GB2335369A - A training aid - Google Patents

Abstract

A training aid for ball sports such as cricket, baseball and tennis comprises a base member (16) securely positionable with respect to the ground, and an elongate support member (12) that extends from the base member and that has a ball (14) securely mounted thereon at the free end thereof. The elongate support member is configured to permit resilient derformability between its opposite ends. As such, the ball can be held at an elevated position with respect to the ground where it can be struck with a bat or racket while performing a conventional stroke with the bat or racket, particularly for practising the stroke.

Description

2335369 1 - A TRAINING AID THIS INVENTION relates to a training aid.

The invention relates particularly to a training aid for ball sports such as cricket, baseball, tennis, and the like.

According to the invention there is provided a training aid which comprises a base member securely positionable with respect to the ground and an elongate support member having two ends, one end of the support member being secured to the base member in a configuration in which the support memberextends operatively upwardly from the base member when securely positioned with respect to the ground, in use, and the other end of the support member having a mounting formation whereby a ball can be securely mounted at this end of the support member, the support member being configured to permit resilient deformability between its opposite ends.

In use, the training aid, in accordance with the invention, permits a ball to be positioned at a predetermined height above the ground where it can be struck by a bat, racket, and the like, as the case may be, thereby permitting a person to practise his shots.

2 The base member of the training aid may comprise a base plate and a spike extending from the base plate and that can be driven into the ground until the base plate abuts the ground surface. The spike may be at least partially threaded to facilitate driving of the spike into the ground.

The base member and the support member may have complementary formations whereby the support member is secured to the base member. The complementary formations may be formed to permit securing of the support member to the base member in different angular positions with respect to the base member, rendering the angular position of the support member with respect to the base member adjustable. In this way training of different types of sport can be facilitated.

According to one particular embodiment of the invention, the support member comprises an elongate coil spring, the resilient deformability of the support member being provided by the inherent deformability of the spring along its length.

An alternative embodiment of the invention provides for the support member to include an elongate pipe section, the resilient deformability of the support member being provided by a resilient joint provided along the length of the pipe section at a location near the end of the pipe section where it is secured to the base member.

The resilient joint may be incorporated as part of a formation whereby the support member is secured to the base member. Also, the resilient joint may include two joint parts that are engaged with one another by elastic elements in a configuration in which the two parts are displaceable with respect to one another in a configuration in which they provide for the required resilient deformability of the support member.

Further according to the invention, the support member may be length adjustable. As such, for a support member in the form of a coii spring, the training aid may include at least one extension member that is securable in line with the coU spring, for adjusting the length of the support member.

For a training aid having a support member in the form of an elongate pipe section, the training aid may include an extension member telescopically extendable from the pipe section, the extension member forming a part of the support member and defining the mounting formation for a ball.

Further according to the invention, the training aid may include a ball having a mounting formation complementary to the mounting formation provided at the end of the support member where the ball is mounted on the support member. The ball typically is formed of polyurethane, or of any other suitable material which may be determined by the particular type of sport to be practised with the aid of the training aid.

The training aid of the invention may be adapted particularly for use as an aid for training a predetermined type sport, it being envisaged in particular that the training aid may be adapted for use as a training aid for the sport of cricket.

Further features of a training aid of the invention are described hereinafter, by way of non-limiting examples, with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying diagrammatic drawings. In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a schematic side view of a first embodiment of a training aid, in accordance with the invention; - 4 Figure 2 shows a schematic plan view of the training aid of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a schematic side view of a second embodiment of a training aid, in accordance with the invention; and Figure 4 shows an exploded three-dimensional view of a resilient joint forming a part of the training aid of Figure 3.

Referring initially to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, a training aid, in accordance with the invention, is designated generally by the reference numeral 10. The training aid is suitable for use as a training aid for ball sports such as cricket, baseball, tennis, and the like and comprises, broadly, a resiliently deformable ball support member in the form of a coil spring 12 having a ball 14 mounted thereon and a base member 16 which can be securely positioned on a ground surface 18 and on which the coil spring 12 is securely mounted.

The coil spring 12 has two ends 20 and 22 and defines a longitudinal axis A along its length. The coil spring 12 has ball mounting means in the form of a bolt member 24 disposed at its end 20, on which the ball 14 is releasably mounted.

More particularly, the ball defines a threaded nut formation with which the bolt member of the coil spring is screw-th read ingly engaged for releasably mounting the ball 14 on the coil spring 12. The ball 14 may be in the form of a cricket ball, a baseball, a tennis bail, and the like, depending on the ball sport for which the training aid 10 is to be used. It is envisaged also that the ball 14 can be formed of a suitable polyurethane material, rendering it suitable for training various different sports.

- 5 The coil spring 12 has base mounting means in the form of a bolt member 26 extending from its end 22, for releasably mounting the coil spring 12 on the base member 16. As such, the base member 16 has a complementary nut formation in which the bolt member 26 is screw-threadingly engaged. The base mounting means includes an adjusting mechanism (not shown) which is operable to permit the coil spring 12 to be mounted on the base member 16 in a number of predetermined positions wherein the longitudinal axis A of the coil spring is disposed at angles of, for example, 300, 6W and 9W with respect to the ground surface 18, in use. The training aid 10 includes a protective sleeve 28 of high density foam rubber that is fitted over the coil spring 12 to cover it and that is secured in place on the coil spring by means of a material having complementary hook and loop formations, marketed under the trade mark "VELCRO".

The training aid 10 includes one or more elongate extension members 30 for extending the length of the coil spring 12. More particularly, the or each extension member 30 includes a complementary bolt member 24 and nut formation 22 at opposite ends thereof, for securing the extension members on the coil spring 12 while also providing a bolt member on which the ball 14 can be secured.

The base member 16 comprises a base framework structure that includes a number of elongate base elements 34 that are arranged in a cross-like configuration when viewed in plan view. The base elements 34 each have a lug near a free end thereof and the training aid 10 includes a number of pegs 36 that can be driven into the ground through the lugs, for securing the base elements with respect to the ground, in use.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings, a second embodiment of a training aid, in accordance with the invention, is designated generally by the reference numeral 50. The training aid 50 also is suitable for use as a training aid for ball sports such as cricket, baseball, tennis, and the like and comprises, broadly, a support member in the form of an elongate pipe section 52, which has an extension member 54 telescopically displaceable with respect thereto, providing for effective length adjustment of the support member.

The training aid 50 includes further a resilient joint 56 having a first joint part 58 and a second joint part 60, the second joint part 60 including a mounting formation 62 which can cooperate with a complementary mounting formation 64 of a base member 66, the base member 66 being securely positionable with respect to the ground.

The base member 66 particularly includes a base plate 68 having a partially threaded elongate spike 70 extending therefrom, the spike 70 being configured to permit it to be driven into the ground to a depth at which the base plate 68 will abut the ground surface, thereby providing for the secure positioning of the base member 66 and, thereby, the support member, as described.

The mounting formations 62 and 64 define complementary formations that can engage with one another in different angular positions with respect to one another, thereby permitting the support member to be secured in different angular positions with respect to the base plate 68 of the base member 66.

The joint parts 58 and 60 of the resilient joint 56 define radially inwardly extending slots 72 which permit an elongate elastic band to be threaded therethrough in a 7 configuration in which the two joint parts 58 and 60 are thereby joined together in a configuration in which they are resiliently displaceable with respect to each other, the resilient deformability of the joint so provided providing for the effective resilient displacement of the support member with respect to the base member 66 during training of a sport. It is envisaged that each pair of adjacent slots 72 also may have a continuous elastic band located therein to enhance the resilient qualities of the resilient joint for the purpose described, it being required that the joint 56 will permit a ball 74 mounted at the end of the extension member 54 to be struck with, for example, a cricket bat in a manner that the ball will be displaced thereby, the displacement being permitted by the resilient deformability of the joint 56, following which the ball will return to its position in which the joint parts of the joint 56 are aligned with one another as illustrated in Figure 3.

The ball 74 again may be a polyurethane ball which defines a threaded bore into which a threaded end of the extension member 54 can be screw-threadingly received. It will be appreciated that through the displacement of the extension member 54 with respect to the pipe section 52, the effective length of the support member is adjustable in order to provide for different applications of the training aid of the invention. The position of the extension member 54 with respect to the pipe section 52 may be secured by a pin (not shown) that can pass through holes (also not shown) defined in the pipe section 52 and the extension member 54, thus providing for the effective length of the support member to be fixed.

The different components and parts of the training aid 50 may be formed of various different materials including metal materials, synthetic plastics materials, and the like, it being envisaged also that the exact design of the individual components and parts is greatly variable while still incorporating the features of the invention as defined and described above.

The invention extends also to all such other configuration training aids which incorporate the principles of the invention as defined and described above.

Claims (17)

1. A training aid which comprises a base member securely positionable with respect to the ground and an elongate support member having two ends, one end of the support member being secured to the base member in a configuration in which the support member extends operatively upwardly from the base member when securely positioned with respect to the ground, in use, and the other end of the support member having a mounting formation whereby a ball can be securely mounted at this end of the support member, the support member being configured to permit resilient deformabifity between its opposite ends.

A training aid as claimed in Claim 1, in which the base member comprises a base plate and a spike extending from the base plate and that can be driven into the ground until the base plate abuts the ground surface.

3. A training aid as claimed in Claim 2, in which the spike is at least partially threaded to facilitate driving of the spike into the ground.

4. A training aid as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, in which the base member and the support member have complementary formations whereby the support member is secured to the base member.

A training aid as claimed in Claim 4, in which the complementary formations are formed to permit securing of the support member to the base member in different angular positions with respect to the base member, rendering the angular position of the support member with respect to the base member adjustable.

A training aid as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the support member comprises an elongate coil spring and in which the resilient deformability of the support member is provided by the inherent deformability of the spring along its length.

7.

A training aid as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5, in which the support member includes an elongate pipe section and in which the resilient deformability of the support member is provided by a resilient joint provided along the length of the pipe section at a location near the end of the pipe section where it is secured to the base member.

8. A training aid as claimed in Claim 7, in which the resilient joint is incorporated as part of a formation whereby the support member is secured to the base member.

9. A training aid as claimed in Claim 7 or Claim 8, in which the resilient joint includes two joint parts that are engaged with one another by elastic elements in a configuration in which the two joint parts are displaceable with respect to one another in a configuration in which they provide for the required resilient deformability of the support member.

10. A training aid as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the support member is length adjustable.

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11 11. A training aid as claimed in Claim 10, insofar as this claim is dependent on Claim 6, which includes at least one extension member that is securable in line with the coil spring for adjusting the length of the support member.

12. A training aid as claimed in Claim 10, insofar as this claim is dependent on Claim 7, which includes an extension member telescopicaily extendable from the pipe section, the extension member forming a part of the support member and defining the mounting formation for a ball.

13.

A training aid as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, which includes a ball having a mounting formation complementary to the mounting formation provided at an end of the support member for mounting the ball on the support member.

14. A training aid as claimed in Claim 13, in which the ball is formed of polyurethane.

A training aid as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, which is particularly adapted for use as an aid for training a predetermined type sport.

16. A training aid as claimed in Claim 15, which is particularly adapted for use as a training aid for the sport of cricket.

17. A training aid substantially as described in the specification with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.