Basketball shooting training device

Abstract

A basketball shooting training device consisting of flexible sheet having a basketball facing side, a palm contact side, an upper end, a lower end, a right side, and a left side; sheet tensioning side extensions extending leftwardly and rightwardly from the left and right sides of the flexible sheet, the side extensions being adapted, through attachment of hook and loop fasteners, for encircling the hand and for securing the palm contact side of the flexible sheet in contact with the palm of a basketball player's hand; and consisting of a finger biasing strap extending upwardly from the flexible sheet, the finger biasing strap being adapted for, engaging the index finger of such hand, and for forwardly thrusting such finger.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A basketball shooting training device comprising: 
 (a) a flexible sheet having a basketball facing side, a palm contact side, an upper end, lower end, a right side, and a left side;    (b) sheet tensioning means extending leftwardly and rightwardly from the left and right sides of the flexible sheet, the sheet tensioning means being adapted for securing the palm contact side of the flexible sheet in contact with the palm of a basketball player's hand; and    (c) finger biasing means extending upwardly from the flexible sheet, the finger biasing means being adapted for, upon such securing of the palm contact side, engaging the index finger of such hand, and for forwardly thrusting such finger.    
     
     
         2 . The basketball shooting training device of  claim 1  wherein the leftward and rightward extensions of the sheet tensioning means in combination with the flexible sheet are adapted to encircle the palmar and dorsal aspects of such hand, such device further comprising first attaching means adapted for interconnecting said leftward and rightward extensions.  
     
     
         3 . The basketball shooting training device of  claim 2  wherein the finger biasing means comprises a strap having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the strap being fixedly attached to the flexible sheet.  
     
     
         4 . The basketball shooting training device of  claim 3  wherein the finger biasing means further comprises a second attaching means adapted for interconnecting the distal end of the strap and the flexible sheet.  
     
     
         5 . The basketball shooting training device of  claim 4  further comprising at least a first finger loop fixedly attached to the upper end of the flexible sheet.  
     
     
         6 . The basketball shooting training device of  claim 5  wherein the flexible sheet has a thumb receiving aperture therethrough.  
     
     
         7 . The basketball shooting training device of  claim 6  further comprising a ball imbalancing pad fixedly attached to the basketball facing side of the flexible sheet.  
     
     
         8 . The basketball shooting training device of  claim 7  wherein the at least first finger loop is positioned for receiving the middle finger of such hand, and further comprising a second finger loop fixedly attached to the upper end of the flexible sheet, the second finger loop being positioned for receiving the ring finger of such hand.  
     
     
         9 . The basketball training device of  claim 4  wherein the first attaching means comprises a hook and loop fastener.  
     
     
         10 . The basketball training device of  claim 9  wherein the second attaching means comprises a hook and loop fastener.  
     
     
         11 . The basketball training device of  claim 4  wherein the first and second attaching means comprise a fastener selected from the group of buttons, snaps, zippers, hook and loop fasteners, lacings, magnetic fasteners, buckles, ridge and snap channel fasteners, and hook and eye fasteners.  
     
     
         12 . The basketball training device of  claim 11  wherein the flexible sheet comprises neoprene.  
     
     
         13 . The basketball training device of  claim 11  wherein the flexible sheet comprises a material selected from the group of neoprene, neoprene cloth inserted sheets, woven fabric, knitted fabric, vinyl, synthetic rubber, natural rubber, synthetic leather, and natural leather.