Multiuse reusable grip enhancers, and grip enhancing covers, and uses of said enhancers

Abstract

According to the various features, characteristics and embodiments of the present invention which will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds, the present invention provides reusable control enhancers for the arm area, in particular the wrist and forearm, as well as control enhancing covers for conventional sports arm pads, and, reusable control enhancers for the hand, in particular the fingers of the hand, and the uses thereof, and methods thereof, intended to increase the performance in arm and / or hand task activities.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]An important goal in playing sports is to win. Often that means proper play execution, proper form in the sports fundamentals and especially good ball control. Many of these tasks are performed by the hand, but are often also performed, to some degree, with parts of the arm (the wrists, forearm, elbow and bicep areas). Ball control and therefore proper play execution depend on adequately using the parts of the forearm, elbow and / or bicep areas to handle, strike, control or otherwise maintain possession. Inadequate play execution can result in inconsistencies and turnovers, both long standing problems in many sports, and can often determine the outcome of a game.The Need for Arm Task Enhancers[0002]In the sport of football, for example, lack of play execution is often categorized by turnovers, fumbles and incomplete passes. This is of particular concern to those players that have to control the football such as running backs, receivers, tight ends, ki...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention relates to a device for improving the grip of a person, such as a footballer, during physical activities such as catching a football. The device is a reusable forearm tubular member that can be worn like a glove and is designed to minimize movement on impact. It can be made of natural rubber or latex and has PVC dots along its outer surface to enhance grip. The device can easily be opened and tightened using a VELCRO fastening system. It can be used by men and women, boys and girls, and people who play any position in sport.

Problems solved by technology

Inadequate play execution can result in inconsistencies and turnovers, both long standing problems in many sports, and can often determine the outcome of a game.

Unfortunately, one need only view the statistics to see that fumbles persist as an insoluble problem, even at the professional level today.

Part of the problem lie in the seemingly inherently unstable and uneven way a player controls and cradles a ball when running.

Although prior art exists to increase grip around the hand, no art currently exists that will increase ones grip in the forearm area or the wrist.

Additionally, inconsistencies or incompletes often arise when a ‘stress factor’ is introduced once a receiver first touches and places the ball on their arm area.

This problem is so pronounced that many instant replay situations revolve around seeing whether the ball moves even slightly in the receivers arm—including the forearm.

As such, an unrecognized problem currently exists because it is very difficult to grip a ball with parts of the arm.

In football, unstable or weak ball control can, among other things, increase fumbles, increase incompletes and thereby increase turnovers and decrease performance.

The ability of the player to maintain control of the football was still problematic because of the lack of any grip enhancing device for the player to use; devices that could be placed on the arm such that the player could now more significantly control a ball with his arm, thereby creating a better overall grip of the football throughout the football.

As a result of this unmet need, inconsistencies and turnovers were still high in the sport.

The introduction and subsequent proliferation in the use of gloves found some success but even with these advancements, however, fumbles and incompletes still persist today.

For one, whereas a running back who uses a grip enhancing glove will be better able to properly grip a football by using his hands, his hand, and therefore the grip enhancing device, only cover the front part of the ball, leaving the rest of the ball, and therefore the overall grip, still significantly unstable.

One need only add a stress factor and this currently unstable hold on the ball can easily result in a fumble.

No improvements have been developed that could provide enhanced gripping support around the wrist area, an area that almost always touches the ball when cradling the ball.

Improvements have lacked in offering a player the ability to achieve an enhanced grip capability around the forearm area, an area that plays a major role in maintaining control of a ball when a receiver is completing a reception (as mentioned above, there are certain play situations where if there is even slight movement with any part of the ball—including the wrist or forearm areas, a pass will be considered incomplete even if the receiver actually caught the ball).

Advances have lacked in increasing one's grip around the wrist area, or in increasing ball control around the elbow or bicep areas.

In addition, no art currently exists that offers a grip enhancing device as a covering for one's sports arm pads.

For example, if a running back has a forearm pad for protection but also wants to add a grip enhancer to it, he currently cannot purchase a grip enhancer cover that he could place over his arm pad.

Given the fact that fumbles persist at the professional level and therefore certainly at the collegiate and amateur levels, one can see that past attempts to solve these problems have had limited success.

Although there are forearm, elbow and even bicep devices that could be used for protection, or simply for aesthetic purposes, no prior art exists that would enhance ball control in said areas for volleyball.

Unfortunately, this current method of passing a volleyball can provide inconsistent results.

First, the initial contact control is generally with the forearm skin of the player, and without any grip enhancing device, it can become very difficult to redirect a volleyball with consistent precision.

Additionally, a more general reason for inconsistencies is in one's inability to grip with one's forearm.

Without providing the forearm with some way to better grip a volleyball, inconsistencies in the sport of volleyball will continue to be a long-standing problem.

Although offering some advantages, using prior art creates disadvantages that often forces an individual to choose not to use any grip enhancing device at all.

One particular area where prior art poses significant disadvantages is in any sport where a player's success depends on her ability to both grip as well as feel a ball or object.

These players often have to choose between wearing a glove thereby enhancing grip but losing significant feel, or going without a glove thereby maintaining maximum feel but missing the opportunity to enhance one's grip.

This is largely because prior art consists of generic full-fingered gloves which are uncomfortable and burdensome on a quarterback's dominant (throwing) hand, particularly on those fingers a quarterback places over the football laces.

Playing the position of quarterback without the help of gloves, however, can also be an inferior choice.

Throw the ball at the receiver.” Whereas, the fingers over the laces have a solid grip on the ball—primarily due to the football laces on the ball—the two fingers off the laces (forefinger and thumb) are virtually unsupported and therefore have a relatively weaker grip, creating a weak overall grip on the football.

Also, if one performs a simple test and wets his / her dominant hand, and then grabs and pumps a football, the Forefinger and Thumb will often move or slip.

On a wet football field, during extreme weather conditions (hot or cold), that weaker or looser grip makes for a much more difficult completed pass, less success at throwing a spiral, and inconsistency and inaccuracy in passing.

This need to ‘feel’ a ball with a hand has therefore resulted in quarterbacks having a difficult choice.

It is no surprise that quarterback fumbles remain a significant problem in football, even at the highest performance levels and currently remains an insoluble problem in the sport for amateurs and professionals alike.

Additionally, constant swinging of a golf club at real swing speeds often results in soreness on and between the Thumb and Forefinger of a golfer's strong hand (wearing no glove).

This is especially important in the sport of golf because even the smallest of slipping—during the golf swing or upon impact of the golf ball—can create enormous inconsistencies and inaccuracies, critical issues in determining overall performance.

In particular there remains an unrecognized problem and an unmet need for new art that can provide multiple benefits, such as increase overall grip, improve coordination with both hands, as well as possibly provide some protection from any constant grip slipping, during the practice or play of golf, and in various other sports activities.

Although there are several multisport gloves in the market today, virtually no one uses gloves when playing basketball.

Although many hand tasks require a good grip, no art currently exists that would adequately provide these players with enhanced grip capabilities, or enhanced protection, without having to sacrifice the critical ability of being able to properly feel the basketball as well.

No prior art exists that would increase the gripping abilities of a players fingertips and leaving the rest of the hand uncovered and thus free to feel if the basketball is touching the palm area (indications that would mean that the player is improperly shooting the basketball).

No prior art exists that would provide an athlete with the ability to have enhanced control when dribbling a basketball.

Without any extra grip enhancers however, it is difficult to maintain stable control of the basketball.

For Forwards and Centers especially, this hand task can quickly take a toll on their fingers if their fingers are not somehow protected.

This current method and product has significant shortcoming that often result in inferior execution.

First, if one tapes parts of ones hands, say the fingers, those fingers will lose substantial grip capabilities in that area, which could result in mishandling the basketball (a significant issue with Forwards and Center).

Second, the tape doesn't provide for any extra padding along the taped area; the area is simply protected by the thickness of the tape and the number of times one wraps the tape on their fingers.

In this situation the player has to tape her hand, especially when injuring a forger.

The result again is a decrease in ball control and limited protection.

Loss of dribbling control can often result, as will loss of ball control when preparing to shoot the ball (and it slips out of the players hand and flies aimlessly in to the air).

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