Patent ID: 8016700

Claim:
A tennis training apparatus comprising: (a) a backboard comprising (i) a firm backing layer underneath (ii) a soft deadening layer comprising a resilient polymer foam layer that is at least 2 inches thick; mounted on (b) a stand; wherein rebound of a tennis ball from the backboard is reduced as compared to rebound from a rigid hard-surface backboard, and wherein the apparatus is portable; wherein the apparatus, excluding any detachable weights added to provide stability, weighs less than 100 pounds and can be moved by being carried by one adult of average strength without tools; wherein the firm backing layer is composed primarily of plastic, has a back surface and a front surface, and has protruding ribs formed on its back surface that enhance rigidity of the plastic firm backing layer; wherein the stand comprises a plurality of legs, the backboard has a top and a bottom edge and a right and a left edge, and the backboard is mounted on the stand such that the bottom edge of the backboard is 2.5-4.0 feet above the ground; further comprising a lower net adapted to be attached directly or indirectly to the legs or firm backing layer and extend below the backboard to the ground to catch missed tennis balls below the backboard.