Abstract:
A ball sport training aid having a support with an overhang and a tether retractably connecting a ball relative to the overhang at a height predicated by the height of a user of the training aid and a ball skill to be practiced. The ball is movable from a retracted position to an extended position on engagement by the user practicing the ball skill, and returnable to the retracted position, automatically or selectively, on disengagement by the user.

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present disclosure relates to a ball sport training aid and, in particular, to a ball sport training aid that assists in developing technique, skills, and vertical leap. The disclosed aid has been developed primarily for use with Australian Rules Football and will be described hereinafter primarily with reference to this application. However, it will be appreciated that the aid is not limited to this particular field of use and certain embodiments may be applicable for the training of other sports, such as basketball, netball, baseball, soccer, tennis, boxing and cricket, amongst others. 
       BACKGROUND ART 
       [0002]    The disclosed embodiments assists in developing vertically extending skills, which under Australian Rules Football includes the skills of marking and rucking, and/or shooting skills, for example as required in basketball and netball. Other football skills include the kicking or hand balling of the football as well as running skills, tackling skills, and strategic positioning skills which are all used as two teams attempt to score goals and points by delivering the football through spaced goal posts and point posts at either end of the ground. 
         [0003]    Marking consists of catching the substantially oval shaped football with the hands after it has been kicked to you by another player. If a player is successful in marking the football directly from the kick and without the football encountering the ground or another player, the player marking the ball receives a benefit of being able to stop play and take a kick without any interference from other players. 
         [0004]    Due to the importance and substantial benefit of marking in the game of Australian Rules Football such marking is usually contested by other players trying to mark the same football at the same time. It is therefore important to mark the football at the highest position you can reach or at a forward position away from contesting players alongside or behind you. It can therefore be seen that marking is an important skill to be practiced, alongside accurate kicking and handball. 
         [0005]    Rucking contests consists of two competing players contesting to attack and tap with their hand the football after it reaches the top of its trajectory after the umpire has thrown up all bounced off the football following the umpires adjudication that neither of the two competing teams of players could rightfully receive a free kick following the penalty incurred by the other team. Such contested rucking occurs at the start of each quarter of the game as well as any whistled contest at which the umpire has adjudicated play cannot freely continue due to a congestion of players or physical interaction of players but that a penalty and resultant free kick cannot be awarded. Rucking contests also occur when an umpire throws the football back into play from the perimeter of the oval ground after the football has rolled out over the boundaries of the ground. 
         [0006]    It is to be understood that, if any prior art information is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the information forms part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country. 
         [0007]    The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate exemplary technology areas where some embodiments described herein may be practiced. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0008]    As mentioned above, the present disclosure relates generally to ball sport training aid and, in particular, to a ball sport training aid that assists in developing vertically extending skills, shooting skills and/or other technical skills across one or more sports codes. 
         [0009]    According to one aspect of the disclosure there is provided a ball sport training aid comprising: 
         [0010]    a support comprising an overhang; and 
         [0011]    a tether retractably connecting a ball relative to the overhang at a height predicated by the height of a user of the training aid and a ball skill to be practiced, 
         [0012]    wherein the ball is movable from a retracted position to an extended position on engagement by the user practicing the ball skill, and returnable to the retracted position, automatically or selectively, on disengagement by the user. 
         [0013]    The tether preferably comprises a retractable cord assembly, the ball being fixedly connected relative to a cord of the retractable cord assembly. The retractable cord assembly may be suitably tensioned such that the cord is automatically retracted into the retractable cord assembly on release of the ball by the user. Alternatively, the cord may remain in an extended position and retracted upon manual operation of the retractable cord assembly. 
         [0014]    The support is generally height adjustable. For example, the height adjustability of the support may be achieved by a variation in angular disposition of the overhang or a variation in vertical height of the overhang. Alternatively, or additionally, the support may include a base and a central support section mounted on the base and supporting the overhang. The overhang may be pivotally connected to the central support section and the adjustability of the support facilitated by a variation in angular disposition of the overhang. The overhang may alternatively be fixedly connected to the central support section and the adjustability of the support facilitated by a variation in the height of the central support section. In that regard, the central support section may be telescopic to provide the variation in the height. The central support section may, for example, include two vertically aligned fitting parts, wherein the vertically aligned fitting parts comprise cooperating tracks that prevent relative rotation of the vertically aligned fitting parts. 
         [0015]    The support may also be provided with securing points that facilitate attachment of guide ropes or other cabling that may be secured to the ground, or otherwise, to further stabilise the training aid. 
         [0016]    The base, if included, may be ground engaging. The base may be sized and weighted to provide a stable base. As examples, the base may include connectors for allowing ground engaging fittings to be attached between the base and ground. It may include connectors for receiving weights to be selectively attached to further improve the stability of the base. Engagement with the ground may also be facilitated through guide ropes extending from the support. The base may also be fillable with water to provide weight thereto. 
         [0017]    In certain embodiments, the base includes wheels arranged to facilitate movement of the training aid. For example, the wheels may be adapted to engage the ground on tilting of the training aid. 
         [0018]    Generally, the tether is connected to the end of the overhang. The overhang may comprise a guide wire assembly extending substantially from a distal end thereof to a proximal end thereof to provide stability to the overhang. A guide rope may also be provided, extending from a proximal end of the overhang and being adapted to be secured to the ground, or otherwise secured to provide stability to the support. 
         [0019]    In certain embodiments, the ball sport training aid further comprises a hoop to facilitate ball shooting practice, the hoop comprising a gap to facilitate travel of the tether through the hoop and return of the ball to the user or to the retracted position. The hoop is generally associated with the support, such as the central support section of the support. Furthermore, the hoop is preferably height adjustable. 
         [0020]    It is envisaged that in circumstances where only ball shooting skills are to be practiced, the ball may not need to be retractably connected relative to the support. As such, in another aspect of the disclosure there is provided a ball sport training aid comprising: 
         [0021]    a support comprising a central support and an overhang extending therefrom; 
         [0022]    a hoop associated with the central support to facilitate ball shooting practice of a user; and 
         [0023]    a tether connecting a ball relative to the overhang, 
         [0024]    wherein the hoop comprises a gap to facilitate travel of the tether through the hoop and return of the ball to the user after shooting. 
         [0025]    Many of the above mentioned features of the ball sport training aid discussed above are also applicable to this aspect of the disclosure and are explicitly incorporated to this aspect. 
         [0026]    Throughout this specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word “comprise”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated step or element or integer or group of steps or elements or integers, but not the exclusion of any other step or element or integer or group of steps, elements or integers. Thus, in the context of this specification, the term “comprising” is used in an inclusive sense and thus should be understood as meaning “including principally, but not necessarily solely”. 
         [0027]    The present disclosure consists of features and a combination of parts hereinafter fully described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that various changes in the details may be made without departing from the scope of or sacrificing any of the advantages of the inventive concepts disclosed herein. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS 
         [0028]    To further clarify various aspects of some embodiments of the present disclosure, a more particular description will be rendered by references to specific embodiments thereof, which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It should be appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the inventive concepts and are therefore not to be considered limiting on its scope. The disclosed embodiments will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0029]      FIG. 1  illustrates an embodiment of the disclosed ball sport training aid. 
           [0030]      FIG. 2  illustrates an embodiment of an overhang arrangement; 
           [0031]      FIG. 3  illustrates an embodiment of a base arrangement; and 
           [0032]      FIG. 4  illustrates an embodiment of a hoop arrangement. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0033]    Hereinafter, this specification will describe the ball sport training aid according to the preferred embodiments. It is to be understood that limiting the description to the preferred embodiments is merely to facilitate discussion of the present invention and it is envisioned without departing from the scope of the appended claims. 
         [0034]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a ball sport training aid  100  is illustrated. The training aid  100  includes a base  110  and a support  120 , which includes a central support  121  and an overhang  122 . A tether assembly  130  includes a tether  131  that attaches a ball  132  to the overhang  122 . The ball  132  is disposed at a height generally predicated by the height of a user and the ball skill to be practiced. 
         [0035]    The base  110 , which is better illustrated in  FIG. 3 , at least in this embodiment includes wheels  111  and anchors  112  for securing the base  110  to the ground, or for receiving weights (not shown) that likewise maintain the training aid  100  in position. 
         [0036]    The central support  121  extends from the base  110  and is generally secured to the base  110 . The support includes two vertically aligned portions  123  and  124 , which are movable relative to each other via a screw mechanism  125  disposed between the vertically aligned portions  123 ,  124 . As mentioned above, height adjustability may equally be provided by another telescopic arrangement, or pivotal mounting of the overhang  122  relative to the central support  121 . If a telescopic arrangement if employed, the vertically aligned portions  123 ,  124  may include cooperating elongate locaters that prevent rotation of the vertically aligned portions  123 ,  124  relative to one another. The support  120  also includes a tensionable guidewire or cable  126  that provides stability to the support  120 . Angled struts  127  may also provide added support and stability. The support  120  will be described in more detail with reference to  FIG. 2 . 
         [0037]    The tether assembly  130  is connected to the overhang  122  of the support  120  by means of a link  133 . The tether  131  is a retractable cord assembly that includes a housing  134  and a retractable cord  135 , to which the ball  132  is attached. As noted above, the ball  132  is set at a height appropriate for a particular use, in this instance by adjusting the height of the overhang  122  using the screw mechanism  125 , which for example may raise and lower the vertical portion  124  relative to vertical portion  123 . 
         [0038]    On engagement by a user, for example practicing a marking or rucking skill, the cord  135  extends from the housing  134 . That is, the user can jump, hit or grasp the ball  132  and land back on the ground in a relatively realistic environment as compared with on field play. Generally, on landing the user may kick or handpass the ball  132 , after which it will automatically retract to its original position for subsequent training. 
         [0039]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , the support  220  and tether assembly  230  are illustrated in more detail. The support, again, includes a central support  221  and an overhang  222 . The support  220  is provided with additional stability through a tensionable guidewire  226  attached to either end of the overhang  222  and struts  227  that provide further support at the juncture of the central support  221  and the overhang  222 . A guide rope  228  may provide even further stability and support. It will be appreciated that an amount of force will impact on the support  220  when a user grabs the ball  232  and pulls this from the tether  231 , which is in this case a retractable cord assembly. The provision of at least one of the guidewire  226 , struts  227  and guide rope  228  provides substantially more strength and stability to the support  220 . 
         [0040]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , an example of a base  310  is illustrated. The base  310  includes two small wheels  311  that are disposed adjacent the central support  321 . The training aid  300  may be moved by tilting it towards the wheels  311  until they engage the ground. The body of the base  310  is made of a relatively rigid plastics material and may be filled with water to provide sufficient weight to the base  310 . This may also make the base  310  lighter and easier to move from one location to another. 
         [0041]    For support, a guide rope  328  may be secured to and extend from the ground to an upper location of the central support  321  (as also illustrated in  FIG. 2 ). Struts  313  also provide support and bracing to the central support  321 . 
         [0042]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , a hoop  440  is attached to an upper portion  424  of the central support  421 . The hoop  440  includes a gap  441 . This arrangement is of particular use when practicing shooting skills. The gap  441  allows the ball to pass through the hoop  440  and be released without the tether (not shown) or cord of the tether assembly (not shown) being tangled or restrained by the hoop  440 . It is envisaged that this embodiment may or may not be used with a retractable ball (i.e. the ball may be on a non-retractable cord or rope). 
         [0043]    Unless the context requires otherwise or specifically stated to the contrary, integers, steps or elements of the invention recited herein as singular integers, steps or elements clearly encompass both singular and plural forms of the recited integers, steps or elements. 
         [0044]    It will be appreciated that the foregoing description has been given by way of illustrative example of the invention and that all such modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons of skill in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as herein set forth.