Patent Publication Number: US-7582030-B2

Title: Basketball training glove

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention is directed to a training device for improving basketball shooting accuracy, and in particular, a glove for training by promoting muscle memory of the appropriate basketball grip and release. 
   As is known, a number of factors go into perfecting a basketball shot including footwork, positioning relative to the basket, and grip and hand positioning relative to the basketball. Often, a player is deficient in one if not more of these categories. The importance of grip and positioning are amplified when shooting shots such as foul shots when there is no movement so foot and body positioning becomes less complex. Therefore, it is desirous to teach proper hand positioning and grip of the basketball to increase the accuracy and precision of the shot. 
   It is also known that an effective way to train an athlete so that the appropriate action becomes automatic is through muscle memory training. Although there are numerous muscle memory devices including rubber bands, strings and the like for a variety of basketball skills, there has not been an effective muscle memory device for hand positioning and grip. Accordingly, a basketball training device that overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a muscle memory device for hand positioning and movement relative to the basketball is desired. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A muscle memory glove for training basketball hand position and movement includes a palm covering having an opening at one end. A plurality of finger coverings communicate with the palm covering at a first end of the finger covering and extend substantially past a first knuckle of the user so as to have an opening at a distal end allowing the remainder of the finger to project therethrough. The finger coverings include a thumb covering communicating with the palm covering a portion of the thumb and allowing a substantial portion of the thumb to extend from an opening at a distal end of the thumb covering. A spacing structure is disposed across the finger covering to maintain a spacing between the respective fingers and the collection of fingers and thumb. 
   In a preferred embodiment, the spacing structure may be formed of a rigid member extending across and attached to each of the respective fingers. A second rigid member extends between an index finger covering and a thumb covering. The rigid member keeps the fingers spaced away from each other to form an angle having an arc of about 5°. Each finger may be provided with a stiffening member on an inner surface or ball facing surface of the finger or thumb covering to prevent bending of the finger at the knuckles. 
   In another alternative embodiment, the separating structure is provided by positioning members disposed between adjacent fingers, sized and shaped to separate the fingers at a substantially 5° angle from each other. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference is had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a front plan view of a training glove constructed in accordance with the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a rear plan view of a training glove constructed in accordance with the invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a training glove used in accordance with the invention; 
       FIG. 4  is a front plan view of a training glove constructed in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention; and 
       FIG. 5  is a rear perspective view of a training glove constructed in accordance with the second embodiment of the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Reference is now made to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , wherein a basketball training glove, generally indicated as  10 , constructed in accordance with the invention is provided. Glove  10  includes a palm covering  12  for covering and protecting the palm of the user. Palm covering  12  is provided with an opening  24  for receiving the hand of the user. Opening  24  extends below the wrist of a user&#39;s hand. Each of a user&#39;s fingers is partially enclosed in a respective pinky covering  14 , ring finger covering  16 , middle finger covering  18 , index finger covering  20  and thumb covering  22 , respectively and finger coverings  14 - 22  collectively. 
   Each finger covering  14 - 22  communicates with palm covering  12  through an opening  45  to allow a hand of the user to slide through opening  24 , palm covering  12  and into respective finger coverings  14 - 22  in a single continuous motion. Each finger covering has a respective distal end  40  and a proximal end  42 , which is adjacent palm covering  12  to communicate therewith. Distal end  40  has an opening allowing substantially all of the finger at or above the first knuckle to extend therefrom. The construction of each respective finger covering  14 - 22  is similar varying only in degree of length to accommodate the respective fingers. 
   A separating structure  50  includes in this first embodiment, by way of non-limiting structure, a first arced rigid member  52 , which extends across finger coverings  14 - 20 . Each of finger coverings  14 - 20  is provided with a respective anchor  58 ,  60 ,  62 ,  64 , which is fastened along rigid member  52  to maintain finger coverings  14 - 20  in a fixed relative position. Rigid member  52  may be affixed to each anchor by a releasable fastening means such as a snap, Velcro® fastener (which allows substantially an infinite variety of positions) or the like. The spacing is adjustable. 
   Separating structure  50  includes a secondary rigid member  54 , which separates thumb covering  22  from index finger covering  20  or palm covering  12 . In a preferred embodiment, for reasons explained below, although rigid member  54  may be adjustable like member  52 , it is preferably permanently anchored at a desired position between anchor  56  of thumb covering  22  and anchor  58  of index finger covering  20 . 
   In a preferred embodiment, glove  10  includes a palm pad  70 , which is curved and sufficiently rigid to maintain the hand in a slight curvature (shallow cup) and the palm of the user away from the ball when the glove is placed in facing relationship with ball  200 . Stiffening pads  72 - 80  are also provided on an interior (ball facing) surface of each respective finger covering  14 - 22  to prevent over-bending of the fingers at the knuckles. It should be noted that separating rigid member  52  also inhibits bending of the fingers by anchoring all the fingers together. Furthermore, the distal end  40  of each finger coverings  14 - 22 , extends to a length above the knuckle of the user to again inhibit bending of the fingers at the knuckle beyond a desired point. 
   Glove  10  includes a wristband  90  for securing the glove  10  about the wrist of the user and anchoring glove  10  to a hand of a user. A member  84 , shown in phantom in  FIGS. 1 and 4 , couples the wristband  90  to the palm covering  12  and pushes the hand off a central axis  82  by an angle α of about 5° so the palm covering is forced to be slightly off center to the right, relative to an axis through the wrist of the user. Member  80  may be formed of any material sufficiently rigid to maintain the palm covering in the desired position, yet flexible enough to allow the hand to bend at the wrist to pass and shoot a ball. 
   Reference is now made to  FIG. 3  in which use of glove  10  is illustrated. When gripping basketball  200 , the shooting hand, as opposed to the steadying hand, should be presented at about a 5° angle to the right on a right-handed shooter, and conversely 5° to the left on a left-handed shooter. Accordingly, angle β between thumb covering  22  and index finger covering  20  is maintained at about 5° in the preferred non-limiting embodiment. The index finger  301  directs the ball, while the two outside fingers, pinky  304  and ring  303  are spread to the right for support and guidance. The palm of the hand is placed in the middle and only two fingers are placed on one of the seams  210  of basketball  200 . The concept is to maintain the finger spread at a relative right angle. Therefore, structure  50  is utilized to provide a desired degree arc α of about 5° between the respective fingers. It is noted that α need not equal β or even equal each other. 
   The object of the invention is spreading the fingers, the appropriate hand structure for playing basketball. The larger the hand area the more control of the ball which improves not just shooting, but catching basketball  200  and dribbling basketball  200  as well. By providing the larger hand area there is more control in each of these activities. Use of the gloved hand, which maintains the hand in the appropriate, spread 5° orientation results in muscle memory so that enough repetitions allow the user to maintain the appropriate hand spacing and positioning even without the glove. 
   Reference is now made to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , in which a glove, generally indicated as  500 , constructed in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention is provided. The primary difference being the addition of spacers between the individual fingers to further aid in the spacing and restriction of movement of individual fingers to train the hand in the appropriate basketball grip. Like numerals are utilized to indicate like structure. 
   Glove  500  has a palm covering  12  with fingers  14 - 22  extending therefrom. Support structure  550  again includes rigid arc support members  52  and  54 , attached as discussed before, but additionally includes spacers  520  disposed between the pinky finger covering  14 —ring finger covering  16  finger covering pair; ring finger covering  16  and middle finger covering  18  finger covering pair, and middle finger covering  18  and index finger  20  finger covering pair. 
   In a preferred embodiment, spacers  520  are formed of a padding or the like which supplies sufficient rigidity to prevent substantial lateral movement of the finger coverings towards each other. Spacers  520  are affixed to the respective finger coverings at either side and therefore provide additional stiffening and anchoring of the finger coverings at the predetermined spaces. 
   It should be noted that it is within the scope of the invention to provide spacers  520  without the need for rigid arced members  52  and  54 . In other words arced members  52  and  54  are removable. By providing a glove which keeps the appropriate spacing and tilting of the hands and fingers, the performance of drills creates muscle memory for the proper hand positioning. The glove as a training device better facilitates the user&#39;s hand, and particularly the index finger, to guide the ball to the target during shooting, as opposed to aiming the ball which is detrimental to a good shot. 
   It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made from the above construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 
   It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.