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Method and apparatus for ball kicking practice

Method and apparatus for ball kicking practice description/claims

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/871,004 filed Dec. 20, 2006, and incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

The disclosed device relates to ball kicking practice for players of games such as soccer. More particularly, the disclosed device and method of employment thereof relate to placement of indica on a ball which will change in appearance in reaction to an accurate or correct kick by the user and targeting devices on the ball and shoe to encourage continuous eye contact by the user with the intended target of their foot.

Soccer is a game played throughout the world by adults and children and takes a particularly high degree of foot and eye coordination for the player to accurately kick or strike the ball. Much like other sports where a ball must be accurately struck to propel it toward the intended target, players must develop the ability to maintain their eye on the ball in order to pass the ball to other players or to attempt to propel the ball into a goal. Kicking the ball with the wrong portion of the foot will impart an unintended trajectory to the ball causing missed passes and goal attempts and is detrimental to good team play.

As is well known to experienced soccer players, it is advantageous to master the skill of striking a soccer ball in different areas to cause the ball to travel along a desired flight path. While experienced soccer players after years of practice become adept at controlling the flight of a soccer ball for passing or scoring during games through striking the soccer ball in a particular area, newer players lack this essential skill.

Additionally, varying game situations call for different ball trajectories that can only be imparted by accurate foot and ball contact to different areas of both the ball and foot. During a game in a defending situation where the player is just trying to clear the ball from his team's goal, the player may simply kick the soccer ball as far as possible. Alternatively, in an offensive situation with multiple players attacking the opposing goal, accuracy and good control of the soccer ball flight trajectory is imperative for team play and scoring goals.

While just about any type of player can kick a ball with their foot, it is a much rarer player who possess the agility and foot to ball coordination to accurately control the flight of the soccer ball in these differing situations.

Conventionally, training young and even older players generally involves providing a ball to strike with the foot with the visual review of a coach and subsequent oral communication of the player's form from the coach. For younger players this is a problem since coaches are not always available to help them in their quest of becoming proficient at kicking the ball accurately, and they are provided no visual reference to ascertain exactly what type of foot to ball contact constitutes proper form.

As a consequence, practice of kicking for accurate foot placement on the ball and maintaining eye contact to do so is inhibited. Further, even when they do strike the ball, if a coach is not present to review the performance, they have no feedback from which to ascertain if their contact with the ball was true to desired form, and if they maintained their eyes on the ball during the strike.

As such there is an unmet need for a device and method that provides soccer players seeking improvement in their ball striking ability with a manner to train themselves for continuous eye contact with the ball. Such a device and method should provide players with a foot contact point of reference where contact with the ball is preferable for each type of kick. Further, such a device should provide players with a ball point of contact reference which is ideal for placement of the foot contact point of reference during the kick. Combined these two points of contact reference also provide the player with a means to practice the art of maintaining eye contact on the ball throughout the strike of their foot. Failure to keep their eye on the ball is a constant complaint regarding player's performance by coaches.

Finally, and particularly important, such a device should provide some means of visual feedback to the player, verifying that their contact with the ball was at the proper point on both the ball and foot to yield the intended trajectory of the ball. The visual reference should allow even very young users to ascertain they have struck the ball correctly. Such a means of feedback will allow players to practice by themselves, without a coach, and ascertain by themselves that they have hit the ball correctly with their foot, and whether or not they are employing the point of contact references on the ball and foot correctly. This will allow for practice by players of any age and without special equipment to ascertain correct form.

In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for designing other vertical-axis wind turbines and methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent construction insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

An object of this invention is the provision a soccer practice device that provides visual references to the player of proper points of contact on both the foot and the ball to allow for practice with or without a coach present.

A further object of this invention is to provide such a ball kicking practice device that encourages the continuous viewing of the ball throughout the strike to train the player to keep their eyes on the ball during a kick.

An additional object of this invention in the most preferred mode is the provision of a kicking practice device that provides visual feedback to the user as to whether their foot and ball contact was sufficiently accurate to correctly project the ball without the need for a goal or target.

A further object of this invention is the provision of such a device for ball kicking practice which even very young players who cannot read may use and receive visual feedback of correct kicking form to allow them to practice without a coach.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of the construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

The device and method of operation herein described and disclosed provides visual references to the player practicing kicking to aid the player in obtaining foot to eye coordination during the kicking of a ball such as a soccer ball to obtain the correct subsequent trajectory for the struck ball. Various components used singularly or in combination will allow players to practice their kicking form and to also practice and learn the delicate art of maintaining eye contact with the ball and foot, such that muscle and mental memories are formed resulting in better form throughout the kick which result in better overall play.

The device features a foot targeting system that allows the player to ascertain the proper point of contact of a ball with their foot to yield the desired trajectory of the ball. Additionally provided is a ball targeting system for the ball which the user employs to practice the proper point of contact with the foot targeting system in order to yield the best form and subsequent kick. Combined, the foot targeting system and the ball targeting system provide a means for the player to practice maintaining eye contact with the ball before, during, and after the strike by their foot. This is a major skill that must be developed by soccer players to become better at playing the game.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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