Balls for use in off-ice hockey training

Abstract

This disclosure includes street hockey balls for use in games and/or training on off-ice surfaces (e.g., paved asphalt, paved concrete, and/or the like). The present hockey balls can be configured to emulate the bounce or rebound characteristics of a hockey puck on ice. For example, versions of the present hockey balls can include a core of a low rebound material and a covering or coating of a hard, tough material. Versions can have a weight greater than that of a hockey puck to facilitate strength training by which a player's wrist, shoulder, back and hand strength and endurance can be improved, and/or can have a height selected to simulate the feel of a hockey puck while still being low enough to facilitate speed or stickhandling training by which a player's stick speed or stickhandling skills can be improved.

1 . A street hockey ball comprising a core and a covering thereon, the core comprising an elastic material having a low rebound, and the covering comprising a tough, hard material, the ball having a diameter of between 1.9 inches (in.) and 2.3 in., and a weight that is greater than the weight of an ice hockey puck. 
     
     
         2 . The street hockey ball of  claim 1 , where the core comprises a polymer, and the covering comprises a thermoplastic resin. 
     
     
         3 . The street hockey ball of  claim 2 , where the core further comprises a weight member having a density that is greater than a density of the polymer. 
     
     
         4 . The street hockey ball of  claim 1 , where the core has a ball rebound of less than about 30%. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The street hockey ball of  claim 1 , where the ball is configured to bounce less than about 11 in. after being dropped from a height of 3½ feet onto an asphalt surface. 
     
     
         7 . The street hockey ball of  claim 1 , where the weight of the ball is between 7 ounces and 10 ounces. 
     
     
         8 . The street hockey ball of  claim 1 , where the surface of the ball is dimpled. 
     
     
         9 . The street hockey ball of  claim 1 , where the core has a diameter of between 1.9 in. and 2.1 in., and the covering has a thickness of between 0.05 in. and 0.15 in. 
     
     
         10 . The street hockey ball of  claim 1 , where the covering includes a plurality of openings extending through the covering to the core. 
     
     
         11 . The street hockey ball of  claim 10 , where the plurality of openings includes six openings. 
     
     
         12 . A method for making a street hockey ball, comprising:
 providing green ball comprising a low rebound flexible polymeric material;   covering the green ball with a tough material to form a ball having a diameter of between 1.9 inches (in.) and 2.3 in., and a weight that is greater than the weight of an ice hockey puck.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , where the surface of the tough material is dimpled. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , where the core comprises a polymer, and the covering comprises a thermoplastic resin. 
     
     
         15 . The street hockey ball of  claim 2 , where the core further comprises a weight member having a density that is greater than a density of the polymer. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , where the core has a ball rebound of less than about 30%. 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , where the ball is configured to bounce less than about 11 in. after being dropped from a height of about 3½ feet onto an asphalt surface. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , where the weight of the ball is between 7 ounces and 10 ounces. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12 , where the core has a diameter of between 1.9 in. and 2.1 in., and the covering has a thickness of between 0.05 in. and 0.1 in. 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , where the plurality of openings includes six openings. 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A play device for simulating an ice hockey puck, comprising the geometry of a sphere, a hard outer surface, minimal bounce, a weight of the ball being greater than the weight of an ice hockey puck, and configured such that when disposed on a horizontal surface, the device has its widest dimension disposed about one inch from the surface. 
     
     
         25 . The play device of  claim 24 , wherein the weight is between 7 ounces and 10 ounces. 
     
     
         26 - 47 . (canceled)