Tennis training aid

Abstract

A tennis training aid can be used to teach proper wrist and racket position for swings such as a forehand ground stroke, two-handed backhand stroke, or volley. A training aid includes a forearm attachment member that can be quickly and easily attached to a player's forearm. A wrist positioning member can be attached between the forearm attachment member and the player's racket to maintain proper wrist angle and racket position. A first wrist positioning member can be used for a forehand ground stroke or two-handed backhand stroke, while a second wrist positioning member can be used for volleys. The forearm attachment member can include a rotatable member, and the wrist positioning member can be slightly elastic, in order to allow the racket to move slightly with respect to the wrist, and to allow for slight wrist movement, in order to provide a natural feel for the player.

1 . A tennis training aid, comprising:
 a forearm attachment member operable to be releasably attached to a forearm of a player; and   a wrist positioning member operable to be connected between the forearm attachment member and a tennis racket in order to hold the wrist of the forearm holding that racket at a desired angle, wherein the wrist positioning member is adjustable to allow the player to practice a plurality of different tennis strokes.   
   
   
       2 . A tennis training aid according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the forearm attachment member includes a forearm body and at least one forearm strap for connecting the forearm body to the forearm of the player.   
   
   
       3 . A tennis training aid according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 the forearm body includes a plurality of slots for receiving an end of the wrist positioning member.   
   
   
       4 . A tennis training aid according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the wrist positioning member is adjustable to position a player's wrist in a plurality of positions corresponding to at least two of the following strokes: a forehand stroke, a one-handed backhand stroke, a two-handed backhand stroke and a volley.   
   
   
       5 . A tennis training aid according to  claim 1 , wherein the wrist attachment member comprises a Y-shaped tether. 
   
   
       6 . A tennis training aid according to  claim 5 , wherein the tether further comprises a plurality of markings, each of which corresponds to an adjustment for holding the wrist of the forearm at a desired angle for a unique one of the plurality of tennis strokes. 
   
   
       7 . A tennis training aid according to  claim 6 , wherein the tether further comprises an elastic portion. 
   
   
       8 . A tennis training aid according to  claim 1 , wherein the tether comprises a racket connector including a pair of string hooks adapted to securely and releasably attach to string of the tennis racket. 
   
   
       9 . A tennis training aid according to  claim 1 , wherein the desired angle is in the range of about 40-75 degrees of extension. 
   
   
       10 . A tennis training aid according to  claim 5 , wherein the forearm body further comprises a jam cleat locking mechanism for selectively engaging the tether. 
   
   
       11 . A tennis training aid according to  claim 2 , wherein the forearm body further comprises a cam-lock locking mechanism for selectively engaging the tether. 
   
   
       12 . A tennis training aid according to  claim 5 , wherein the forearm body further comprises a hook attachment for engaging tether slack when the racket is in a position corresponding to a volley stroke. 
   
   
       13 . A tennis training aid, comprising:
 a forearm attachment member operable to be releasably attached to a forearm of a player; and   a wrist positioning member operable to be connected between the forearm attachment member and a tennis racket in a first usage mode in order to hold the wrist of the forearm at a first desired angle corresponding to a first type of tennis stroke, and operable to be connected between the forearm attachment member and the tennis racket in a second usage mode in order to hold the wrist of the forearm at a second desired angle corresponding to a second type of tennis stroke.   
   
   
       14 . A tennis training aid according to  claim 13 , wherein the first angle is appropriate for one-handed forehand and two-handed backhand strokes. 
   
   
       15 . A tennis training aid according to  claim 14 , wherein the second angle is appropriate for volleys. 
   
   
       16 . A tennis training aid according to  claim 13 , wherein the wrist positioning member comprises a tether and wherein the forearm attachment member comprises a locking mechanism that selectively engages the tether when the wrist positioning member is in the first usage mode. 
   
   
       17 . A tennis aid according to  claim 16 , wherein the forearm attachment member comprises at least one hook mechanism that selectively engages the tether when the wrist positioning mechanism is in the second usage mode. 
   
   
       18 . A tennis training aid, comprising:
 a forearm attachment member operable to be releasably attached to a forearm of a player; and   an adjustable wrist positioning member comprising a first portion that is operable to be connected to the forearm attachment member and a second portion including a pair of string hooks that are operable to be connected to string of a tennis racket in order to hold the tennis racket at a desired angle in the player's wrist.   
   
   
       19 . A tennis training aid according to  claim 18 , wherein the wrist positioning member comprises a Y-shaped tether. 
   
   
       20 . A tennis training aid according to  claim 18 , wherein the forearm attachment member includes an extension portion operable to attach around the hand of the player in order to hold the wrist of the forearm at a desired angle. 
   
   
       21 . A tennis training aid according to  claim 19 , wherein the forearm attachment member further comprises a locking mechanism and wherein the tether selectively engages the locking mechanism and further comprises a plurality of markings, each of which corresponds to an adjustment of the desired angle that is optimal for a particular tennis stroke. 
   
   
       22 . A tennis training aid according to  claim 21 , wherein the forearm attachment member further comprises a hook member for engaging the tether slack when the tennis racket is in a volley position. 
   
   
       23 . A tennis training aid according to  claim 21 , wherein the locking mechanism comprises a jam cleat. 
   
   
       24 . A tennis training aid according to  claim 21 , wherein the locking mechanism comprises a cam-lock. 
   
   
       25 . A tennis training aid according to  claim 18 , wherein the wrist positioning member is adjustable to position a player's wrist in a plurality of positions corresponding to at least two of the following strokes: a forehand stroke, a one-handed backhand stroke, a two-handed backhand stroke and a volley. 
   
   
       26 . A tennis training aid according to  claim 18 , wherein the forearm attachment member includes a brace adapted to engage the player's wrist to provide comfort and assist in holding the wrist at a particular angle.