Ball Handling Training Device

Not Applicable

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Not Applicable

Not Applicable

The disclosure relates to basketball shot training aids and more particularly pertains to a new basketball shot training aid for improving hand strength and helping a user to hold a basketball with their fingertips instead of their palm.

The prior art relates to basketball shot training aids. Ball handling is an important skill in the sport of basketball. For best performance, players should hold a basketball with their fingertips, and should keep the basketball spaced from the palm of the hand. It is important to hold the ball with the fingertips during dribbling, passing, and shooting. When shooting the basketball, it is also important that the players follow through on the shot by pulling the fingertips inward toward each other after releasing the ball. Handling the basketball with the fingertips and following through after shooting the basketball requires the players to pay particularly close attention to the shape of their hands, and to how their hands are interacting with the basketball. This can accordingly be a difficult skill for players to master. Thus, there is a need for a device which can help players to hold the basketball in their fingertips, and not on their palm. Such a device would ideally guide the fingertips together after the user shoots the basketball, helping the players to learn proper follow through techniques.

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a thumb sleeve that is configured to be positionable on a thumb of a hand of a user. A finger sleeve is configured to be positionable on one of a middle finger and a ring finger of the hand of the user. A band couples the thumb sleeve to the finger sleeve. The band comprises a resiliently deformable material wherein the band is configured to retract a distance between the thumb and the one of the middle finger and the ring finger. The band extends between the thumb sleeve and the finger sleeve wherein the band is configured to be positionable over a palm of the hand. The band is configured to be spaced from the palm of the hand wherein the band is configured to inhibit the user from holding a ball on the palm.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular tothereof, a new basketball shot training aid embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeralwill be described.

As best illustrated in, the ball handling training devicegenerally comprises a thumb sleeveis configured to be positionable on a thumbof a handof a user. For example, the handmay be the dominant handof the user. The thumb sleeveis generally positioned on the thumbof the handthat the userprefers for tasks such as dribbling or shooting a basketball.

The thumb sleevemay include a thumb sleeve upper edgeand a thumb sleeve lower edge. The thumb sleeve lower edgeis generally configured to be positionable proximate to a junction between the thumband a palmof the hand.

A finger sleeveis configured to be positionable on one of a middle fingerand a ring fingerof the handof the user. The finger sleevegenerally includes a finger sleeve upper edgeand a finger sleeve lower edge. For example, the finger sleeve lower edgemay be generally configured to be positionable proximate to a junction between the middle fingerand the palmof the hand, as shown in. As shown in, the finger sleevemay be positionable on the middle fingerof the hand. However, in such embodiments, the finger sleevemay alternatively be positioned on the ring fingerof the hand. The finger sleeveis coupled to the thumb sleeve.

Some embodiments include a pair of finger sleeves, each of which is positionable on an associated one of the middle fingerand the ring finger. FIGS.-provide examples of such embodiments. For example, the pair of finger sleevesmay include a first finger sleevethat is configured to be positionable on a first one of the middle fingerand the ring fingerof the handof the user. The first finger sleeveis coupled to the thumb sleeve. The first finger sleevemay include a first finger sleeve upper edgeand a first finger sleeve lower edge. The first finger sleeve lower edgeis generally configured to be positionable proximate to a junction between the first one of the middle fingerand the ring fingerand the palmof the hand.

The pair of finger sleevesmay further include a second finger sleevethat is configured to be positionable on a second one of the middle fingerand the ring fingerof the handof the user, as shown in. The second finger sleeveis coupled to the thumb sleeve. The second finger sleevemay include a second finger sleeve upper edgeand a second finger sleeve lower edge. The second finger sleeve lower edgeis generally configured to be positionable proximate to a junction between the second one of the middle fingerand the ring fingerand the palmof the hand.

As shown in, the first finger sleevemay be positionable on the middle fingerof the handand the second finger sleevemay be positionable on the ring fingerof the hand. The first finger sleeveand the second finger sleeveare each coupled to the thumb sleeve.

A bandcouples the thumb sleeveto the finger sleeve. In embodiments according to, the bandcouples the thumb sleeveto each of the first finger sleeveand the second finger sleeve. The bandgenerally comprises a resiliently deformable material wherein the bandis configured to be stretchable to facilitate the userin widening a distance between the thumband each of the middle fingerand the ring finger. The bandmay also be configured to retract the distance between the thumband each of the middle fingerand the ring finger. The resiliently deformable material may comprise elastic, rubber, or another suitable material.

Embodiments according tomay facilitate the userin selectively widening and retracting the distance between the thumband one of the middle fingerand the ring finger. Embodiments according tomay facilitate the userin selectively widening and retracting the distance between the thumband each of the middle fingerand the ring finger. For example, the bandmay stretch as the userextends each of the middle fingerand the ring fingeraway from the thumb, the resiliently deformable material of the bandmay be configured to provide resistance against the userto facilitate the userin strengthening the handby selectively extending each of the middle fingerand the ring fingeraway from the thumb.

The bandmay retract when the useris not widening the distance whereby the bandis configured to facilitate the userin handling a ball, such as the basketball shown in, without the ballresting on the palmof the handof the user. For example, when the useris dribbling, the bandmay retract the distance between the thumband each of the middle fingerand the ring fingerto facilitate the userin handling the ballwith a corresponding fingertip of each of the thumb, the middle finger, and the ring finger. In another example, when the useris shooting, the bandmay retract the distance between the thumband each of the middle fingerand the ring fingerto facilitate the userin holding the ballwith the corresponding fingertips of each of the thumb, the middle finger, and the ring finger. After the userhas shot the ball, the bandmay further retract distance between the thumband each of the middle fingerand the ring fingerto facilitate the userin following through on the shot with each of the thumb, the middle finger, and the ring finger.

In embodiments according to, the bandgenerally extends between the thumb sleeveand the finger sleeve. In embodiments according to, the bandgenerally extends between the thumb sleeveand each of the first finger sleeveand the second finger sleeve. The bandis configured to be positionable over the palmof the hand. The bandis configured to be spaced from the palmof the handwherein the bandis configured to inhibit the userfrom holding the ballon the palm. The bandis thusly designed to facilitate the useris spacing the ballfrom the palmof the hand. For example, the ballmay rest on the bandabove the palmwhile the useris holding the ball, rather than the ballresting directly on the palmof the hand.depicts an example of the bandthat is spaced from the palm, with the ballresting on top of the bandsuch that the ballis spaced from the palm.

By maintaining space between the bandand the palmof the hand, the bandinhibits the userfrom using the palmto hold or dribble the ball. Additionally, because the bandurges the thumbtoward each of the middle fingerand the ring finger, the bandfacilitates the userin holding and dribbling the ballusing the fingertips, which can improve the performance of the user. Over time, the ball handling training devicecan help the userto develop muscle memory, so that the usernaturally uses their fingertips, and not the palm, to handle the ball.

The bandmay have a lengththat is configured to complement a distance across the palmbetween the thumband the middle finger. In embodiments according to, the lengthis generally measured along the bandbetween the thumb sleeve lower edgeand the finger sleeve lower edge. In embodiments according to, the lengthis generally measured along the bandbetween the thumb sleeve lower edgeand the first finger sleeve lower edge. In both embodiments, the lengthis generally measured when the bandis fully relaxed, for example when the useris not wearing the ball handling training device.

For example, the lengthmay be between 0.75 inches and 3.75 inches. The bandmay be manufactured in various lengths corresponding to various sizes of the hand. For example, a small size may have a lengthbetween 1.0 inch and 1.5 inches. The small size may be configured to fit a hand 16 of a child. A medium size may have a lengthbetween 2.0 inches and 2.5 inches. A large size may have a lengthof approximately 3.0 inches. An extra-large size may have a lengthof approximately 3.5 inches. The bandis generally elongated wherein the lengthof the bandexceeds a width of the band.

The bandmay include a band first endthat is coupled to the thumb sleeve. The band first endis generally positioned adjacent to the thumb sleeve lower edge. A band second endmay be coupled to the finger sleeve, or the first finger sleeve. The band second endis generally positioned adjacent to the first finger sleeve lower edge. In embodiments according to, the bandmay further include a band third endthat is coupled to the second finger sleeve. The band third endis generally positioned adjacent to the second finger sleeve lower edge. The band third endmay be coupled to the band first endand may be spaced from the band second endwherein the banddefines a V-shape between the thumb sleeveand each of the first finger sleeveand the second finger sleeve.

In use, the thumb sleevecan be positioned on the thumband the finger sleevecan be positioned on the one of the middle fingerand the ring finger. For example, as shown in, the finger sleevemay be positioned on the middle finger. Alternatively, the first finger sleevemay be positioned on the middle fingerand the second finger sleevemay be positioned on the ring finger, as shown in.

The bandwill retract the distance between the thumband the middle fingerto facilitate the userin holding the ballwith the fingertips of the thumband the middle finger, as shown in. The ballmay rest on the band, wherein the bandcreates space between the balland the palmof the hand to inhibit the userfrom holding the ballwith the palmof the hand while dribbling or shooting. Because the bandretracts the thumbinwardly toward the middle fingerand the ring finger, the bandfacilitates the userin following through after shooting the ball. For example, the middle fingerand the ring fingermay be pulled downwardly toward the thumbafter the usershoots the basketball, helping the userto learn proper shooting techniques.

The ball handling training devicegenerally comprises materials that can be used or worn as the useris playing a competitive basketball game. For example, the resiliently deformable material of the bandmay comprise rubber or elastic. The thumb sleeveand the finger sleevemay comprise fabric materials that are soft to inhibit the thumb sleeveand the finger sleevefrom injuring the user, or another player, during the competitive basketball game. The usercan also strengthen the hand, and particularly each of the thumb, the middle finger, and the ring finger. For example, the usercan stretch the thumb, middle finger, and ring fingeroutwardly from each other as the bandprovides resistance against the movements of the user.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.