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.

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.

A basketball training system includes a ball delivery system in which a basketball is delivered to a ball ready holder located in front of a ball launch mechanism. A launch arm is grabbed and pulled backward against a spring force, and then is released to pivot forward and strike the basketball from the ball ready holder.

The present invention includes programs, devices and methods for a ball throwing machine that is able to consistently throw balls to the same preset position at the moment a user demands it by manually pressing a button, by user defined time interval, or by trigger events using sensing technologies. The user demands are sent and received by a wired or wireless connection. The present invention includes sensing method(s) to detect a user's motion and/or voice command, and throw balls to the preset position in a timely mannerat exactly the moment when the command is received, or with a pre-programmed delay. The trigger events includes a player's position, moving speed, and/or body position.

A system and method to pitch balls using one powered wheel. The system and method comprise a single powered wheel and at least two pinch pads configured with an aperture between them to allow a player to see the ball throughout the length of its descent into the aperture prior to being pitched.

A basketball launching device and related systems and methods which compensate for player height are provided. A controller in electronic communication with a user interface and a launching mechanism causes a player information prompt to be generated at the user interface, receives data from the user interface in response to the player information prompt which includes an indication of player height, and causes the launching mechanism to launch the basketballs with a level of force or speed where the level of force or speed is selected, and varies, based on the player height indicated.

A tennis training apparatus, a tennis training simulation method and apparatus, an electronic device, and a storage medium are provided. The method includes: acquiring ball hitting parameters in a real court through a racket, and acquiring ball hitting images in the real court; calculating first trajectory parameters of a first motion trajectory of a target tennis ball in the real court according to the ball hitting parameters and the ball hitting images; calculating second trajectory parameters of the target tennis ball in a virtual court based on the first trajectory parameters, where a court of the target tennis ball includes the real court and the virtual court; and rendering, by using the second trajectory parameters, a second motion trajectory of the target tennis ball during motion in the virtual court, where a motion trajectory of the target tennis ball includes the first motion trajectory and the second motion trajectory.

A basketball launching device includes a user interface for receiving user input regarding a subset of locations of varying distance from a throwing mechanism to launch basketballs to for a player to catch and shoot towards a basketball goal as part of a practice session. A distance adjustment mechanism is connected to the throwing mechanism for adjusting an exit velocity of the basketballs launched by the throwing mechanism. A controller receives data regarding the user input and commands the throwing mechanism and the distance adjustment mechanism to undertake operations for launching at least one of the basketballs towards each of the locations in the subset.