Mobile Football Blocking Trainer

Abstract

A mobile blocking trainer allows offensive football players to practice blocking a defender by moving the blocking trainer in the in the manner required to properly execute different blocks. The mobile blocking trainer includes a strike area intended to simulate an opponent's shoulder area, the target for a proper block. A fabric jersey may be added to this strike area. A wider base is mounted on wheels permitting movement in any direction. Weights are added for resistance, and the weights may be shifted to simulate different types of resistance exerted by an opponent. A flap may be attached to and detachable from the base so that proper footwork can be developed.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A mobile football blocking training device comprising:
 a base movable in any direction relative to a surface on which the mobile football blocking training device is supported;   a strike area located above the base and extending forward relative to the base so that a user will initially engage the strike area when using the mobile football blocking training device; and   weights mountable above the base and below the strike area so that mobile football blocking training device will provide resistance to the user attempting to execute a football block, the weights being shiftable in the mobile football blocking training device to simulate forces exerted in different directions by an opposing defender.   
     
     
         2 . The mobile football blocking training device of  claim 1  wherein the strike area is located a height to simulate an upper sternum and shoulder area of the defender being blocked. 
     
     
         3 . The mobile football blocking training device of  claim 2  wherein a fabric material on the strike area provide a gripping surface which the blocker can grasp to simulate grasping a jersey worn by the defender. 
     
     
         4 . The mobile football blocking training device of  claim 1  wherein a top portion, simulating a defender's head, extends above the strike area. 
     
     
         5 . The mobile football blocking training device of  claim 1  wherein the base is mounted on supporting members that offer equal resistance to movement in any horizontal direction. 
     
     
         6 . The mobile football blocking training device of  claim 5  wherein the supporting members comprise wheels. 
     
     
         7 . The mobile football blocking training device of  claim 5  wherein the supporting members comprise casters. 
     
     
         8 . The mobile football blocking training device of  claim 1  wherein the strike area tilts forward relative to a body extending between the strike area and the base. 
     
     
         9 . The mobile football blocking training device of  claim 8  wherein a slotted area extending inwardly from a rear surface of the body provide space for shifting weight from side to side to provide variable lateral resistance to a blocker using the mobile football blocking training device. 
     
     
         10 . The mobile football blocking training device of  claim 1  wherein the base is wider than the strike area to provide stability to the mobile football blocking training device. 
     
     
         11 . A mobile football blocking training device shaped to simulate an opponent emerging from an initial stance so that a blocker using the mobile football training device can practice executing a block on the opponent, the mobile football blocking training device comprising:
 a base mounted on supporting members permitting lateral movement of the mobile football blocking training device in any direction when struck by the blocker;   a strike area simulating an upper sternum and shoulder area of an opponent and extending forward relative to the base, the mobile football training device moving in any lateral direction dependent upon how the blocker engages the strike area;   a body section extending between the base and the strike area; and   weights mountable in the mobile football training device to provide resistance to a blocker when using the mobile football training device.   
     
     
         12 . The mobile football blocking training device of  claim 11  wherein the strike area is wide enough to be engaged by two blockers using the mobile football blocking training device, the mobile football blocking training device moving in a lateral direction dependent upon the difference in force applied by each of the two blockers. 
     
     
         13 . The mobile football blocking training device wherein the  11  wherein lateral movement of the mobile football blocking training device allows the blocker to practice continued movement required for proper execution of a block. 
     
     
         14 . The mobile football training device of  claim 11  wherein the weights are shiftable to provide different resistance to lateral movement in different directions. 
     
     
         15 . The mobile football training device of  claim 11  wherein the supporting members comprise casters, which provide no differential resistance to movement in any lateral direction. 
     
     
         16 . A mobile football blocking training device shaped to simulate an opponent emerging from an initial stance so that two blockers using the mobile football training device together can practice double team blocking of the opponent, the mobile football blocking training device comprising:
 a base mounted on supporting members permitting lateral movement of the mobile football blocking training device in any direction when struck by the blockers;   a strike area simulating an upper sternum and shoulder area of an opponent and extending forward relative to the base, the mobile football training device moving in any lateral direction dependent upon how the blockers engage the strike area, the strike area including two side by side targets comprising two aiming points for the two blockers; and   weights mountable in the mobile football training device to provide resistance to the blockers when using the mobile football training device.   
     
     
         17 . The mobile football blocking training device of  claim 16  wherein the aiming points comprise numbers on a fabric member extending over the strike area to simulate a football jersey so that the two blocker can each use one of the numbers as an aiming point. 
     
     
         18 . The mobile football blocking training device of  claim 16  including a flap, attachable to and detachable from the mobile blocking trainer at a front edge so that the flap will be detached when a blocker steps on the flap, so that the blocker can practice wide movement of his feet. 
     
     
         19 . The mobile football blocking training device of  claim 16  wherein the weights can be shifted in a manner unknown to the blockers so that the simulated resistance of the opponent will not be known to the blockers before executing a training block. 
     
     
         20 . The mobile football blocking training device of  claim 16  wherein the blockers move the mobile football blocking training device in a simulated zone blocking scheme.