A ball tossing device has a base and a lever, with the lever having a foot portion and a tossing portion, and the base acting as a fulcrum for the lever. In some examples, the foot portion and the tossing portion may be removably coupled to one another. In some examples, a method of using the ball tossing device includes a user placing a ball on the tossing portion, stomping a foot on the foot portion, thereby actuating the lever and tossing the ball upward from the tossing portion, and then hitting the ball with a bat.

The stomp and catch game is similar to a conventional stomp and catch board, but includes an additional stabilizing base. The base has opposed upper and lower surfaces. The upper surface has at least one first visual indicator formed thereon to indicate where a user should stand with one foot to hold the lower surface of the base against a support surface, such as the ground or a floor. By standing on the base with one foot, the user's weight maintains the base in a stable position while the user plays the game. A pivoting board is pivotally secured to the base. The pivoting board has opposed first and second ends. The first end is configured for stomping on with the user's other foot, and the second end is configured for releasably supporting and launching a target object that the user attempts to catch while in the air.

A ball tossing apparatus includes a support frame and a plurality of launch devices fixed to the support frame and arranged in a two-dimensional array. The launch devices include cylinders having a spring fixed therein, with a ball carrier fixed to the spring. The balls are retained in a loaded position (springs compressed) and then upon activation of the launch devices are launched vertically into the air to the sports player. In another embodiment, the launch devices include a rotating lever which is acted on by a biasing member to launch the ball vertically from the cylinder. A method for launching the balls includes the steps of loading the balls into a two dimensional array, and then launching the balls according to a launch sequence. An electronic control system for use with the ball tossing apparatus includes a launch module for launching the loaded balls in the plurality of launch devices according to a launch sequence. The launch sequences can be randomly generated, programmed by the sports player, or retrieved from memory. The launch of the balls can also be controlled remotely.

Systems and methods of ball tossing machines. Ball tossing machines having reconfigurable joints are contemplated. Embodiments having dynamically articulating joints create tossing arms that mimic human arms completing underhanded tosses. In other embodiments, the tossing arm's elbow and fingers can be locked into place and pivoted about a shoulder to accomplish a basic tossing motion with an altered effective tossing arm length.

A game ball throwing machine utilizing a rotating arm to pitch a game ball, able to induce a variety of spins and types of pitches interchangeably. The ball thrower includes a base, a support frame attached to the base, rotating arm mechanism attached to the support frame, a source of power rotating the arm, ball holding means attached to the arm, and a human-machine interface which enables control of ball spin, release point, speed and target location. A novel software program integrates the throwing machine, indexing elements and one or more human-machine interface screens, calculating pitch parameters and converting them to machine outputs to enable customization of pitch variety and characteristics to the same or different locations rapidly with a high degree of accuracy, including means to simulate a known pitcher's unique pitch collection.

An automatic game ball throwing machine. The ball thrower includes a base, a support frame attached to the base, a drive wheel mechanism attached to the support frame, and a human-machine interface which enables customization of ball spin, speed and target location. A light source can be attached to the machine to illuminate each ball at one or more launch points. Further, a launching frame indexing element can be positioned to control the location of the ball target. A resident software program integrates the throwing machine, indexing element and human-machine interface, calculating pitch parameters and converting them to machine outputs to enable customization of pitch variety and characteristics.

A method for retrieving a ball on and about a sports court and for controllably releasing the ball includes a retriever having a vertical ball ejector, and upon ball collection, returning the ball to a desired location in the air or along the sports court surface. The sports court may be a tennis court or a pickleball court, with the method for retrieving and returning a ball being conducted with tennis balls or pickleballs on the respective court type.

In one implementation, a game apparatus includes a base with a playing surface that has (i) a first end with a first designated area for cups and (ii) a second end; a game piece; a tether that attaches the game piece to the base so as to permit the game piece to move freely within the tether's range; and a first launcher that includes a mechanism to launch the game piece as a projectile, the first launcher being positioned at or around the second end to launch the game piece toward the first designated area for cups, wherein the first designated area for cups and at least a portion of the first launcher are within the tether's range.

The present invention provides a screen baseball system including a pitching machine that shoots a baseball, a screen having a screen hole through which the baseball shot from the pitching machine passes, and a screen shutter that is provided between the pitching machine and the screen and comprises a safety screen that closes the screen hole. The present invention can fundamentally prevent a safety accident that may occur during a screen baseball game. Even when a user does not recognize or neglects a warning image, the safety accident is prevented.

Disclosed is an integrated screen baseball platform may include: a mobile character promotion game module that generates ability score information of a character, which has been promoted through a mobile character promotion game, by improving an ability score of the character; a PC management game module that generates management information of a baseball team by executing a PC management game through a user PC; and a screen baseball system that receives management the character ability score information and the management information of the baseball team and adjusts the level of difficulty of a screen baseball game by using any one thereof.