Nike, Inc.

Other

Adidas America, Inc.

Paul A Gaudio

Charles D Kraeuter

Geoffrey C Raynak

Chris S Page

Simon Luthi

Geoff Raynak

A training game ball is described having cues for visually indicating the rotational alignment of the ball when it is thrown. If the ball is improperly thrown so that the axis of rotation does not stay perpendicular to the direction of flight, then the rotational alignment cue line will appear to wobble as the ball travels. The ball also has a rotational speed cue formed from a plurality of spaced panels arranged parallel with the alignment cue. If the ball is thrown with a high rotational speed, the panels will appear to the player as a solid line. Still further, the ball also includes hand alignment cues for assisting a player in properly positioning his or her hands for throwing the ball. Each of the cues may have a different appearance, so that they may be visually distinguished.

Training basketball

A training game ball is described having cues for visually indicating the rotational alignment of the ball when it is thrown. If the ball is improperly thrown so that the axis of rotation does not stay perpendicular to the direction of flight, then the rotational alignment cue line will appear to wobble as the ball travels. The ball also has a rotational speed cue formed from a plurality of spaced panels arranged parallel with the alignment cue. If the ball is thrown with a high rotational speed, the panels will appear to the player as a solid line. Still further, the ball also includes hand alignment cues for assisting a player in properly positioning his or her hands for throwing the ball. The hand alignment cues include finger positioning pads, which are positioned sufficiently close together about the circumference of the ball to allow even a small youth's hand to easily reach a finger positioning pad from any position of the ball. The hand alignment cues may also include a stabilizing hand positioning mark located over one or both opposite poles of the ball. Each of the cues may have a different appearance, so that they may be visually distinguished. The hand alignment cues may also have a different surface to provide a tactile indication of their location to a player.

The sole unit ( ) for a shoe includes a directional element ( ), a cushioning element ( ) and a heel cradle ( ). The sole unit ( ) may be attached to a shoe upper ( ) by conventional methods, such as by gluing, stitching, or other means of bonding or physical attachment. The sole unit ( ) provides foot support, cushioning, energy return, stability, torsion control, and optionally abrasion resistance to the user. The functional advantages of this construction of the sole unit ( ) are primarily achieved through the directional elements ( ) and cushioning element ( ), each of which handle certain distinct functions of the shoe ( ).

Shoe and sole unit therefor

The invention is training football having a plurality of perceptive elements, including tactile elements and visual elements. The tactile elements are positioned on an outer surface of the football in locations that correspond with locations that contact the hand of an individual when properly throwing a football. Accordingly, the tactile elements provide the individual with tactile information regarding proper hand positioning. The tactile elements may also provide the individual with visual cues regarding proper hand positioning. The visual elements are positioned on end portions of the football that are visible to the individual following a throw of the football, thereby providing the individual with feedback concerning the quality of each football throw.

Training football

An athletic shoe with a shoe upper having a plurality of panels, each of which is secured at a lower edge to the sole of the shoe, and has an arc-shaped upper edge including a high strength flexible loop of cable secured at each of its ends to the sole of the shoe. Each cable is hemmed into the periphery of a panel, and may be exposed in places along the upper edge of the panel so that shoelaces may be looped around the cable to draw together the cables on the medial and lateral sides of the shoe, securing the sole to the wearer's foot.

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Portland, OR, United States of America

Paul A Gaudio