Basketball Footwork Development

Abstract

The present application is directed to a pair of treadable foot locators operationally configured for successive step footwork of an individual when attempting a basketball shot.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A pair of treadable foot locators operationally configured for successive step footwork of an individual when attempting a basketball shot, the foot locators having differing perimeter shapes. 
     
     
         2 . The foot locators of  claim 1  wherein the perimeter shapes of the foot locators are operationally configured to dictate the arrangement of the foot locators on a training surface in relation to a shooting target located at a point above the training surface. 
     
     
         3 . The foot locators of  claim 2  wherein said arrangement defines at least one stride length for one or more individuals. 
     
     
         4 . The foot locators of  claim 1 , each foot locator having a midline wherein the perimeter shapes of the foot locators are operationally configured to arrange the foot locators on a training surface in a manner effective to align the midlines of the foot locators substantially parallel. 
     
     
         5 . A pair of treadable foot locators for successive steps of an individual attempting a basketball layup, the foot locators having differing perimeter shapes, wherein the perimeter shapes of the foot locators are operationally configured to dictate the arrangement of the foot locators on a training surface in relation to a shooting target located at a point above the training surface, the arrangement of the foot locators dictating the path of an individual toward the shooting target when attempting a layup maintaining the frontal plane of the individual substantially perpendicular to said path during said attempt. 
     
     
         6 . The foot locators of  claim 5  wherein the foot locators include left and right foot locators operationally configured to direct the heel-toe alignment of the final two steps of an individual atop the foot locators in a manner effective to align the frontal plane of the individual substantially perpendicular to said path. 
     
     
         7 . The foot locators of  claim 6  wherein the left and right foot locators include footprint silhouette configurations. 
     
     
         8 . The foot locators of  claim 5  wherein said arrangement of the left and right foot locators is operationally configured to maximize the acceleration phase of an individual. 
     
     
         9 . The foot locators of  claim 5  wherein the perimeter shape of at least one of the foot locators dictates the identity of the dominant leg foot locator and the non-dominant leg foot locator for an individual. 
     
     
         10 . The foot locators of  claim 8  wherein at least one of the foot locators includes one or more directional markers operationally configured to align the left and right foot locators on the training surface in a manner effective to maximize said acceleration phase. 
     
     
         11 . The foot locators of  claim 9  wherein the left and right foot locators each include an alignment member protruding there from. 
     
     
         12 . The foot locators of  claim 11  wherein the alignment member of the dominant leg foot locator is located near the heal area of the foot locator. 
     
     
         13 . The foot locators of  claim 11  wherein the alignment member of the non-dominant leg foot locator is located near the toe area of the foot locator. 
     
     
         14 . The foot locators of  claim 11  wherein the left and right foot locators include a longitudinal length defined by a midline, and the alignment members of each foot locator are defined by a midline, the midline of each alignment member forming an angle with the midline of each foot locators from about 20.0 degrees to about 70.0 degrees. 
     
     
         15 . The foot locators of  claim 14  wherein the arrangement of the left and right foot locators on the training surface includes the midlines of the left and right foot locators lying in substantially parallel alignment. 
     
     
         16 . The foot locators of  claim 5  wherein the left and right foot locators include opposing surfaces for opposite leg use. 
     
     
         17 . A method for determining the foot strike position of an individual performing a basketball layup, including:
 providing a pair of treadable foot locators including a first foot locator having a perimeter shape corresponding to a dominant leg of an individual and a second foot locator having a perimeter shape corresponding to the non-dominant leg of the individual;   determining the length of the individual's average running stride;   orienting the first foot locator on a training surface according to the perimeter shape of the foot locator and to the location of an elevated shooting target, the first foot locator being located a first distance from the shooting target;   orienting the second foot locator on the training surface a second distance further from the shooting target according to the perimeter shapes of the first and second foot locators, the stride length of the first and second foot locators being less than the length of the individual's average running stride.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  further including adjusting one or more of the first distance and the second distance following a layup attempt by the individual. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  further including adjusting the orientation of one or more of the foot locators following a layup attempt by the individual.