Sports Training Device

The present invention relates to a sports training device. In particular, although by no means exclusively, the invention relates to a sports training device for practicing ball sports including football, American football (gridiron), soccer, rugby league, rugby union, tennis, golf, hockey, hurling and cricket.

Many sports involve interacting with (e.g., throwing and/or striking) a ball. Broadly speaking, ball sports can be broken up into two distinct groups: team sports and individual sports. In team sports, such as football and soccer, players need to pass the ball to one another, whilst participants of individual sports, for example golf, do not.

Common to all ball sports, however, is the need for athletes to repetitively practice the correct technique of propelling the ball, in order to develop the appropriate muscle memory and biomechanical schemas.

It is often the case that a team sport athlete may not have access to a team-mate to kick or throw the ball with. In addition, tennis players and golfers may not have access to the required court or course. In such cases, participants will often resort to hitting or kicking a ball against a wall or into a practice net. Such endeavours typically result in the player wasting a significant amount of time retrieving the ball and/or setting it up-time that might otherwise be better spent on practicing the sport.

Against this backdrop, elastically tethered balls have been provided for practicing rudimentary skills common to both bat and ball and racquet and ball games. For example, tennis balls attached to vertical stakes have been used since the early 1900s. More recently, footballs connected to elastic bungee cords have become a popular way for budding footballers to learn the basic techniques. A problem with such existing tethered balls, however, lies in the replication of ball flight associated with a particular game. For example, existing tethered footballs fail to accurately reproduce or cater for the levels of spin and rotation imparted on a ball during a typical sports game or match.

Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a sports training device that ameliorates the disadvantages of known sports training devices or at least provides the consumer with a useful alternative.

The present disclosure attempts to make a sports training device that comprises, or is used in conjunction with, a ball, in which the ball is able to perform in an analogous way to a ball used during a typical sports game or match. For example, by reproducing the characteristics (e.g. feel and behaviour of the ball) such as catering for rotation imparted on a ball during use.

The present disclosure provides a sports training device comprising a ball and a rotatable coupling located inside the ball, the rotatable coupling being configured to rotatably connect the ball to a tether, such that, in use, the ball is permitted to rotate relative to the tether.

It is understood that the meaning of the term “tether”, in the context of this application, is an element that a user can hold, or otherwise engage, so as to restrict movement between the user and the ball. The tether may be a flexible element, such as a rope or chain. The tether may be a rigid element, such as a rod or shaft. The tether may be extensible (e.g., able to be stretched or extended) or inextensible. The tether may be elastic (e.g., able to resume its normal shape after being stretched or compressed) or non-elastic.

When an untethered ball is propelled in the air, in what is known as “free flight” condition, the ball may freely rotate. In the present application, the rotatable connection allows the ball to spin relative to the tether as it is propelled to and from the player. As such, the ball of the sports training device can closely imitate the behaviour of a ball in “free flight” condition.

As the ball is permitted to rotate relative to the tether, the transferal of torsional forces to the tether (associated with rotation of the ball) can be minimised. This is advantageous for preventing the tether from becoming tangled, rendering the device unusable.

An advantage of locating the coupling inside the ball is that it enables an axis of rotation of the coupling to be aligned with a centre of gravity of the ball. In practice, a ball in “free flight” will typically spin about an axis that extends through the centre of gravity. It can therefore be appreciated that aligning the axis of rotation of the coupling with the centre of gravity of the ball may more closely replicate the behaviour of a ball in “free flight”.

A further advantage of locating the coupling inside the ball is that it shields the coupling from impact which may otherwise result in damage to the coupling and/or injury to the user.

The rotatable coupling may comprise a pair of elements configured to rotate relative to each other. A first element may be configured to be connected to the ball. A second element may be configured to be connected to the tether.

The rotatable coupling may also restrict translatory movement of the first and second elements relative to each other. Suitably, one of the elements may revolve without moving the other element. The movement of one of the elements relative to the other may be described as being a swivel motion. The elements may revolve around a single axis. The elements may revolve between 0° and 360° about the axis. For example, as a bearing. However, it is also envisaged that the elements may revolve around multiple axes. For example, as a universal joint or a “ball and socket” type joint. A “ball and socket” type joint comprises a ball element and a socket element. If a “ball and socket” type joint is adopted, a cap may be positioned relative to the socket element such that it restricts translational movement of the ball element with respect to the socket element.

Suitably, the rotatable coupling may provide a substantially frictionless rotatable connection between the ball and the tether. To this end, a lubricant may be placed between the elements. However, it is also envisaged that materials may be selected to reduce the coefficient of friction between the elements. Suitably, the coefficient of friction may be less than 0.4. Optionally, the coefficient of friction may be between 0.04 and 0.1. Examples of materials with low coefficient of friction include nylon (PA6), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polyurethane (PE).

The ball may comprise a cover that defines an interior of the ball. The cover may be spherical (e.g., round) or ovoid (e.g., egg shaped). A plurality of segments or panels may be joined together (e.g., stitched, glued or moulded) to form the cover.

The cover may comprise an opening into the interior of the ball.

The coupling may be accessible through or extend from the opening in the cover.

The sports training device may further comprise a bushing that reduces frictional resistance between the coupling or tether and the cover. It is desirable to reduce frictional resistance as this helps the ball rotate more easily and therefore more closely imitate the behaviour of a ball in “free flight” condition. The bushing may be located inside the opening in the cover. The bushing may extend at least partly around a perimeter edge of the cover that defines the opening. The bushing may extend entirely around the perimeter edge of the cover.

The bushing may be a tube. The tube may be moulded. The tube may extend through the opening in the cover.

The sports training device may further comprise a support member located within the interior and configured to hold the coupling relative to the cover.

Suitably, the support member is configured to hold the coupling in alignment with the opening.

An advantage of holding the coupling in alignment with the opening is that the axis of rotation of the coupling can be fixed relative to the ball which maintains consistency of the ball's rotational behaviour.

The support member may include a recess, the coupling being at least partly accommodated within the recess. Accommodating the coupling within the recess may serve to shield the coupling from external impact forces applied to the ball during use. Suitably, the coupling is entirely accommodated within the recess. For example, an external surface of the coupling may be flush or recessed with respect to an outer surface of the support member. In another example, the external surface of the coupling may be proud of the outer surface of the support member. In the latter example, the coupling is considered partly accommodated within the recess.

The coupling may comprise a body that is shaped and sized to conform to the recess. The coupling may be configured to be frictionally received within the recess so as to be retained therein, in part or entirely, by frictional forces.

The coupling may comprise a stem that extends from the body and at least partly into the opening of the cover. Suitably, the stem extends through the opening. The stem may be hollow such that a part of the tether can be received therein. The hollow stem may comprise an internal wall that can restrict translatory movement of the tether in a region proximal to the opening of the cover. The stem may be received within the aforementioned bushing to reduce frictional resistance between the stem and the cover when the stem is rotated relative to the ball.

The body may be rotatably mounted to the support.

Alternatively, the body may be fixedly mounted to the support.

The support member may include engagement features configured to engage with the body to limit rotation of the body within the recess. For example, a detent.

The body may be permanently mounted to the support. For example, by moulding the body within the support, or by using adhesives, e.g., glue, or permanent fasteners, e.g., rivets.

The body may be semi-permanently mounted to the support. For example, using stitches.

The body may be removably mounted to the support. For example, using hook and loop fasteners, e.g., Velcro®, or removable fasteners, e.g., screws or bolts.

Removably mounting the body to the support facilitates ease of repair and/or replacement of the body and the support.

The rotatable coupling may include an attachment portion that is configured to attach to the tether.

The attachment portion may be provided as an aperture within the stem or the body.

In this arrangement, an end of the tether may be threaded through the aperture and attached to itself to form a loop. Alternatively, the end of the tether may be threaded through the aperture and tied to form a knot that is greater in size than the aperture such that movement of the knot through the aperture is restricted. It is also envisaged that a separate component that is greater in size than the aperture may be attached to the end of the tether.

The attachment portion may comprise a hook or loop which extends through the stem of the coupling. The end of the tether may be attached to the hook or loop.

The ball may further comprise an inflatable bladder. The support member may be located between the cover and the inflatable bladder.

The support member may be formed from a compressible material. Providing a support member made from a compressible material minimises the reaction force felt by the user when impacting the ball which may result in the ball's playing characteristic (feel and behaviour) more closely resembling that of a standard sports ball.

The ball may be ovoid in shape. Ovoid balls are elongate and define longitudinal poles. Examples of such balls include rugby balls (union and league), American footballs (gridiron) and Australian Rules footballs.

The opening in the cover may be located at a longitudinal pole thereof.

The ball may be spherical in shape. Examples of such balls include tennis balls, soccer balls and golf balls.

The ball may comprise a substantially solid core. In the context of this application, a “substantially solid core” refers to a core that is self-supporting, e.g., is not pressurised.

Examples of such balls include cricket balls and hurling balls. In some embodiments, the substantially solid core may comprise a liquid or gel.

Suitably, the support member may form at least part of the solid core. By providing the support member as part of the solid core, the playing characteristic (feel and behaviour) of the ball can more closely resemble that of a standard sports ball.

The sports training device may further comprise an elastic tether that is adapted to be secured to a user, such that, in use, with the tether connected to the coupling and to the user, application of an external force to the ball by the user results in the ball being propelled away from the user with the tether imparting a biasing force onto the ball to thereby return the ball thereto. The use of an elastic tether is preferred so as to apply a return force onto ball. However, inelastic tethers may also be preferred in certain situations in which a return force on the ball is less desirable or not desired.

The sports training device may also comprise a harness for securing the tether to a user. Suitably, the harness secures to a torso (e.g., chest or waist) of the user. Securing the harness to the torso of the user frees the limbs to interact with the ball.

The harness may comprise an adjustment element for adjusting the length of the tether. For example, a reel that can pay-out the tether or pay-in the tether or both.

The harness may comprise a locking element for locking the tether at a particular length.