Basketball screen for drills

Abstract

A portable, adjustable screen to improve a basketball player's skills, particularly shooting. The screen blocks the player's view of the basket, simulates a defender as well as game distractions and timing. The screen allows a player to practice by himself and have the benefit of practicing with a defender. The device may have projections that simulate arms, it may have a speaker or lights to provide distraction. It may have a CD/DVD reader or other input means to allow the player to select drills, instruction and monitor his progress.

1 . A basketball practice device comprising: 
 an adjustable body comprising    at least a first body part and a second body part,    said body parts adjustably connected;    a stand connected to the body;    wherein the body adjusts in height.    
   
   
       2 . The basketball practice device of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 moveable arms.    
   
   
       3 . The basketball practice device of  claim 1 , wherein the device is adapted for compact storage.  
   
   
       4 . The basketball practice device of  claim 1  further including wheels attached to said body.  
   
   
       5 . The basketball practice device of  claim 4  further including at least one handle.  
   
   
       6 . The basketball practice device of  claim 2  wherein said arms are moveable in response to a signal selected from the group consisting of infra red signal, radio wave and computer command.  
   
   
       7 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the first body part is hollow and said second body part is slidable within said first body part.  
   
   
       8 . The device of  claim 6  further comprising an adjustment mechanism adapted to adjust the body from about 4 feet to about 8 feet in height.  
   
   
       9 . The device of  claim 7  wherein the height adjustment mechanism comprises a plurality of apertures in the second body portion and at least one peg journalled to at least one aperture, 
 said peg maintains said first body portion at a selected height.    
   
   
       10 . The device of  claim 9  wherein the height adjustment mechanism comprises a plurality of depressions in the second body portion and at least one shoulder on an inside of the first body portion, 
 said shoulder mates with at least one of the depressions to maintain said first body portion at a selected height.    
   
   
       11 . The basketball practice device of  claim 1  further comprising a timer, a buzzer and a counter, 
 wherein said timer counts down and at the end of said countdown the buzzer sounds.    
   
   
       12 . The basketball practice device of  claim 1  further comprising a coaching input and a coaching output, wherein the coaching input is selected from the group consisting of a CD, a DVD, a computer program, an electronic download, an email, a video tape, an audio tape, a chip, a disk, a cartridge and combinations thereof and said coaching output is selected from the group consisting of speakers, monitor, computer link, counter and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       13 . The basketball practice device of  claim 1  further comprising a distraction wherein the distraction is selected from the group consisting of flashing lights, trash talk, crowd noise, music and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       14 . The basketball practice device of  claim 13  further comprising speakers and lights.  
   
   
       15 . The basketball practice device of  claim 13  wherein the distraction is selectable between an on state and an off state and a random state that randomly switches between the on state and the off state.  
   
   
       16 . A method for improving shooting comprising the steps of: 
 adjusting an adjustable practice screen to a height which block a player's line of sight to a basket;    moving toward the device by the player until the player's line of sight to the basket is blocked by the screen; and    shooting the basketball.    
   
   
       17 . The method of clam  16  further comprising the steps of selecting one or more distractions selected from the group consisting of flashing lights, noise, crowd noise, trash talk, moving arms and moving the device.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising the step of activating a timer and a counter on the device.