Batting cages are disclosed relating to practice for games such as baseball and softball. The batting cages described may include a net enclosure, a pitching compartment, a hitting compartment, a first pitching screen separating the pitching compartment from the hitting compartment, a second pitching screen that may cover a portion of an opening in the first pitching screen; a second opening in the first pitching screen; and a guide that directs balls from the hitting compartment through the second opening toward a location in the pitching compartment. Uses of batting cages are also taught.

An athletic training device comprises a wheeled frame, and a rotatable platform disposed on a top of the wheeled frame. The wheeled frame comprises an elongated frame body having a front end and a rear end, wherein a front wheel assembly is disposed at the front end of the frame body, and a rear wheel assembly is disposed at the rear end of the frame body. The rotatable platform is configured to support a user's food during usage of the athletic training device, and may have a substantially planar upper surface portion for placement of the user's foot. The rotatable platform is mounted to the frame body by a pivoting mechanism so that the rotatable platform freely rotates upon the frame body.

An article of footwear includes an upper member and a sole structure, with a sensor system connected to the sole structure. The sensor system includes a plurality of sensors that are configured for detecting forces exerted by a user's foot on the sensor. The sensor system also includes a port that is configured to receive a module to place the module in communication with the sensors. The port includes a housing with a chamber configured to receive the module and an interface engaged with the housing and having at least one electrical contact exposed to the chamber. Additional retaining structure and interface structure may be included.

The present application is directed to a system and method providing vision algorithms for identifying objects traveling in space and identifying the configuration of one or more targets of the objects. The system is suitably programmed to record data related to movement of objects in relation to one or more targets.

A training, rehabilitation, and recovery system comprises an exercise apparatus including a user interface member coupled to a plurality of links and joints, brakes capable of resisting movement of at least a subset of the links or joints, and sensors capable of sensing movement at the joints or the user interface member. The system also includes a processor configured to receive from the sensors positional data of the links or joints over an initial movement of the apparatus by a user, from which positional coordinates of the user interface member are calculated and a reference trajectory is established. An end space is defined based on the reference trajectory. Over a subsequent movement of the apparatus by the user, the processor receives additional positional data and determines a completion of a repetition based on the positional coordinates of the subsequent movement and the defined end space.

A training aid for throwing a curveball is disclosed herein. The training aid can include a base member that can coupled to a user's wrist. The training aid can further include a first stiffener and a second stiffener coupled to the base member and extending towards the fingertips of the user. The first stiffener can extend over the top of the user's hand and the second stiffener can extend over the palm of the user's hand. The first stiffener and the second stiffener can maintain the wrist/hand position by preventing the wrist from flexing and extending.

A device to strengthen a person's arm muscles through the utilization of a portable device including a handle portion and a weight component with the two components separated by a flexible rod is provided. Such a device allows for the user to grip the handle portion and act as if they are throwing such a handle portion while the weight end moves along an arc defined through the length of the flexible rod. The resultant action is the generation of centripetal force along the defined arc with the reactive centrifugal force providing resistance to the user's arm muscles in a manner that is unique and heretofore unattainable through the utilization of a portable exercise device. The flexible rod component provides at least 1 foot (100 cm) of spacing between the handle portion and the weight portion.

The invention includes apparatus and methods for a novel modular self-returning batting tee. In one preferred embodiment, a modular self-returning batting tee may have one or more extension arms that are compatible with a variety of different batting attachments and/or aids, and may further be secured to a receiver tube positioned within a flexible boot. This receiver tube may be coupled with a weighted base through a novel recoil joint. In this embodiment, when the tee is struck, such as may occur during batting practice, the extension arm may bend forward engaging the flexible boot and/or novel recoil joint and causing the extension arm to self-return to a pre-determined position.

A system for covert communication including a transmitter set at least one receiver set comprising an antenna, a battery and battery case, a signal receiving device, a signal conditioning device, a vibration disc and a housing wherein the antenna, the battery and battery case, the signal receiving device and signal conditioning device are contained within the housing.

Disclosed are an experience-oriented virtual baseball game apparatus that enables a user to practice baseball or play a baseball game with a virtual player in a virtual baseball image projected on a screen based on the virtual baseball image, configured such that the user experiences a very interesting war of nerves between a pitcher and a batter, for example, the user pitches a ball toward the screen in order to induce a virtual batter in the image to ground out or to fly out through the location of his/her pitch or the virtual batter makes a hit or hits a home run due to a careless pitch of the user, through the baseball game, and a virtual baseball game control method using the same.