Tennis ball retriever

Abstract

A spring wire loop is affixed to a tennis racquet to enable a player to conveniently scoop a tennis ball off the playing surface and retrieve it. In an add-on embodiment, the loop can be affixed by mounts secured to the strings of an existing racquet; alternatively, the loop can be secured to mounts built into the racquet at manufacture.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application claims priority from provisional application Ser. No. 60 / 623,220, filed Nov. 1, 2004.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to a novel device and method for a tennis (or other racquet sport) player to retrieve a ball from the court surface with high style and minimal effort. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] The challenge of picking up a tennis ball from the playing surface is not a great one. Beginning tennis players quickly learn to pick up a ball by rolling it up against the side of their shoe. Many experienced players can pick it up by striking down on the ball with the racquet and then synchronously increasing the height of the bounce until it is high enough to catch. However, because the former method is awkward and the latter method difficult, it is not uncommon for players to simply stoop over to pick up the ball, which can be a nuisance over the course of a long playing session. [0004] A nu...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010] The first embodiment is an “add-on” Scoop that comprises an initially straight spring wire with resilient mounts on each end, the resilient mounts adapted to be readily affixed to the strings of a tennis racquet. During installation the spring wire is flexed into an approximately parabolic shape which is used to scoop up the tennis ball. This add-on embodiment has the advantage that no modifications to the racquet are necessary and the product can therefore be marketed and sold as an “add-on” racquet accessory.

[0011] The second and third embodiments of the present invention are “built-in” versions, so-called because they require some modification to be “built-in” to the racquet frame. Each of these two embodiments makes use of receptacles permanently installed on the racquet frame and adapted to receive and support the two ends of an initially straight spring wire adapted with plugs on each end. To install, the spring wire is flexed and the plugs inserted into the receptacles to form an approximately parabolic shape which is used to scoop up the tennis ball. The tension of the deflected spring wire helps to hold it in place during play and the spring wire itself can be conveniently removed or added at any time. While these two embodiments offer some performance and appearance advantages over the add-on Scoop, they each require receptacles to be installed in the racquet frame which may entail drilling and like operations best performed during racquet manufacture.

Problems solved by technology

The challenge of picking up a tennis ball from the playing surface is not a great one.

However, because the former method is awkward and the latter method difficult, it is not uncommon for players to simply stoop over to pick up the ball, which can be a nuisance over the course of a long playing session.

While this prevents the player from having to stoop down to pick up the ball, the device may interfere with play because it extends beyond the length of the racquet.

It also suffers from an awkward appearance and the need for the player to manually extract the ball from the ball-capture mechanism.

All of these mechanisms have the disadvantage of requiring the player to invert the racquet, press the end onto the ball, raise the racquet to extract the ball, and then re-invert the racquet to again play tennis.

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