SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMPROVING A BASKETBALL PLAYER'S SHOOTING
Systems and methods for assisting a user with creating a custom basketball practice arrangement are provided. An ejector launches basketballs toward each of a plurality of pass receipt locations located about a basketball playing surface. A user interface receives a user selection of a subset of the pass receipt locations and a revisionary user selection excluding at least one of the pass receipt locations in the subset and including at least one new one of the pass receipt locations in the subset. A control system receives data from said user interface and commands the ejector to launch at least one basketball towards each of the pass receipt locations in the subset as revised following said revisionary user selection.
1 . A system for assisting a user with creating a custom basketball practice arrangement, the system comprising:
an ejector configured to launch basketballs toward each of a plurality of pass receipt locations located about a basketball playing surface;
a user interface configured to receive a user selection of a subset of said pass receipt locations and a revisionary user selection excluding at least one of said pass receipt locations in said subset and including at least one new one of said pass receipt locations in said subset; and
a control system configured to receive data from said user interface and command said ejector to launch at least one basketball towards each of said pass receipt locations in said subset as revised following said revisionary user selection.
2 . The system of claim 1 further comprising:
a practice initiation selection area at said user interface, wherein said control system is configured to command said ejector to initiate said custom basketball practice arrangement following receipt of data from said user interface indicating selection of said practice initiation selection area.
3 . The system of claim 1 wherein:
said user interface is configured to permit individual selection of each of said pass receipt locations by way of a number of selectable pass receipt input locations.
4 . The system of claim 3 wherein:
said user interface comprises a visual depiction of a three-point line, wherein said selectable pass receipt input locations are arranged in relation to said visual depiction of said three-point line to visually correspond with said pass receipt locations located about said basketball playing surface.
5 . The system of claim 4 wherein:
said selectable pass receipt input locations are provided on a one-to-one basis with each of said pass receipt locations.
6 . The system of claim 5 wherein:
said selectable pass receipt input locations are spaced apart along said visual depiction in an arcuate fashion.
7 . The system of claim 6 wherein:
said user interface is configured to permit direct selection of each of said selectable pass receipt input locations by physical touch.
8 . The system of claim 7 wherein:
each of said selectable pass receipt input locations comprise electro-mechanical buttons.
9 . The system of claim 4 wherein:
said user interface comprises visual depictions of a base line and at least part of a key of a regulation basketball court, wherein said selectable pass receipt input locations are arranged in relation to said visual depictions of said base line and at least part of said key of said regulation basketball court to visually correspond with said pass receipt locations located about said basketball playing surface.
10 . The system of claim 3 wherein:
said user interface is configured to track an order in which said selectable pass receipt input locations in said custom basketball shots made in a row practice arrangement are selected; and
said data received at said control system indicates a non-serial order in which said user selection was made at said user interface and said control system is configured to command said ejector to launch said basketballs towards each of said pass receipt locations in said subset in said non-serial order.
11 . The system of claim 4 further comprising:
a detector configured to detect passage of basketballs through a rim of a basketball goal to indicate a made basketball shot; and
a report generator in electronic communication with said detector and said control system and configured to generate a report indicating user success in making basketball shots at each of said pass receipt locations in said subset.
12 . The system of claim 11 wherein:
said report comprises percentages of successfully made shots for each of said pass receipt locations in said subset visually depicted in relation to a second visual depiction of said three-point line at positions visually corresponding with said pass receipt locations in said subset.
13 . The system of claim 12 wherein:
said report generator is configured to indicate a distance for each of said pass receipt locations in said subset from said basketball goal; and
said report generator is configured to indicate points attributable to each of said made basketballs shots based on information received from said detector and said distance.
14 . The system of claim 13 further comprising:
a doppler measurement system in electronic communication with said control system and configured to determine, for each of said basketballs launched by said ejector, a height of shot, a distance of a player from said basketball goal, a release angle, and an entry angle into a hoop of said basketball goal.
15 . The system of claim 1 further comprising:
a selectable shots-per-location input area provided at said user interface and configured to receive a user selection of a number of basketballs to be passed to each of said pass receipt locations in said subset, wherein said control system is configured to receive said user selection of said number of basketballs to be passed to each of said pass receipt locations in said subset and command said ejector to pass said selected number of basketballs to a given one of said pass receipt locations in said subset before moving on to a next one of said pass receipt locations in said subset; and
a selectable time-between-shots input area provided at said user interface and configured to receive a user selection of a number of seconds between passes of said basketballs to said pass receipt locations in said subset, wherein said control system is configured to receive said user selection of said number of seconds between passes of said basketballs and command said ejector to wait said selected number of seconds after launching a given basketball before launching a next basketball.
16 . A method for assisting a user with creating a custom basketball practice arrangement, the method comprising the step of:
receiving, at a user interface associated with an ejector configured to launch basketballs toward each of a plurality of pass receipt locations located about a basketball playing surface, a user selection of a subset of said pass receipt locations for said custom basketball practice arrangement;
receiving, at said user interface, at least one revisionary user selection revising said custom basketball shots-made practice arrangement to exclude at least one of said pass receipt locations in said subset and include at least one new one of said pass receipt locations in said subset; and
commanding, by way of a control system, the ejector to launch at least one basketball towards each of said pass receipt locations in said subset as revised following said at least one revisionary user selection.
17 . The method of claim 16 further comprising the steps of:
receiving, at said user interface, a user selection of a practice initiation selection option, wherein said step of commanding the ejector to launch at least one basketball towards each of said pass receipt locations in said subset as revised following said at least one revisionary user selection is not performed until after receipt of said user selection of said practice initiation selection option.
18 . The method of claim 16 further comprising the steps of:
transmitting, from said user interface to said control system, data indicating each of said pass receipt locations in said subset as revised following said at least one revisionary user selection.
19 . The method of claim 16 wherein:
said user interface comprises a plurality of selectable pass receipt input locations arranged about a rendering of a three-point arc to visually correspond with said pass receipt locations on a one-to-one basis.
20 . A system for assisting a user with creating a custom shots-made basketball practice arrangement, said system comprising:
an ejector configured to launch basketballs toward each of a plurality of pass receipt locations located about a basketball playing surface;
a user interface comprising an initiate program selection area, a rendering of a three-point arc, and a number of selectable pass receipt input locations (“SPRIL”) arranged in a spaced arcuate pattern about said rendering to correspond with said pass receipt locations on a one-to-one basis, wherein said SPRIL are configured for individual and direct selection by a user;
a control system configured to receive data from said user interface indicating a user selection of a subset of said SPRIL corresponding to a subset of said pass receipt locations for said custom basketball shots-made practice arrangement and one or more revisions to said custom basketball shots-made practice arrangement adding or removing various ones of said pass receipt locations in said subset until said initiate program selection area is selected; and
a collection net assembly having an upper edge configured for extension about a rim of a basketball goal to collect basketballs thrown towards said basketball goal and funnel collected ones of said basketballs to said ejector.