Sports training aid

Abstract

A sports training aid for improving the mechanics of a sports player conducting a sports movement is disclosed. The sports training aid may comprise a foot placement surface or area that is simultaneously inclined in two directions. The sports training aid may be inclined from both the front to the back of the sports training aid and from one side of the sports training aid to the other side of the training aid. When positioning a player's foot on the sports training aid, the toes of the player's foot are raised above the heel of the player's foot and the outsole of the player's foot is raised above the insole of the player's foot. A method for training a sports player using the sports training aid is also disclosed.

1 . A sports training aid comprising:
 a foot placement area having a toe placement region, a heel placement region opposite the toe placement region, an insole placement region, and an outsole placement region opposite the insole placement region, wherein the foot placement area includes an incline from the heel placement region to the toe placement region and an incline from the insole placement region up to the outsole placement region.   
   
   
       2 . The sports training aid of  claim 1 , wherein the incline from the heel placement region to the toe placement region comprises an incline from the heel placement region up to the toe placement region. 
   
   
       3 . The sports training aid of  claim 1 , further comprising a toe restrainer located in the toe placement region for securing a front portion of a foot to the foot placement area. 
   
   
       4 . The sports training aid of  claim 3 , wherein the toe restrainer comprises one or more straps secured at one end to a first portion of the toe placement region and detachably secured at a second end to a second portion of the tow placement region. 
   
   
       5 . The sports training aid of  claim 3 , wherein the toe restrainer comprises a toe shield extending upwardly away from the toe placement region and rearwardly towards the heel placement region. 
   
   
       6 . The sports training aid of  claim 1 , wherein the incline from the heel placement region up to the toe placement region has an angle of inclination in the range of from greater than 0 degrees to about 80 degrees. 
   
   
       7 . The sports training aid of  claim 1 , wherein the incline from the insole placement region up to the outsole placement region has an angle of inclination in the range of from greater than 0 degrees to about 80 degrees. 
   
   
       8 . The sports training aid of  claim 1 , wherein the incline from the heel placement region up to the toe placement region has an angle of inclination in the range of from greater than 0 degrees to about 30 degrees. 
   
   
       9 . The sports training aid of  claim 1 , wherein the incline from the insole placement region up to the outsole placement region has an angle of inclination in the range of from greater than 0 degrees to about 30 degrees. 
   
   
       10 . The sports training aid of  claim 1 , wherein the incline from the heel placement region up to the toe placement region has an angle of inclination of about 21 degrees. 
   
   
       11 . The sports training aid of  claim 1 , wherein the incline from the insole placement region up to the outsole placement region has an angle of inclination of about 17 degrees. 
   
   
       12 . The sports training aid of  claim 6 , wherein the angle of inclination of the incline from the heel placement region up to the toe placement region is adjustable within the angle of inclination range 
   
   
       13 . The sport training aid of  claim 7 , wherein the angle of inclination of the incline from the insole placement region up to the outsole placement region is adjustable within the angle of inclination range. 
   
   
       14 . A sports training aid for attaching to a shoe comprising:
 a foot-shaped foot support having a foot placement surface and a ground-contacting surface generally opposite the foot placement surface;   wherein the foot placement surface includes a first incline and a second incline, the first incline extending from a heel region of the foot-shaped support to a toe region of the foot-shaped support and the second incline extends from an insole region of the foot-shaped support up to an outsole region of the foot-shaped support; and   wherein the ground-contacting surface is generally parallel to the ground.   
   
   
       15 . The sports training aid of  claim 14 , wherein the first incline comprises an incline extending from the heel region of the foot-shaped support up to the toe region of the foot-shaped support. 
   
   
       16 . The sports training aid of  claim 14 , wherein the foot shaped support further comprises a toe restraint located at the toe region of the foot placement surface. 
   
   
       17 . The sports training aid of  claim 14 , wherein the first incline has an angle of inclination in the range of from greater than zero degrees to about 80 degrees and the second incline has an angle of inclination in the range of from greater than zero degrees to about 80 degrees. 
   
   
       18 . The sports training aid of  claim 14 , wherein the first incline has an angle of inclination of about 21 degrees and the second incline has an angle of inclination of about 17 degrees. 
   
   
       19 . The sports training aid of  claim 14 , wherein the sports training aid further comprises a plurality of stud receptacles located along a periphery of the sports training aid and wherein the ground-contacting surface comprises a plurality of stud sockets for receiving studs. 
   
   
       20 . The sports training aid of  claim 14 , wherein the foot placement surface comprises a plurality of stud pockets or stud holes for receiving the studs of a cleat disposed on the foot placement surface. 
   
   
       21 . A method for training a sports player, the method comprising:
 providing a foot placement area having a toe placement region, a heel placement region opposite the toe region, an insole placement region, and an outsole placement region opposite the insole placement region, wherein foot placement region includes an incline from the heel placement region up to the toe placement region and an incline from the insole placement region up to the outsole placement region;   positioning a sports player's foot on the foot placement area such that the sports player's heel is positioned in the heel region, the sports player's toes are positioned in the toe region, the sports player's insole is positioned in the insole region and the sport's players outsole is positioned in the outsole region; and   repeating a sports movement with the sport player's foot positioned on the foot placement area.