This technology relates generally methods of making and using systems designed to enhance athletic skill development and, more particularly, to methods of maintaining proper foot alignment for certain activities that require agility and consistency. There exists a need for a training device that not only allows a user to dynamically transition back-and-forth between a wider and narrower stance, but also protects the lower extremities of the user when in a narrower stance. In particular, during the process of bringing their legs together, the user's foot and ankle could be injured if the training device is not designed in such a way to ergonomically accommodate the ankle and/or have appropriate cushioning features to insulate the foot and/or ankle from full impact against blunt or sharp surfaces.

Embodiments of golf club heads, golf clubs, and methods to manufacture golf club heads and golf clubs are generally described herein. In one example, a golf club head includes a hollow body portion including a material having a first density and an interior cavity. A face pocket portion may be in the first interior cavity at or proximate to the front portion of the body portion, define a second interior cavity, and at least partially enclose the first interior cavity. A face portion is coupled to the front portion to enclose the second interior cavity. A first filler material may be injected into the first interior cavity from an external port. A second filler material may fill the second interior cavity. The first filler material and the second filler material may have at least one different physical property. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.

A sports bat article, and a method of forming the sport bat, is disclosed. The method may include shaping an elongate wood piece to have a barrel portion and a handle portion suitable to be used as a sport bat, with the wood piece having a shaped surface. The method may also include applying a substance to the shaped surface of the wood piece in which the substance may be effective to harden a surface of the wood piece. Applying the substance to the shaped surface of the wood piece may include immersing a portion of the wood piece into a pool of the substance.

An integrated multi-purpose hockey skatemill with a movable skatemill belt (2) comprising a stationary area of the artificial ice (1) with a front face of the work area wherein a movable skatemill belt (2) is built in by means of barrier-free transition areas with a system of spaced signalization/display elements (5) hung on the tiltable/sliding brackets (5a) at the frontal and lateral sectors with respect to the center of the movable skatemill belt (2). There is a safety restraint system (3) and a stabilization system (4) anchored above the movable skatemill belt (2). A tensile/compressive force measuring system (8) is suspended from above in the longitudinal axis of the movable skatemill belt (2). The said skatemill comprises an electronic control unit (9) ECU controlling the operation of the movable skatemill belt's (2) drive system, the system of signalization/display elements (5), the system of optical scanning cameras (6) and the tensile/compressive force measuring system (8). There are two puck feeders (7) located on the border line defining the front side of the work area. There is a hockey goal structure with target zones impact detection sensors located on the edge of the work force in front of the movable skatemill belt (2). Two laser markers (12) used to define the width of a skate track may be located on the stationary area of the artificial ice in front of the movable skatemill belt.

A ball assembly for a swing trainer that withstands repeated hits with forces applied by professional athletes. The ball assembly comprises a ball, a wire rope, a ball stud swaged to one end of the wire rope and a connector sleeve swaged to the other end of the wire rope. A whole is drilled through the exact center of the ball and wire threaded therethrough. After the ball stud and connector sleeves are swaged to the ends of the wire rope, the ball stud is pressed into the hole in the ball. The wire rope may be coated to extend life.

Embodiments of golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads are generally described herein. In one example, a golf club head includes a top portion having a heel-side portion, a toe-side portion, and a raised central top portion with an opening. A shoulder portion extends inward toward the opening and a crown portion is attached to the shoulder portion and covers the opening. The bottom portion includes a central protrusion between a heel-side dividing plane and a toe-side dividing plane, a toe-side protrusion between the toe-side dividing plane and a toe-side bounding plane, and a heel-side protrusion between the heel-side dividing plane and a heel-side bounding plane. A distance between the toe-side dividing plane and the heel-side dividing plane is about equal to a diameter of a golf ball. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.

A method of customizing a golf club head for a user's swing begins by receiving an indication of a characteristic of a user's golf swing. A club face is selected from a plurality of club faces based on the characteristic, and a club body is selected from a plurality of club bodies based on the characteristic. The selected club face and club body are then affixed together to define a golf club head. Each of the plurality of club faces and plurality of club bodies are freely interchangeable.

A head guard is provided. The head guard includes one or more sensors as part of an sensory input and communications system. The head guard wirelessly communicates data to remote computing devices for intelligent data collection.

A device to aid a swimmer in training includes a piece of swimwear and a plurality of flow resistance increasing structures attached to the swimwear. The flow resistance increasing structures include a fill material constructed with a polymerized, monofilament material. The polymerized, monofilament material can include tulle.

A flexible hula hoop is made of soft, non-abrasive, flexible, stretchy and collapsible material that is filled with liquid weight before use. This flexible hula hoop can have different amounts of liquid weight for the purpose of different levels of exercise. The hula hoop of this invention uses movement with the body of the user to create momentum for the toning of the abdominal, gluteal and thigh muscles, as well as for weight loss and entertainment. Additionally, there is a plug and aperture system to hold liquid in the hollow interior of the hoop while in motion, during transportation, and during storage. In addition, because said hula hoop material is stretchy it is possible to be used for resistance training for the toning of arm, leg and gluteal muscles.