System and method for improving a basketball player's shooting through a shots-made challenge

#This invention relates to a system and method for improving a player's shooting and includes a detection and measurement system for detecting, measuring or calculating shooting statistics (such as made shots, entry angle and release angle, get-off or release speed, measurements of distance, hold time or release time, degree of arc and the like) and data regarding a player's shooting.

#In the past, various devices have been used to throw basketballs at a player so that the player can practice shooting the basketballs from a location and toward a basketball hoop on a basketball backboard. Several devices are offered by the assignee of the present application and marketed under the trademark THE GUN. For example, The Gun 6000 Series available from the assignee hereof provides a player with a high performance ejector that a player and his or her coach can use during shooting practice. Other ball throwing devices are also available, such as the Dr. Dish™ product available from Airborne Athletics, Inc. of Belle Plaine, Minn., that are used during basketball practice.

#One problem or deficiency of the prior art devices is that while they can be programmed to eject basketballs toward a player at a particular location, they were not capable of challenging the shooter's accuracy by, for example, making the shooter successfully shoot a number of shots, either consecutively or non-consecutively, at one location before the ejector caused balls to be ejected or thrown to the next spot or location. Moreover, the devices fail to simulate a playing environment wherein a player feels pressure or a pressure-simulated is provided.

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a system in accordance with one embodiment of the invention where a player is shooting a basketball from a first position at a playing area;

#FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 after the player has successfully performed one or more shooting accuracy routines at a first position (such as FIG. 9 and FIG. 1) and after an ejector has automatically pivoted to eject or throw a basketball to another position, such as position 16 in the illustration;

#FIG. 3 is a view showing the layout of FIGS. 3A-3D;

#Referring back to FIG. 1, the system 10 comprises a user interface 40 and a front display 42. The user interface 40 in the illustration being described is shown in more detail in FIGS. 3A-3D and will be described later herein. For ease of illustration, FIG. 3 illustrates the interface 40 with various portions of the interface shown in FIGS. 3B-3D. The system 10 further comprises a storage device 44, such as an electronic storage device or other electronic storage, for storing data relative to the player's efficiency, such as data regarding the player's performance during one or more of the shooter challenge routines 32a and even historical or cumulative information regarding a player's performance over a predetermined period or even a player's career in shooting using the system 10.

#The ejector 20 is a conventional ball ejecting machine and comprises a frame 24 having a plurality of wheels 26. The ejector 20 has a conventional ball ejector 28 that is pivotally mounted on the frame 24 and can throw or eject basketballs 12 in the direction A. The ejector 20 comprises a drive motor and linkage 30 for pivotally driving the ball ejector 28 in the direction of double arrow B in FIG. 1 so that a direction of thrown balls can be changed. The system 10 comprises a circuit board (not shown) having the controller 32 that is coupled to and controls the operation of the drive motor and linkage 30, ejector 20 as shown.

#Note that the ejector 20 also comprises a ball retrieval or net system 34 which facilitates gathering basketballs 12 that are thrown toward the hoop 14 in a manner conventionally known. As also illustrated, the ejector 20 may further comprise a shoot or guide 36 for facilitating guiding basketballs 12 into an inlet 38 where they can be ejected by the ejector 20 through the outlet 39 and toward a basketball player P.