Method and device to aid basketball practice

Abstract

An accessory to a basketball rebound board that could replace or be removably attached to the hoop attachment of the rebound board for the purpose of causing the basketball to return in the direction of the practicing player. The basketball passes through the hoop, or substitute for the hoop, and bounces against the inside wall of a frustum whose position and angle are such that the ball's rebound will return the ball in the general direction of the player who threw the ball. The apparatus is optionally partly or completely removable in such a way that the original hoop can be attached at will.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]This invention is in the field of sport and more specifically a way to practice basketball.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Whereas all sports require constant practice to reach proficiency, there are those that require a team or at least two people to practice the sport and there are those that can be practiced by the lone sportsman. Basketball is one of those sports where the player can practice throwing the ball into the basket by himself. One of the disadvantages of such lone play is the time wasted retrieving the ball after it has been thrown into the basket and it drops down to the ground. This time wasting can also apply when more than one person is practicing.[0003]There have been a number of previous attempts to assist the basketball player as he practices alone. For example U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,954 issued to Kerslaw which shows an attempt to return the ball to the player. Apart from technical difficulties involved with the apparatus it has a prac...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]Another object of this invention is for the kinetic energy in the basketball when it leaves the basket to be as close as possible to the kinetic energy when it enters the basket. This ensures that the ball will return to the player at a high velocity which in turn will increase the chances of it having enough energy to reach the player who threw the ball, without him having to chase it.

[0008]Another object of this invention is to have a device that can be easily assembled by a single person without special equipment and be likewise removable when a regular basket and net is needed for a regular game.

[0009]In another embodiment of this invention the apparatus of the invention could stay permanently on the basketball hoop without interfering with a regular game and could be brought into position when required for training purposes.

[0013]This fixed attachment will enable a quick and easy switch between “normal basketball play” and “practice play” and vice versa.

Problems solved by technology

One of the disadvantages of such lone play is the time wasted retrieving the ball after it has been thrown into the basket and it drops down to the ground.

This time wasting can also apply when more than one person is practicing.

Apart from technical difficulties involved with the apparatus it has a practical disadvantage that it requires special equipment to assemble and disassemble.

Also the clumsy net interrupts normal play at areas near the basket.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,733,403 issued to Courtright also uses a re-bound panel which would make it ineffective to practice with more than one person unless they both threw from the same position.

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