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Patent Searching and Data


Title:
BANKSHOT TENNIS
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2001/066200
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
The invention relates to a tennis game playable by a single person who hits a tennis ball with a tennis racket toward one or a series of Bankboards (26, 28) along a trajectory (33) that causes a properly directed ball to pass through various hoops (24) (obstructions with holes or slits) to additional Bankboards (26, 28) from which a ball following a prescribed trajectory (33) proceeds along a path through the hoops (24) to a ball catcher or catchers (30).

Inventors:
BRENNER REEVE R (US)
Application Number:
PCT/US2001/006789
Publication Date:
September 13, 2001
Filing Date:
March 02, 2001
Export Citation:
Click for automatic bibliography generation   Help
Assignee:
BRENNER REEVE ROBERT (US)
International Classes:
A63B63/00; A63B67/00; (IPC1-7): A63B67/00
Foreign References:
US4772018A1988-09-20
US5072947A1991-12-17
US5908360A1999-06-01
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Rose, Howard L. (FL, US)
Download PDF:
Claims:
WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. A tennis game and/or training course consisting of a series of incrementally difficult banked shots off bankboards through hoops into catchers by balls struck with tennis rackets by players standing in predetermined shooting positions comprising a catcher, a shooting position, a bankboard, a hoop located between said board and said shooting positions and catcher, said hoop permitting a ball struck by a tennis racket and proceeding along a specific trajectory to pass through said hoop and enter said catcher.
2. A course for playing a tennis game comprising a plurality of stations each having a shootingting position, each station including at least a first board for deflecting a ball coming into contact with said board, a hoop placed between a starting or shooting position and said board, said hoop permitting only those balls following a range of specific trajectories to proceed through said hoop into contact with said board.
3. A course for playing a tennis game according to claim 2 wherein said board is adjustable to present surfaces of various different angles to the trajectories of the balls from the starting position to the board.
4. A course for playing a tennis game according to claim 1 further comprising a catcher, at least a second board displaced along a path of a ball deflected by said first board, a hoop located between said first and second boards, said second hoop passing only a ball following a specific range of trajectories to permit a ball to enter said catcher.
5. A course for playing a tennis game according to claim 2 wherein starting positions are provided for left hand and right hand players.
6. A course for playing a tennis game according to claim 2 wherein starting positions are provided for forehand and backhand strokes.
7. A course for playing a tennis game according to claim 2 wherein starting positions are provided for multiple different types of tennis shots.
8. A course for playing a tennis game according to claim 2 wherein a first board is positioned to accept a slice and provide a trajectory to a catcher.
9. A course for playing a tennis game according to claim 2 further comprising a hoop located between a starting position and said first board, said second hoop having a narrow opening or an opening only slightly larger than a tennis ball for permitting a ball to proceed therethrough.
10. A course for playing a tennis game according to claim 2 further comprising a catcher for receiving a ball struck by a player, a plurality of boards and hoops arranged such that a ball must proceed through all of said hoops and strike all of said boards to reach said catcher.
11. A course for playing a tennis game according to claim 2 further comprising a plurality of starting locations at each of said starting positions.
12. A course for playing a tennis game according to claim 2 wherein a first board is positioned to accept a drop shot to provide a trajectory to a catcher.
13. A course for playing a tennis game that is laid out as a course of various stations wherein each successive station requires an increasingly more difficult tennis stroke to score points by trajectories of a ball through hoops and deflecting off bankboards into a catcher or catchers.
Description:
BANKSHOT TENNIS FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a non- aggressive sports game, more particularly, to a tennis sport game played for fun, but which may be employed to improve a player's performance.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The world of sports boasts many aggressive, violent, fast moving and therefore exclusionary ball playing sports or games but few non-aggressive sports.

Bankshot Basketball patent number 5,536,003, owned by the present applicant, gives Bankshot'""claims to a non- aggressive, non-running basketball game of which there are now over 150 courts in ten countries supporting national tournaments and tens of thousands of players.

Many of these players have requested other non running sports derived from already existing fast moving sports like tennis so that the whole family can participate together, including wheelchair players, because size, strength and speed are not factors in the sport.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION Bankshot Tennis is an entirely new sport as Bankshot Basketball was when it was introduced.

The following represents the tennis version of Bankshot Basketball; offering a new tennis sport challenge whose purpose is meant to provide the enjoyment of a new tennis game and which may be employed to improve

the ability of the traditional tennis player. Bankshot tennis constitutes an entirely new tennis sport of universal design which achieves a total mix of populations with standardized rules, score cards, competition, tournaments and all other considerations of any other sport minus aggression, violence, and having the advantages of size, speed, strength and stamina Bankshot Tennis is a sport played on a court with a series of stations as in mini-golf and Bankshot Basketball. Players progress from station to station requiring an ever increasingly difficult series of tennis shots which are made through vertical, circular, or otherwise configured hoops off of several preset Bankboards (backboards) to score for points tallied along the way. The game is played with a tennis racquet and ball, hoops and a catcher but requires no opponents, essentially one plays against one's self. Players play alongside each other, not against one another; they are playing against the game. The term hoops is employed herein to designate obstacles with openings for permitting a ball to continue along its course striking Bankboards towards a ball catcher.

In one version of Bankshot Tennis at each Tennis Bankshot station, circles or serving positions are marked on the floor or ground at increased distances for different point valuations. To direct the ball through the hoops into the catcher, one, two, three, four, or

more bankboards may have to be struck to direct the ball to proceed to a catcher. Points are assigned at standing positions of each station and accumulated through the course to provide a final score. Some of the Bankboards are vertical to the plane of the floor and others tilted downward or upward at an angle to give the batted ball striking the board an upward or downward deflection. The Bankboards are supported on the floor by a wide base supporting a post. Vertical or horizontal or tilted or circular obstacles (hoops) are installed before or in front of various Bankboards to provide scoring valuations. The first Bankboard in one version is ten feet from the back edge of the court. The Bankboards are positioned behind the hoops through which the ball proceeds awarding points for traversing through each successive hoop towards the catcher.

In use the player serves an overhand smash through the first vertical goal (hoop) and strikes the first Bankboard. The first deflection routes the ball towards a catcher which is a vertical and circular hoop loosely netted to catch and retain the ball.

At station #1 a first hoop is, for instance, at a seven to 10 foot distance from the player. The ball must be struck, by a tennis racquet, through the first hoop for one point. For additional points, the ball must proceed through the first hoop, and must strike the first Bankboard (positioned, for instance, at a 45 degree angle

relative to the player) in such a way that by reason of accuracy and velocity the ball careens (at a 90 degree angle) towards a second hoop. If the ball proceeds through the second hoop (for one example shaped as a shield or circle), two additional points are awarded. A second Bankboard is positioned so that if struck by the ball after the ball traverses through the second goal, the Bankboard (at a 45 degree angle) deflects the ball through a third hoop (for 3 points). If the trajectory is accurate, the ball then proceeds toward the final hoop. The Catcher is a netted hoop to catch and retain the ball. If the ball traverses into The Catcher, the player is awarded 4 points. In one version of Bankshot Tennis, the player is then awarded a bonus shot as well for having scored The Catcher.

Other features, objects and advantages of the present invention, together with the best means contemplated by the inventor thereof for carrying out the invention will become more apparent from reading the following description of a preferred embodiment and perusing the associated drawings in which: BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 illustrates a diagnostic layout of one station of the sport; Figure 2 illustrates a second station or version of the sport;

Figure 3 illustrates an actual layout of a station court for playing the sport; Figure 4-7 illustrates increasingly difficulty courts; Figure 8 illustrates an arrangement for requiring slices or drop shots or the like for the ball to proceed through hoops to the next station to score points; Figure 9 illustrates the effect of gravity on softly hit balls; and Figures 10A to 10C illustrate different types or configurations of hoops.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION Referring now to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing, there is illustrated one form of the present invention. A ball is to be struck at a starting position 2 to follow a trajectory to impact a Bankboard 4. If properly aimed the ball proceeds on a course through a hoop 6 to a catcher 8.

The hoop may take many forms, a circle, an oval, a triangle, a vertical slit, even a horizontal slit.

Referring to Figure 2, in this arrangement two Bankboards are used. The ball is initially struck to hit Bankboard 10. The ball, if properly directed, bounces off Bankboard 10, proceeds through hoop 12 to a second Bankboard 14. Again, if initially directed properly, the

ball deflects off Bankboard 14, proceeds through hoop 16 and enters catcher 18. It is evident that a great deal more skill is required to enter catcher 18 as opposed to catcher 8.

In the arrangements of Figures 1 and 2 the ball, when struck, proceeds directly to a Bankboard. In the remaining embodiments, the ball proceeds through a hoop prior to striking a Bankboard.

Reference is now made to Figure 3 of the drawings. This Figure illustrates a complete station for playing the game. Circles 20 and 22, six of which are illustrated, are the starting positions available. One side of circles, circles 20, are for serving by right handed people while those (22) on the right are for hitting backhand. If the person is left handed the reverse is true.

The ball is intended to proceed initially through a hoop 24 to a Bankboard 26 then through hoop 28 to catcher 30. A player may operate from any one of the standing positions, it being recommended that the player start on the position closest to the board 24 and work back. Different scores may be assigned to each standing position.

The degree of difficulty may increase as a player proceeds through the course. Examples of courses of increasing difficulty are illustrated in Figures 4-7.

These layouts employ multiple Bankboards, slanted

Bankboards, and multiple hoops, and in Figure 6 two hoops together to narrow the passage from a maximum to a minimum.

Figure 9 is employed primarily to require slicing while serving, but for regular play also. The player 32 hits a serve with a heavy slice toward backboard 34. The ball bounces off the backboard 34 and follows a curved trajectory 36. This site and others may also be set up to require the use of drop shots, while other arrangements may be set up to play level ground strokes, lobs, cross-court strokes, both forehand and backhand, overhead smashes, baseline and net play, and blocking shots. In other words, any stroke employed in playing tennis.

Figure 9 illustrates the effect of gravity on softly hit balls, such as in an attempt to catch an opponent who is in the back court.

Referring now to Figure 10, there are illustrated three different configurations of hoops that may be employed. Obviously, difficulty proceeds from the least difficult 10A through 10B to the most difficult, 10C. The diameters of 10A and 10B may be lessened while the width of the opening in Figure 10C may be narrowed to perhaps little more than the diameter of the ball.

Once given the above disclosure, many other features, modifications and improvements will become apparent to the skilled artisan. Such features, modifications and improvements are, therefore, considered to be a part of this invention, the scope of which is to be determined by the claims.