A multifunctional self-contained system that wirelessly integrates actual sports equipment with a computer providing critical feedback to improve all aspects of a player's game, and also allows players to play an actual competitive real or visually simulated game or sports with one or more players. Therefore, an individual player may opt to play solo or practice to improve basic golfing skills and techniques. The system includes sport implements that include, but are not limited to, smart golf clubs, a golf ball receptacle and a golf club motion sensing device, all containing circuits with contact sensors and or motion sensors coupled with signal processing and radio frequency transmitter circuitry to wirelessly communicate game status and performance parameters to a remote receiver and computer. The computer then optionally displays important parameters such as proximity of a sports implement contact face to an object, the impact of a sports implement with a sports equipment item, wherein the contact force, contact time, impact location, face angle, spatial orientation of a sports implement in motion, and the subsequent energy, velocity, and trajectory of game projectile such as a golf ball. The sports implements can be further equipped with motion sensing devices, and its motion and swing trajectory is visually simulated on the computer display. Standard sport implements which include, but are not limited to, golf clubs may be retrofitted with the device sensors and associated electronic circuitry to convert such clubs into “smart clubs” for use with the system. The system employs specially developed computer software to process player performance data, control game play, communicate game information to players, generate and control visual simulations, and display player performance information.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for measuring ball spin, the method comprising the steps of: detecting a plurality of dimples in each of a plurality of images of a ball for which physical quantities are to be measured; and measuring physical quantities related to spin of the ball with reference to a relationship between properties of the plurality of dimples detected in a first image among the plurality of images and properties of the plurality of dimples detected in a second image among the plurality of images.

Racket Golf is a golf-style game intended for leisure and friendly competitive play used in common recreational areas such as backyards, parks, beaches, paved surfaces, and within large building spaces. It consists of a Racket Golf club designed to strike a plastic projectile toward a moveable target hole. The Racket Golf club may include string webbing similar in configuration to a tennis or badminton racket. The Racket Golf projectile consists of a ball and tee which in one embodiment are separate pieces and in another embodiment are attached to one another. The tee would serve to hold the striking surface of the projectile above the playing surface, and in the attached version, would also limit the projectile's flight after it had been struck. The target hole is ring-shaped that may include a raised ramp about its circumference. The target hole can be moved about during play to change the difficulty or to adjust the playing par. Alternatively, the target hole can be left in place, but approached from various starting positions to vary the playing course.

Real-time sports competition is hosted by a server between remote opponents. The interactive sports game play involves sport specific tools simulating equipment used for in-person sports competition with projectiles. Opponents are paired for sports competition using the sport specific tools, including identifying opponents from the plurality of players to compete. A competitive sports game is hosted between the paired opponents by receiving input from each player sourced from a sport specific tool with sensors to determine motion of the specific sport tool caused by players, and wireless circuitry to transmit motion data to the user computers, wherein motion data includes at least velocity and impact force against a projectile. A winner of the competitive sports game can be determined.

A sports training ball is disclosed that is made up of a shell having an embossed design that defines an enclosure having an interior volume substantially occupied by a filler that includes a mixture of a first material, a second material, and a third material.

This invention relates to a system that interconnects real golf or other sports equipment to a computer. From hereon, sports apparatus, sports equipment, sports equipment items, are examples of a gaming apparatus, unit, tool, or item, and the latter should be understood to be included in the former. In a preferred embodiment the computer is coupled wirelessly to sports implement component, in one embodiment, the sporting equipment is a race car steering wheel coupled with a driver's hand, boxing gloves coupled with a fist, tennis racquet, couple with a tennis ball, basketball coupled with a shooting hand, football couple with a throwing hand, bicycle coupled with a pedal, bowling ball coupled with a bowling throw, soccer couple with a kick, volleyball coupled with a hitting hand, baseball bat coupled with a baseball, all using sensors including accelerometers, gyroscopes and a compass and or a combination of multiple sensing devices.

A system that wirelessly integrates actual game equipment with a computer and the internet to allow players remotely located from one another to play a competitive real or simulated game of golf. An individual player may opt to play solo or practice to improve basic golfing techniques. The system includes smart golf clubs, a golf ball receptacle, and a golf club motion sensing devices, all containing circuits, contact and or noncontact motion sensors coupled with signal processing and radio frequency transmitter circuitry to wirelessly communicate game performance information to a remote receiver-computer. The computer displays player information and visually simulates and controls a game between one or more local players or via the internet having similar equipment and remotely located from each other. Standard golf clubs may be retrofitted with the sensors and associated circuitry to convert such clubs into smart clubs for use with the system. The system employs specially developed computer software to process player performance data, control game play, communicate game information between players, generate and control visual simulations, and display player performance information and dynamic motion parameters.

A multifunctional self-contained system that wirelessly integrates actual sports equipment with a computer providing critical feedback to improve all aspects of a player's game, and also allows players to play an actual competitive real or visually simulated game or sports with one or more players. Therefore, an individual player may opt to play solo or practice to improve basic golfing skills and techniques. The system includes sport implements that include, but are not limited to, smart golf clubs, a golf ball receptacle and a golf club motion sensing device, all containing circuits with contact sensors and or motion sensors coupled with signal processing and radio frequency transmitter circuitry to wirelessly communicate game status and performance parameters to a remote receiver and computer. The computer then optionally displays important parameters such as proximity of a sports implement contact face to an object, the impact of a sports implement with a sports equipment item, wherein the contact force, contact time, impact location, face angle, spatial orientation of a sports implement in motion, and the subsequent energy, velocity, and trajectory of game projectile such as a golf ball. The sports implements can be further equipped with motion sensing devices, and its motion and swing trajectory is visually simulated on the computer display. Standard sport implements which include, but are not limited to, golf clubs may be retrofitted with the device sensors and associated electronic circuitry to convert such clubs into smart clubs for use with the system. The system employs specially developed computer software to process player performance data, control game play, communicate game information to players, generate and control visual simulations, and display player performance information.

This invention relates to a golf swing training aid useful for training swing speed and swing efficiency. The inventive swing training aid includes a golf club shaft that has open proximal and distal ends and a grip. The interior of the shaft is a hollow chamber and the diameter decreases gradually from the proximal end to the distal end. A cable is captured within the hollow chamber and extends from the distal end of the shaft, terminating in an integrally formed attachment loop. A weighted ball is removably linked to the attachment loop by a connector.

A golf ball comprising an electrical component is disclosed herein. The electrical component comprises an integrated circuit having a gyroscope, a magnetometer, and a BLUETOOTH low energy (BTLE) radio, and at least one battery. A body is composed of an epoxy material, and the body encompasses the electrical component.