An apparatus which accurately analyzes a motion state of an exercise appliance and performs a notification of the accurately analyzed motion state. A sensor unit includes a sensor section that is attached to a golf club and detects a swing motion of the golf club, and an imaging portion that captures an image of a part of interest corresponding to the golf club.

A device for training athletes with direction control, the training device having modular sections connected by a common elastic material, such as an elastic cord, the modular sections being capable of being connected to form a rectangular configuration and disconnected for storage, the device when connected providing a physical and visual guide for the user on any chosen surface. The modular sections can be tubular sections having ninety-degree connectors to form a rectangular configuration, the modular sections and connectors capable of being various sizes, shapes, lengths and widths to form a rectangular configuration when interconnected. The various modular sections and/or connectors can be configured with an elastic cord, hinges or have one or more modular section that are telescopic in nature, which make the device capable to be quickly and easily reduced or enlarged in the size of the device while keeping each component of the device fully connected and in proper order.

A marking system for a baseball bat includes a bat including a barrel extending along a central longitudinal axis, the barrel defining a minimal vibration region. The marking system also includes a sheet having a first edge, a second edge positioned opposite the first edge, a third edge positioned between the first and the second edges, and a fourth edge positioned opposite the third edge, the first edge having a first curvature and the second edge having a second curvature, the sheet adapted to at least partially encircle a portion of the barrel of the bat. Additionally, a first positioning feature is disposed on the sheet, and a first alignment feature is disposed proximate the first edge of the sheet. Furthermore, the first positioning feature may be configured to be positioned adjacent to at least a portion of the minimal vibration region.

A sports rotation swing training system is provided that includes a harness assembly to be worn around the torso of the player that is used with a separate vertical upright structure. The harness assembly comprises a chest/waist band and a generally horizontally projecting stick protruding from the band side. The projecting stick is designed to engage with the separate upright structure upon the player’s execution of a swing to provide feedback (auditory, tactile, or electronic) related to the degree of rotation. The chest/waist band can be alternatively positioned by the user at the chest (to practice thoracic rotation) or at the waist (to practice pelvic rotation). In a preferable aspect of the invention, the angle of the projecting stick is adjustable downward from generally parallel to the ground.

The sensor information acquisition unit acquires an angular velocity around an axis of a shaft portion of an exercise instrument from a sensor unit. An exercise analysis unit detects a timing of an impact of the exercise instrument. A calculation unit calculates a distance between a standard position set on a hitting surface of the exercise instrument and a position of the hitting based on the angular velocity at the time of an impact.

A training bat assembly for improving a user's swing of a baseball bat is provided. In one embodiment, the assembly includes a bat portion and a plug or cap portion, where the plug or cap portion is configured to mate with a distal end of the bat portion. For example, the bat may include a circular opening, and the plug may include a circular rod that is configured to fit within the opening. Alternatively, a cap with a circular opening can be used, where the cap is configured to fit over a distal end of the bat. By mating the plug or cap with the bat, and swinging the bat from a first position to a second position, the plug or cap is propelled from the bat, where the resulting location of the plug or cap can be used to determine the correctness of the user's swing was.

Described herein are devices and systems relating to sports training equipment, for example, for baseball. These devices and systems can comprise a mat with markers identifying a plurality of positions on the mat. In some embodiments, the system can comprise removably attachable footpads to identify ideal foot positions for an athletic performance. In some embodiments, the footpads comprise one or more pressure sensors. The system can comprise one or more position sensors on a ball, and one or more position sensors removably attachable to a hand-held sports instrument. In some embodiments, the system can comprise a memory, communicatively coupled to a processor and a camera, with executable instructions to implement a set-up component, a user recognition component, a practice component, and instructional component, and a play component.

A batting swing trainer, including a laser for generating a laser beam, a photodetector spaced apart from the laser so as to define a swing space through which a batter swings a bat and for detecting and sensing disruptions in the laser beam, and a microcontroller. The system further includes a speaker for emitting audible signals in relation to which a batter attempts to time swings and a user interface for a user to input pitch data into the microcontroller. When a batter swings a bat through the swing space so as to disrupt said laser beam, the microcontroller detects and measures changes in the laser beam and calculates bat speed, a ball contact time, and the difference between the contact time and the target time, and then provides to the user a visual indication of the effect of the swing.

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.

An apparatus for facilitating soft tossing of balls for players. The apparatus includes a body, a launching device, a storage device, a timer, and an output device. The body includes a top side and a bottom side opposing the top side. The body includes a launching platform on the top side. The launching platform includes a launching station on the launching platform. The launching device is coupled with the launching station and launches a ball disposable on the launching station in an upwardly vertical direction in relation to the launching platform for soft tossing the ball based on signals. The storage device stores timing information. The timer is communicatively coupled with the storage device and the launching device and generates the signals based on initiating the timer and the timing information. The output device is communicatively coupled with the timer and presents an output based on the signals.