A system includes a processor configured for leveraging reference ball flight data associated with an individual and a reference club having a reference loft angle to compute predicted ball flight characteristics for other candidate golf clubs having loft angles different from the reference loft angle. The predicted ball flight characteristics include predicted distances of golf shots the individual is expected to make using the candidate golf clubs that can further accommodate a computed recommendation of optimal loft angles for a consistently gapped golf club set.

Provided is a device for pitch detection within user-defined zones. The device detects a first gesture at a first height based on first output from all or some sensors, and detects a second gesture at a second height based on second output from all or some sensors. The device sets a top and bottom of the user-defined zone based on the first height and the second height, and tracks a location of an object relative to the user-defined zone based on third output, from a subset of sensors, that is generated in response to the object moving over or under the subset of sensors. The device discards output generated from two or more sensors that are not adjacent, measurements from adjacent sensors that differ by more than a distance threshold, and/or output from adjacent sensors with timestamps that differ by more than a time threshold.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for 3D flight tracking of objects include a method including determining a golf ball trajectory based on observations by sensor(s), extrapolating the trajectory backward in time, calculating distance measure(s) between the extrapolated trajectory and physical locations, estimating a systemic error for observation(s), wherein the systemic error affects observed ball positions, estimating a stochastic error associated with the observation(s), wherein the stochastic error affects an angle of a trajectory determined from observed ball positions, combining the estimated systemic and stochastic errors to form error measure(s) for the distance measure(s), identifying one of the physical locations as an origin for the golf ball when the error measure(s) satisfy a criterion, and waiting for additional observations of the golf ball by the sensor(s) when the error measure(s) do not satisfy the criterion.

There are proposed a virtual golf simulation device and a virtual golf simulation method. According to an embodiment, there is proposed a virtual golf simulation device, including: a memory configured to store a hardness value indicative of the degree of hardness of a terrain in a virtual golf course; and an image processor configured to simulate the movement trajectory of a ball on the virtual golf course based on shot data on a user's golf shot and the hardness value.

This disclosure relates to a game apparatus including a housing, a motion measurement arrangement and a flexible tether. The motion measurement arrangement is at least partially located within the housing and includes a multi-axis pivot member movable relative to the housing in at least two axes. The motion measurement arrangement also includes a sensor arrangement for measuring multi-axis movement of the pivot member. The flexible tether has a free end coupled to a strikable object and a proximal end coupled to the pivot member. The motion measurement arrangement is configured to measure an indication of one or more parameters of the strikable object's motion upon striking of the strikable object by a user.

A baseball game system is capable of accurately determining a location of a ball at all times irrespective of changes in illuminance, the baseball game system including: a pitching unit pitching a ball toward a determination area including a strike zone; a photographing unit between the determination area and the pitching unit; and a location detector receiving a photographed image from the photographing unit, comparing the photographed image with a reference image, generating a corrected image by adjusting a luminance of the photographed image based on the comparison result and detecting a location of a pitched ball or a struck ball based on the corrected image.

Systems and methods for sports analytics are disclosed. A system for evaluating athletic performance can include wearable sensor devices configured to be removably coupled to an athlete's body during athletic performance, and one or more equipment-mountable sensor devices configured to be coupled to reference objects adjacent to an athletic performance site such as a goal or equipment. A computing device can be communicatively coupled to the wearable sensor device(s) and the equipment-mountable sensor device(s). The computing device is configured to receive sensor data from each of the sensor device(s) and to determine at least one performance parameter.

A system and method for using weather applied metrics for determining the impact of weather conditions on the flight of a football at an outside football venue. Historical and current data for weather parameters, including wind, air pressure, humidity, temperature, and rain, are obtained to calculate the influence of each parameter on the flight of a football. Weather instruments, such as weather sensors, anemometers, LiDAR and SODAR devices, weather consoles, data routing devices, and processors can be included in a system for using weather applied metrics to predict the flight of a football based on current weather conditions.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for a soccer system. The soccer system includes a display screen, a plurality of sensors configured to generate sensor data regarding a shot attempt of a user, imaging devices configured to generate image data of the shot attempt, a speaker, and a control unit. The control unit can receive (i) the sensor data from the plurality of sensors and (ii) the image data from the imaging devices. Based on the received sensor data, the control unit can determine whether the shot attempt was successful. Based on the received image data and whether the shot attempt was successful, the control unit can generate analytics that indicate characteristics of the user and the shot attempt and recommendations for improving the shot attempt for subsequent shot attempts. The control unit can provide output data representing the analytics.

A 3-Dimensional golf game having a horizontal surface, a vertical surface, and a curvilinear surface that interconnects the horizontal and vertical surfaces, wherein at least the vertical surface includes one or more ball-receiving cups. The game of skill is played by one or more players putting or striking a golf ball along the horizontal surface with sufficient force to travel through the curvilinear surface and up the vertical surface. The force of gravity then causes the ball to return back down the vertical surface and—if appropriately aimed and struck—the ball travels downwardly into the opening of the least one ball receiving cup. Players are awarded points for successfully landing the ball into the ball receiving cup and the game may include differently sized and/or positioned cups having different point values.