Patent Publication Number: US-2003228942-A1

Title: Soccer ball shooting practice device

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] The present invention relates to a soccer ball shooting practice device having a recess for receiving the soccer ball therein and at least three direction arrows marked on the surface of the device to instruct the player to kick the ball.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] Soccer is a popular sport in the world and requires high level of skill to control the ball. How to kick the ball to a desired position according to the players&#39; intention is important. A good player spends a lot of time to practice the kicking the controlling of the ball. The ball flies to different directions if the player kicks the ball at different part of his or her foot so that an instruction device for the players to practice kicking the ball is an essential equipment.  
       [0003] The present invention intends to provide a soccer ball shooting practice device on which arrows aiming different directions are marked to instruct the position where the player&#39;s foot hits the ball.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is a soccer ball practice device which comprises a board having an inclined top surface and a recess is defined in a top surface of the board so that a soccer ball is positioned in the recess. A plurality of arrows aiming the recess are marked on the top surface of the board to instruct the directions that the soccer ball is to be kicked.  
       [0005] The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0006]FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the soccer ball practice device of the present invention;  
     [0007]FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view to show the ball is set in the recess of the board of the soccer ball practice device of the present invention;  
     [0008]FIG. 3 shows a player using the practice device to kicks soccer ball;  
     [0009]FIG. 4 shows the directions that the ball is going to fly;  
     [0010]FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of the soccer ball practice device of the present invention;  
     [0011]FIG. 6 shows a third embodiment of the soccer ball practice device of the present invention;  
     [0012]FIG. 7 shows that a ring member is engaged with the recess and the arrow-shaped pieces are engaged with the arrow-shaped concavities, and  
     [0013]FIG. 8 shows the player takes the arrow-shaped piece only to practice kicking the soccer ball.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MBODIMENTS  
     [0014] Referring to FIGS.  1  to  4 , the soccer ball shooting practice device of the present invention comprises a board  10  which is an isosceles triangle board and a recess  20  is defined in a top surface of the board  10  and three arrows  31 ,  32 ,  33  aiming the recess  20  are marked on the top surface of the board  10 . A soccer ball  21  is set in the recess  20  and the three arrows  31 ,  32 ,  33  respectively represent the directions that the soccer ball  20  is to be kicked. The top surface of the board  10  is inclined from an end where the recess  20  is located toward the end where the arrows  31 ,  32 ,  33  are marked.  
     [0015] When using the practice device, the board  10  is put on the ground and the peak where the recess  20  is defined aims the center of the goal. The direction that the arrow  31  aims is the path that the ball  21  is kicked along the direction and will be a straight ball. The directions that the other two arrows  32 ,  33  aim are the two corners or the posts of the goal. By this device, the player is clearly instructed to kick the ball to desired positions of the goal.  
     [0016]FIG. 5 shows two other embodiments of the practice device wherein the arrows are replaced by three foot-shaped logos  30 ′/ 30 ″. In FIG. 5, the ball in the recess  20 ′ is located in front of the player and is to be kicked by an inside and an outside of the two foot-shaped logos  30 ′ on two opposite directions of the recess  20 ′, and the ball is to be kick in straight by the foot at the position of the middle of the three foot-shaped logos  30 ′. FIG. 6 shows how to kick the ball in the recess  20 ″ located behind the player by the heel of the foot at the middle of the three foot-shaped logos  30 ″. The other tow foot-shaped logos  30 ″ show the use of the inside and the outside of the foot to kick the ball.  
     [0017] As shown in FIG. 7, a ring member  43  is removably engaged with the recess  41  in yet another embodiment of the practice device. Three arrow-shaped recesses  42  are defined in the top surface of the board  40  and each arrow is composed of an arrow-shaped concavity  42  and an arrow piece  44  is removably engaged with the arrow-shaped concavity  42 . As shown in FIG. 8, the player may pick the ring member  43  and the arrow piece  44  and put them on the ground, the ball is put on the ring member  43  and the arrow piece  44  indicates the direction that the player kicks the ball. By this way, the board is omitted so that the player kicks the ball just like in the real foot ball court.  
     [0018] While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.