player does not have to concentrate to anything else than his own movement; • During about 30-40 lessons each lasting about 45 minutes new movements can be learned, and old ones can be modified; 2. Injury prevention The regular use of the apparatus is a very good tool for injury prevention: lots of injuries are due to unbalanced, not harmonic movements, which are effectively eliminated. 3. Accuracy, reaction time and decision making performance The regular use of signals increases accuracy, reaction time and decision making performance (signals can be other than lights e.g. colours). 4. Extra motivations The use of the computer and display are extra motivations for players; giving feed-backs and creating competition between them. 5. Testing, record keeping • The use of the computer helps to keep records about players. Their actual state and development can be regularly monitored; • Regular training (1-2 weekly) not only improves ball skills but keeps them on a high standard, increasing self-confidence, decreasing psychological pressure; • The modules of the apparatus can be easily programmed according to the requests of coaches and other experts.

Claims: Claims 1. Apparatus for facilitating the training and exercising of ball games, characterised by comprising a training and exercising board (10) at which a player participating in the training can target the ball and having a ball receiving surface (1) made of a resilient and translucent material, said exercising board (10) comprises a plurality of fields; a segmented light source (3), having segments associated with respective ones of said fields for illuminating a selected one of said fields in accordance with an appropriate control received through control lines; a hit detector (7) associated with said training and exercising board (10) capable of detecting the time and field of the hit of the incident ball; a field unit (11) generating a signal instructing the player to shoot the ball; a central unit (8) connected to the control lines of said segmented light source (3) to select the field to be illuminated, and to said hit detector (7) for receiving data relating to the field and time of the hit; and a communication link between said field unit (11) and said central unit (8) for the transmission of information relating to the next illumination. 2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ball receiving surface (1) of the training and exercising board (10) is made by a net or by a textile material. 3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hit detector (7) senses the place of the hit of the ball with an accuracy corresponding to the size of the fields, which can be illuminated by said segmented light source (3). 4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said central unit (8) is coupled to a hit counter (12) that displays, at a minimum, the value of the hits for the player. 5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said field unit (11) comprises a display part (l ie) that displays the value of the hit and the reaction time characteristic to the player. 6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said field unit (11) comprises a mode selector (1 lb). 7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said central unit (8) comprises a random generator selecting the field to be illuminated randomly. 8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said field unit (11) comprises a ball sensor detecting the ball when being passed to the player, said field unit (11) generating said shoot control signal when such a ball signal is detected. 9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising a rigid frame (4) for holding said exercising board (10). 10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising a plurality of training and exercising boards (13, 14; 17, 18) arranged and interconnected to form a single multi-field board. 11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said hit detector (7) is a mechanical, optical or opto-electric device.

Inventors: GOERGENYI ISTVAN, GOERGENYI, ISTVAN
Applicants: GOERGENYI ISTVAN, GOERGENYI, ISTVAN
Application year: 1998
Main classification: A63B63
IPC codes: A63B63, A63B69