Electronic tracking systems are disclosed for assisting users with locating objects in a sporting environment. One such system includes a ball tracking component that tracks a game ball while moving in the sporting environment, and a heads up display that is worn by the user. This heads up display has an electronic display screen with a transparent display area that dynamically displays images within the user's field of view. A processor, which communicates with the ball tracking component and heads up display, is programmed to detect movement of the game ball, and responsively determine launch characteristics and/or flight characteristics of the moving game ball. The heads up display displays the launch/flight characteristics contemporaneous with an object indication adjacent to or superimposed over the moving game ball as the game ball is visible through the transparent display area of the display screen within the user's field of view.

A hockey puck is disclosed including an internal signal transmitter enabling instantaneous identification of its position as it moves around. The hockey puck includes two molded subcomponents, which encapsulate the signal transmitter. The signal transmitter includes driver electronics and a number of signal transmitters which together generate and emit an electromagnetic signal. The electromagnetic signal is emitted by a plurality of diodes mounted in cavities in the subcomponents, for example around an outer circumference of the hockey puck and through a top and bottom surfaces of the hockey puck. The hockey puck is alternatively formed of a material that allows electromagnetic radiation to be emitted through the subcomponents, and the diode cavities omitted.

A method can include providing an object having a size smaller than a size of a known regulation object, projecting the object, via a delivery device, toward a trainee, and training the trainee to follow the object. A method can include determining a game parameter of a game trajectory of a sports object that was projected along the game trajectory in a real-time sports event, and based on the game parameters, adapting a delivery device to deliver a training object along a training trajectory that mimics at least a portion of the game trajectory, with the training object being smaller than the sports object.

A method can include providing an object having a size smaller than a size of a known regulation object, projecting the object, via a delivery device, toward a trainee, and training the trainee to follow the object. A method can include determining a game parameter of a game trajectory of a sports object that was projected along the game trajectory in a real-time sports event, and based on the game parameters, adapting a delivery device to deliver a training object along a training trajectory that mimics at least a portion of the game trajectory, with the training object being smaller than the sports object.

A method can include projecting an object toward an impact device along a trajectory, receiving the object at a target zone of the impact device, a trainee striking the impact device at an impact zone with a sports tool, and scoring a performance score of the trainee to impact the impact zone at an appropriate time compared to an arrival time of the object at the target zone. A method can include projecting an object toward a target along a trajectory, receiving the object at an actual arrival position at the target, wherein the actual arrival position is either inside a target zone or outside the target zone, and where a trainee is configured to send an indication when the trainee expects the object to arrive inside the target zone, comparing the indication to the actual arrival position, and determining a performance score based on the comparing.

Electronic tracking systems are disclosed for assisting users with locating objects in a sporting environment. One such system includes a ball tracking component that tracks a game ball while moving in the sporting environment, and a heads up display that is worn by the user. This heads up display has an electronic display screen with a transparent display area that dynamically displays images within the user's field of view. A processor, which communicates with the ball tracking component and heads up display, is programmed to detect movement of the game ball, and responsively determine launch characteristics and/or flight characteristics of the moving game ball. The heads up display displays the launch/flight characteristics contemporaneous with an object indication adjacent to or superimposed over the moving game ball as the game ball is visible through the transparent display area of the display screen within the user's field of view.

A golf ball alignment device includes a golf ball having an exterior surface. Indicia is disposed on the exterior surface of the golf ball. The indicia include first and second line segments extending along a portion of the golf ball at a spaced interval. The spaced interval is narrower at a first end of each line segment than at a second end of each line segment such that the line segments converge from the second end of the line segments to the first end of the line segments. The indicia provide an alignment reference on the golf ball for a user to align the line segments with at least one of an intended direction of travel of the golf ball and a club head used to strike the ball in the intended direction of travel.

Golf balls including one or more layers having at least one radar detectable mark disposed on the surface thereof are provided.

An electronic tracking system for assisting a user in determining distances to landmarks and objects in a sporting environment includes a user tracking system for determining the location of a user, a heads up display for displaying information to the user, and a processor operable to communicate with the user tracking system and the heads up display. The heads up display is designed to be worn on the user's head, and to display an image within the user's field of view. The processor is programmed to determine a distance between the user's determined location and an object or a landmark on. This information is displayed via the heads up display as a numeric representation of the determined distance.

A hockey puck is disclosed including an internal signal transmitter enabling instantaneous identification of its position as it moves around. The puck includes two molded subcomponents, which encapsulate the signal transmitter. The signal transmitter includes driver electronics and a number of signal transmitters which together generate and emit an electromagnetic signal. The electromagnetic signal is emitted by a plurality of diodes mounted in light pipes enclosed within cavities in the subcomponents that extend to outer surfaces of the hockey puck components. The puck includes two subcomponents that are attached via complimentary sets of concentrically arranged wedges.