Practicing a skill repetitively has been proven to be a key factor in developing consistent skill performance in athletics. Repetitive practice is particularly important in the game of basketball. Basketball players typically spend a great deal of time repetitively practicing to improve their shooting performance. Unfortunately, a shot basketball which passes through the basketball net typically drops straight beneath that net. Thus, the practicing shooter must either rely upon an assistant to return the ball to him or her or must leave his or her shooting practice position to walk under the net to retrieve the ball.
The prior art includes a basketball return device for improving the utilization of individual shooting practice time having the basketball pass through the basketball net and be directed onto a curved track as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,090 to Juhl. The prior art also includes a basketball training device which is attached to a conventional basketball hoop by means of mounting clamps as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,814 to Manning and U.S. Pat. No. 5,348,290 to Matherne et al., which discloses a ball return apparatus and method that is also attached directly to the basketball hoop. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,803,837 to LoFaso, Sr. discloses a basketball practice device which is mounted to the basketball hoop or ring.
The above approaches have been found to be less than desirable because the shooters ability to focus on the rim and backboard is obstructed, the speed of the basketball return to shooter is slow, and the basketball is not returned to the shooter at a desired height.
It would be desirable to provide a basketball return device having improved features of a shooter's ability to focus on rim, hoop and backboard without visual obstruction, faster return of basketball, consistent return of basketball to any location within an 180° arc, and simplicity of installation. The present invention addresses these long felt needs in the art.