Tennis serve ball machine cum training device II

Abstract

This invention, called Serve Assist, is an electro-mechanical ball machine for practicing the tennis serve. It helps a tennis student to practice serves by consistently tossing the ball in the desired location. It operates in one of two modes, an Auto-feed mode in which it tosses the balls in the magazine via an overhead toss canister at regular intervals or in an Auto-sense mode where the ball is tossed by the detection of the student's rising tossing arm. The invention also marks the desired height of contact on the dropping ball with a laser and provides visual feedback if the ball is being struck lower than optimum. It aids the student by developing a kinetic and visual memory of the correct ball toss position and point of contact.

1 . A tennis serve ball machine cum training device that allows a player to practice tennis serves with balls tossed at the optimum height and location in the court, comprising an inverted ‘L’ shaped structure with base and upright pillar behind the student. 
   
   
       2 . A tennis serve ball machine cum training device as defined in  claim 1  wherein, an inclined ball chute that functions like a magazine that holds balls, positioned above and angled for appropriate delivery of the ball to a tossing mechanism. 
   
   
       3 . A tennis serve ball machine cum training device as defined in  claim 1  comprising of a Ball toss canister that is fed by a magazine as defined in  claim 2 , that is positioned to the side of the student so as to be out of the way of the swing of the serve and that tosses the ball in a trajectory, like a student tossed the ball herself for a serve. 
   
   
       4 . A tennis serve ball machine cum training device as defined in  claim 1  with automatic feed of the balls to the student based on sensing the start of serving motion. The start of serving motion can be either the rising of the tossing arm or sensing the forward shifting weight of the student with a pressure sensing mat. 
   
   
       5 . A tennis serve ball machine cum training device as defined in  claim 4  with an adjustable time delay to customize the delay between start of serving action and ball toss from overhead Ball toss canister. 
   
   
       6 . A tennis serve ball machine cum training device as defined in  claim 1 , employing visual, non obstructive methods like Laser or light beam to highlight (on the ball) the optimum height of contact between ball and racket. 
   
   
       7 . A tennis serve ball machine cum training device as defined in  claim 1 , employing visual, non obstructive methods like Laser or light beam to highlight (on the ball) the passing of optimum height of contact between ball and racket. 
   
   
       8 . A tennis serve ball machine cum training device as defined in  claim 3 , which employs a lowerable magazine for easy ball loading.