Patent ID: 7597558

Claim:
A training device, comprising: a body member having a ramp surface, the ramp surface having a lower edge and an upper edge, each of the lower edge and the upper edge extending from a first side of the body member to a second side of the body member, the ramp surface being curved in a direction of extent between the lower edge and the upper edge while being non-curved in a direction perpendicular to the direction of extent between the first side and the second side along substantially the entire ramp surface between the lower edge and the upper edge, the lower edge being positionable on a ball support surface so that when a ball is put in motion along the ball support surface by a user the ball is receivable onto the ramp surface via the lower edge, the upper edge being vertically spaced from the lower edge and the ramp surface having an angle of curvature greater than 90 degrees from the lower edge to the upper edge such that the ball traveling along the ramp surface from the lower edge to the upper edge is directed back over the lower edge, the upper edge being linear from the first side to the second side and in a non-perpendicular relationship with respect to the direction of extent of the ramp surface such that the angle of curvature of the ramp surface between the lower edge and the upper edge is variable between the first side and the second side of the body member so as to permit the ball to exit the upper edge at different angles relative to the ball support surface and thereby return to the user at different trajectories.