A teaching tool for use by an instructor teaching proper footwork and effective swing techniques to students of the game of tennis as well as to students of other racket-based sports. The teaching tool provides an elongated member and a mounting member extending perpendicularly from the distal end of the elongated member. A target object is connected to the distal end of the mounting member. The target object and distal end of the elongated member may be separated by a target distance defined, in part, by the size of racket the student is using. In use, the instructor can directly and selectively control the movement of the target object to simulate imparted spin and motion of the target object before and after the student strikes the target object.

A swing trainer balance block apparatus for improving balance during swing training includes a foot board having a board top side, a board bottom side, a board front side, a board back side, a board left side, and a board right side. The board top side receives a portion of a user's foot. A base support is coupled to the foot board. The base support is coupled to the board bottom side and is elastically deformable to create instability in the foot board. One swing trainer balance block apparatus is used beneath each of the user's feet to stimulate stabilizer muscles while practicing swinging a baseball bat or a golf club.

A lightweight training aid is disclosed including selectively positioned posable appendages for use in various training exercises. The training aid may be formed of one or more separable and distinct portions including a head module, a torso module and a leg module, and combinations thereof. The head module and/or leg module may be releasably coupled to the torso module by interchangeable mounting arrangements. Appendages of the training aid may be posable, at least within a set range of motion, within any of a potentially infinite number of orientations. Methods of using such a training aid also are disclosed.

A computer-implemented American soccer training and evaluation method that includes subjecting a drilling user to pre-defined drilling protocol(s) of a plurality of American soccer drilling assemblies and obtain, from each pre-defined drilling protocol(s) of the plurality of American soccer drilling assemblies and from at least one sensor on each of the assemblies, at least one user physical characteristic of the drilling user. The user physical characteristic is communicated to an administrative server over a network, where it is stored and used to create a drilling user performance profile having individualized performance comparisons with respect to the at least one user physical characteristic of the drilling user and a performance benchmark. Then, the drilling user performance profile is communicated to at least one of a plurality of electronic computing devices of a plurality of consuming users for evaluation and review.

A method is provided for preventing back injuries related to sport motions or swings that includes setting an attachment height of a distal end of an elastic of a warmup and training device, the attachment height set to define an angle α backwards from vertical above center of a practice motion specific to a sport to be practiced, attaching a handle to a proximal end of the elastic where a type of the handle corresponds to the sporting activity to be performed, performing the practice motion while holding the handle and stretching the elastic, and returning to the beginning of the practice motion to repeat the activity.

A baseball or softball alignment training device comprising a first leg having a general length and having a first end at one end of the general length and a second end at the distal end opposite from said first end. A second leg having a general length and having a first end at one end of the general length and a second end at the distal and opposite from said first end. Aa first hinge member carried by the second end of said first leg. The first hinge member having a first abutment edge. The second hinge member carried by the second end of the second leg. The second hinge member having a second abutment edge. The first and second hinge members pivotally interconnected and wherein the first abutment edge of the first hinge member abuts the second abutment edge of the second hinge member at a position wherein the first leg and the second leg are perpendicular to each other forming a right angle.

A computer-implemented method includes running a training program for a user wearing a virtual reality (VR) headset; and, while running the training program: monitoring activity of the user; presenting video images in a display of the VR headset corresponding to the activity of the user; and based on said monitoring, modifying at least one aspect of said training program.

Articles, kits, and methods for enabling an individual to improve their top-hand grasp of a handled object, such as a baseball bat. An article has an arcuate inner portion having a groove that extends along a length thereof, configured to reversibly engage the handled object. The article also has an irregular outer portion with a thumb support that arcuately extends from the irregular outer portion, configured to reversibly engage the individual's top-hand. During use of the article in a method of the invention, the article enables the individual to grasp the handled object with the fingers of their top-hand, rather than the palm and thumb of their top-hand, to improve acceleration, velocity, precision, accuracy, and form of the individual's swing when the article is not used, as well as improved safety and consistent grip technique when it is used.

A hex flex apparatus for improving resistance training is presented. The hex flex apparatus is useful for providing more than the standard two-dimension experience, in that a standard apparatus requires large jumps in band size and resistance to move up to the next level. The hex flex apparatus further adds a third dimension by allowing for smaller, more gradual increments to resistance, which leads to more and steadier strength progress before reaching a plateau or sticking point. A platform with two handles is described as is the band which is used to provide tension for resistance training. Further adjustable rods are shown which can be placed into various holes to control the tension and the rods have a ring magnet which provides for the rods being secured in the holes. The bands are further around the rods to access the value of the rods.

The present invention relates to a virtual reality-based task-oriented gait training system and method, in which the virtual reality-based task-oriented gait training system according to the present invention includes a gait detection unit that detects a walking movement of a trainee, a projector unit that projects virtual walking environment information for inducing a gait training of the trainee, and a control unit that executes a walking training program to change the virtual walking environment information according to the detected walking movement of the trainee, in which the virtual walking environment information includes a background constructing a virtual space and a walking training object appearing in the virtual space, and the gait training object includes a virtual obstacle for disturbing the walking movement of the trainee according to a preset level of difficulty or a gait inducing object for inducing gait of the trainee with a predetermined stride length. According to the present invention, there is an advantage that the trainee can perform gait training with interest and receive trainee-customized treatments through real-time interaction in virtual reality implemented closer to a real ground walking environment.