Pickleball training aid

Abstract

A paddle assembly for use as a training aid for playing various sports. The assembly has a paddle including a head, a front side, a back side, a perimeter edge, and a handle. The assembly also has a weight. A first locator and a second locator are affixed to the paddle and configured to hold the weight against the front side of the paddle. A spring-loaded eccentric clamp is affixed to the paddle and configured to hold the weight against and release the weight from the front side of the paddle. The weight is secured to the paddle at three contact points by the two locators and the eccentric clamp. In an alternative embodiment, the paddle assembly includes a harness configured to slip over, onto, and into engagement with the paddle to affix the weight to the paddle.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A paddle assembly for use as a training aid for playing various sports, the assembly comprising:
 a paddle including a head, a front side, a back side, a height, a perimeter edge, and a handle;   a weight;   a first locator and a second locator affixed to the paddle and configured to hold the weight against the front side of the paddle; and   a spring-loaded eccentric clamp affixed to the paddle and configured to hold the weight against and release the weight from the front side of the paddle,   wherein the weight is secured to the paddle at three contact points by the two locators and the eccentric clamp.   
     
     
         2 . The paddle assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the paddle has four holes in the head of the paddle extending through the height of the paddle from the front side to the back side, the first hole receiving the first locator, the second hole receiving the second locator, the third hole receiving a pivot bushing around which the eccentric clamp rotates, and the fourth hole receiving a spring bushing that serves as a stop against rotation of the eccentric clamp. 
     
     
         3 . The paddle assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the weight is a circular disc having a round central opening disposed around a central longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         4 . The paddle assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the weight has an outer perimeter and a bevel located in the outer perimeter configured to engage opposite bevels on the locators and on the eccentric clamp at the contact points. 
     
     
         5 . The paddle assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the weight has a mechanism for adjusting the amount of weight. 
     
     
         6 . The paddle assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the first locator and the second locator each have a bevel configured to engage an opposite bevel on the weight such that the weight is held securely to the paddle by the first locator and the second locator. 
     
     
         7 . The paddle assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the eccentric clamp has a platform, a knob extending upward from the platform and facilitating manipulation by a user, and a pivot bore extending through both the platform and the knob with the pivot bore positioned off center so that the eccentric clamp applies a clamping force with the action of an eccentric circle. 
     
     
         8 . The paddle assembly according to  claim 7  further comprising a pivot bushing located in the pivot bore and affixed to the paddle and to the eccentric clamp so that the eccentric clamp rotates on and around the pivot bushing. 
     
     
         9 . The paddle assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the eccentric clamp has a bevel configured to engage an opposite bevel on the weight at the contact point such that the weight is held securely to the paddle by the eccentric clamp. 
     
     
         10 . The paddle assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the eccentric clamp has a spring cavity and the paddle assembly further comprises a spring inserted into the spring cavity, the spring configured to push the eccentric clamp such that the eccentric clamp exerts pressure on the weight securing the weight to the paddle. 
     
     
         11 . The paddle assembly according to  claim 10  wherein the spring is a torsion spring. 
     
     
         12 . The paddle assembly according to  claim 10  further comprising a spring bushing affixed to the paddle, wherein the spring bushing functions as a stop for the spring and limits rotation of the eccentric clamp. 
     
     
         13 . The paddle assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the paddle has indicia that provide information to a user. 
     
     
         14 . The paddle assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the weight and the eccentric clamp are each made of nylon  6 . 
     
     
         15 . A kit comprising the paddle assembly according to  claim 1  and two or more weights each having different weight amounts. 
     
     
         16 . A paddle assembly for use as a training aid for playing various sports, the assembly comprising:
 a paddle including a head, a front side, a back side, a height, a perimeter edge, and a handle, wherein the head of the paddle has four holes extending through the height of the paddle from the front side to the back side;   a weight having an outer perimeter and a first bevel located in the outer perimeter;   a first locator positioned in a first of the four holes in the head of the paddle and a second locator positioned in a second of the four holes in the head of the paddle, each of the first locator and the second locator being affixed to the paddle and having a second bevel configured to engage the first bevel on the weight such that the weight is held securely to the paddle by the first locator and the second locator;   a spring-loaded eccentric clamp affixed to the paddle, wherein the eccentric clamp has a spring cavity, a platform, a knob extending upward from the platform and facilitating manipulation by a user, a pivot bore extending through both the platform and the knob with the pivot bore positioned off center so that the eccentric clamp applies a clamping force with the action of an eccentric circle, and a third bevel configured to engage the first bevel on the weight such that the weight is held securely to the paddle by the eccentric clamp when the eccentric clamp is in a first position and can be released from the paddle when the eccentric clamp is in a second position;   a pivot bushing which is located in the pivot bore and in the third of the four holes in the head of the paddle and is affixed to the paddle and to the eccentric clamp so that the eccentric clamp rotates on and around the pivot bushing;   a spring inserted into the spring cavity, the spring configured to push the eccentric clamp such that the eccentric clamp exerts pressure on the weight securing the weight to the paddle; and   a spring bushing affixed to the paddle and located in the fourth of the four holes in the head of the paddle, wherein the spring bushing functions as a stop for the spring and limits rotation of the eccentric clamp,   wherein the weight is secured to the paddle at three contact points by the two locators and the eccentric clamp.   
     
     
         17 . The paddle assembly according to  claim 16  wherein the weight is a circular disc having a round central opening disposed around a central longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         18 . The paddle assembly according to  claim 16  wherein the weight has a mechanism for adjusting the amount of weight. 
     
     
         19 . A kit comprising the paddle assembly according to  claim 16  and two or more weights each having different weight amounts. 
     
     
         20 . A paddle assembly for use as a training aid for playing various sports, the assembly comprising:
 a paddle including a head, a front side, a back side, a top, a bottom, a width, and a handle;   a weight; and   a harness configured to slip over, onto, and into engagement with the paddle to affix the weight to the paddle, the harness including a substantially horizontal band which encircles the width and contacts both the front side and the back side of the paddle when the harness engages the paddle, a substantially vertical band which also contacts the front side and the back side of the paddle when the harness engages the paddle, one or more upper straps that engage the horizontal band on opposite sides of the paddle and pass over the top of the paddle when the harness engages the paddle, and one or more lower straps that engage the vertical band on opposite sides of the paddle and pass under the bottom of the paddle when the harness engages the paddle, and a mechanism for attaching the weight to the harness.