Hockey training aid

Abstract

The hockey training aid is a hockey stick/blade which can be either a one piece stick as in a one piece composite stick or an attachable/replaceable blade, which can be attached to a stick shaft. The blade has a shank for inserting the stick handle and containing a channel along the lower edge of the blade. A string is fastened tat one end to a puck and or ball and at the other end to a ball bearing shaped bead that is freely moveable within the channel. The string attached to the bead extends outward from the channel through a slit that also extends along the length of the channel. During use, as the puck/ball moves back-and-forth during stick-handling drills, the bead freely moves back-and-forth within the channel and the tether freely moves along the slit. An additional optional hole is provided at the top of the blade for use as an alternative stationary attachment of an elastic tether to the blade.

1 . A hockey training aid apparatus comprising:
 a hockey stick blade attachable to a hockey stick having a toe, a heel, and a central portion extending between the toe and the heel, and a lower blade edge extending from the toe to the heel, the lower blade edge having a channel defined therein and a pair of walls extending inwardly defining a longitudinally extending slit below said channel;   a ball having an attachment means for a tether;   a bead sized to be slidably disposed in the channel defined in the lower blade edge and having a through hole sized to accept a tether end; and   a tether having an end attached to the bead, whereby the ball can be attached to the blade by the tether and slide freely along the channel which simulates a hockey puck and thereby aids a hockey player in training.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , the blade further comprising a bead insertion notch opening into the channel in order to provide an access to the channel in order to insert the bead into the channel. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the central portion of lower edge of the blade is raised, the heel and the toe protrudes below the central portion of the lower edge of the blade, whereby the blade is adapted for contacting a supporting surface only at the heel and the toe of the blade. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the blade has a second notch defined at the toe of the blade. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said blade has an upper portion having a hole defined therein, the bead being removable from the channel and the tether being attachable to the hole defined in the upper portion of the blade. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the tether is elastic. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the tether is an inelastic cord. 
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the ball has a thermoplastic core and a polyethylene shell. 
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , the attachment means comprising an eyelet screw secured in a recess in the ball such that the screw does not protrude outside the surface envelope of the ball. 
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 9  further comprising a swivel mechanism attachable on one end to the tether and on another end to the eyelet screw. 
   
   
       11 . A hockey training aid apparatus comprising:
 a hockey stick with an integral blade having a toe, a heel, and a central portion extending between the toe and the heel, and a lower blade edge extending from the toe to the heel, the lower blade edge having a channel defined therein and a pair of walls extending inwardly defining a longitudinally extending slit below said channel;   a ball having an attachment means for a tether;   a bead sized to be slidably disposed in the channel defined in the lower blade edge and having a through hole sized to accept a tether end; and   a tether having an end attached to the bead, whereby the ball can be attached to the blade by the tether and slide freely along the channel which simulates a hockey puck and thereby aids a hockey player in training.   
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , the blade further comprising a bead insertion notch opening into the channel in order to provide an access to the channel in order to insert the bead into the channel. 
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the central portion of lower edge of the blade is raised, the heel and the toe protrudes below the central portion of the lower edge of the blade, whereby the blade is adapted for contacting a supporting surface only at the heel and the toe of the blade. 
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the blade has a second notch defined at the toe of the blade. 
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said blade has an upper portion having a hole defined therein, the bead being removable from the channel and the tether being attachable to the hole defined in the upper portion of the blade. 
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the tether is elastic. 
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the tether is an inelastic cord. 
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the ball has a thermoplastic core and a polyethylene shell. 
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , the attachment means comprising an eyelet screw secured in a recess in the ball such that the screw does not protrude outside the surface envelope of the ball. 
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 19  further comprising a swivel mechanism attachable on one end to the tether and on another end to the eyelet screw.