Tennis target structure

• US 3,993,306 A
• Filed: 03/26/1975
• Issued: 11/23/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Accu-Stroke Incorporated, Jennifer F. Scott
• Original Assignee: Stanley Harold Scott
• Inventors: Scott, Stanley Harold
• Primary Examiner(s): Pinkham, Richard C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, T.
• Application Number:
  US05/562,132
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• Field of Search: 273/29 R, 273/105 R, 273/30, 273/26 A, 273/127 D, 273/127 R, 273/95 R, 273/29 A, 273/105 A
• US Class Current: 473/462
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 61/006 Accessories for training purposes mounted on the net

Abstract

An improved, low cost, net-mounted tennis target structure is provided for improving tennis skills which permits practice on an otherwise unmodified regulation tennis court and allows the player to actually see the landing of his shot beyond the net which ensures that actual court conditions and "feel" are not lost during practice; in addition, the structure is adjustable for individual players and permits practice on specialized serves and ground strokes while ensuring that all such shots land within the appropriate court playing area beyond the net. While a single player can utilize the target structure to good effect as a practice aid, an opposing player can also simultaneously use the structure to give both players the benefit of return strokes so volleys of shots can be exchanged to accurately simulate actual conditions of competitive play. The target structure hereof includes an elongated, vertically adjustable strip adapted to be mounted above a tennis net to define a ball-clearing opening thereabove, with depending, laterally adjustable strips suspended therefrom which define target areas such that tennis balls propelled through the same land in a desired area within the confines of the court.

Claims

1. Tennis target structure adapted to be used with a regulation tennis net situated centrally within a tennis court, the latter having opposed service areas on either side thereof defined in part by respective rear service lines spaced from the net and parallel therewith, and respective rearmost backlines parallel with said net and spaced therefrom farther than said rear service lines of the corresponding service areas, said target structure comprising:

at least one strip of length to substantially span the length of said net;

means for mounting said strip above the upper margin of said net and along the length thereof to define a tennis ball-clearing opening above said net, and for permitting the selective vertical adjustment of said strip to vary the distance between the latter and said upper margin to thereby correspondingly vary the dimensions of said opening,

said strip being adjustable between positions wherein tennis ball service-stroked from either side of said net through said opening will land short of the rear serviceline of the service area on the opposite side of said net, to positions wherein tennis balls groundstroked from either side of said net will land short of the backline on the opposite side of said net;

a plurality of spaced, generally vertically disposed strips extending downwardly therefrom said first-mentioned strip to present forget openings between the vertically disposed strips permitting tennis balls propelled from either side of said net to pass through said target openings and land in selected areas within the playing area of said tennis court on said opposite side of said net; and

means mounting said vertically disposed strips for lateral adjustment thereof in order to vary the dimensions of said target openings therebetween,

said structure being constructed for permitting tennis balls to travel in an unimpeded fashion from either side of said net, through said ball-clearing and target openings, and onto said court on said opposite side of said net, whereby opposing players may simultaneously utilize said target structure.

2. The tennis target structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein only a single net-spanning strip is employed.

3. The tennis target structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein said vertically disposed strips are infinitely laterally adjustable.

4. In a regulation tennis court having a centrally located, upright net, opposed service areas on either side of the net defined in part by respective rear service lines spaced from the net and parallel therewith, and respective rearmost backlines parallel with the net and spaced therefrom farther than said respective rear service lines of said service areas, the combination of a net and tennis target structure which comprises:

at least one strip of length to substantially span the length of said net;

means for mounting said strip above the upper margin of said net and along the length thereof to define a tennis ball-clearing opening above the net, and for permitting the selective vertical adjustment of said strip to vary the distance between the latter and said upper margin to thereby correspondingly vary the dimensions of said opening,

said strip being adjustable between positions wherein tennis balls service-stroked from either side of the net through said opening will land short of the rear service line of the service area on the opposite side of the net, to positions wherein tennis balls groundstroked from either side of the net will land short of the backline on the opposite side of the net;

a plurality of spaced, generally vertically disposed strips extending between said first-mentioned strip and at least the upper margin of said net to present target openings between the vertically disposed strips permitting tennis balls propelled from either side of the net to pass through the target openings and land in selected areas within the playing area of the tennis court on the opposite side of the net; and

means mounting said vertically disposed strips for lateral adjustment thereof in order to vary the dimensions of said target openings therebetween,

said structure being constructed for permitting tennis balls to travel in an unimpeded fashion from either side of said net, through said ball-clearing and target openings, and onto the court on the opposite side of said net, whereby opposing players may simultaneously utilize the target structure.

5. Apparatus for perfecting tennis skills, comprising:

an upright tennis-type net;

at least one strip of length to substantially span the length of said net;

means for mounting said strip above the upper margin of said net and along the length thereof to define a tennis ball-clearing opening above the net, and for permitting the selective vertical adjustment of said strip to vary the distance between the latter and said upper margin to thereby correspondingly vary the dimensions of said opening,

said strip being adjustable between positions wherein tennis balls service-stroked from either side of the net through the opening will land within a playing area on the opposite side of the net to positions wherein tennis balls ground-stroked from either side of the net will land in said playing area on the opposite side of the net;

a plurality of spaced, generally vertically disposed strips extending downwardly from said first-mentioned strip to present target openings between the vertically disposed strips permitting tennis balls propelled from either side of said net to pass through the target openings and land in selected areas within said tennis-playing area on the opposite side of said net; and

means mounting said vertically disposed strips for lateral adjustment thereof in order to vary the dimensions of said target openings therebetween,

said apparatus being constructed for permitting tennis balls to travel in an unimpeded fashion from either side of said net, through said ball-clearing and target opening, and onto the tennis-playing area on the opposite side of said net, whereby opposing players may simultaneously utilize the apparatus.