An apparatus comprising a practice device for practice of hitting a tennis ball includes a server configured for serving the tennis ball to a user, a net disposed to intercept a flight of the tennis ball after the tennis bell has been hit by the user using a racket and to direct the captured tennis ball back towards the server to be served again to the user, an image detector configured to observe the tennis ball as the tennis ball hurtles towards the net, and a processor. The processor determines, based at least in part on image frames received from the image detector, data indicative of the tennis ball's virtual landing spot. This virtual landing spot is an estimate of where the tennis ball would have landed on an opposing court had the tennis ball not been intercepted by the net.

A golf ball including an outer surface having dimples located on the outer surface, at least one core, at least one mantle layer, at least one cover layer, and a plurality of images located on the outer surface, the images being provided with at least two contrasting colors, wherein the plurality of images each have a Major Peak Ratio of between 0.18 and 1, a Major Valley Ratio of between 0.18 and 1, a slope value of between 5 and 5, and an intercept value between 5 and 80.

A golf ball including an outer surface having dimples located on the outer surface, at least one core, at least one mantle layer, at least one cover layer, and a plurality of images located on the outer surface, the images being provided with at least two contrasting colors, wherein the plurality of images each have a Major Peak Ratio of between 0.18 and 1, a Major Valley Ratio of between 0.18 and 1, a slope value of between 5 and 5, and an intercept value between 5 and 80.

A small electronic device used to perform alignment of a lined golf ball in preparation for putting. The device is battery powered and includes one or more motors for rotating the golf ball at a high speed. The device further includes one or more photonic line sensors disposed at the golf ball for identifying the line on the golf ball and for communicating with a microcontroller which coordinates the electric rotation motors to align the golf ball to the device. The electronic device also features a mechanical loading mechanism which holds the golf ball for rotation during the alignment process and releases the golf ball to the putting green without rotation when alignment is complete.

A small electronic device used to perform alignment of a lined golf ball in preparation for putting. The device is battery powered and includes one or more motors for rotating the golf ball at a high speed. The device further includes one or more photonic line sensors disposed at the golf ball for identifying the line on the golf ball and for communicating with a microcontroller which coordinates the electric rotation motors to align the golf ball to the device. The electronic device also features a mechanical loading mechanism which holds the golf ball for rotation during the alignment process and releases the golf ball to the putting green without rotation when alignment is complete.

A first stamp and a second stamp are printed on the surface of a golf ball such that a transition printed area of the first stamp overlaps a transition printed area of the second stamp to create an overlap printed area between a main printed area of the first stamp and a main printed area of the second stamp. An ink density of the main printed area of the first stamp, an ink density of the main printed area of the second stamp, and an ink density of the overlap printed area are approximately the same after both the first stamp and the second stamp are printed on the surface of the golf ball.

A first stamp and a second stamp are printed on the surface of a golf ball such that a transition printed area of the first stamp overlaps a transition printed area of the second stamp to create an overlap printed area between a main printed area of the first stamp and a main printed area of the second stamp. An ink density of the main printed area of the first stamp, an ink density of the main printed area of the second stamp, and an ink density of the overlap printed area are approximately the same after both the first stamp and the second stamp are printed on the surface of the golf ball.

Method of making golf ball comprising aligning thermoformed depressions with dimpled mold cups and applying sufficient heat and suction to the thermoformed depressions without exposing any preselected subassembly to the heat and suction to soften the polymeric material of each thermoformed depression and draw air outward from a volume located between an inner surface of the dimpled mold cup and an outer surface of the thermoformed depression to form a thermoformed pre-form half-shell having an outer surface with the size, shape and contour of the inner surface of the dimpled mold cup(s) and an inner surface with the size, shape and contour of the outer surface of a preselected subassembly. Afterwards, a preselected subassembly is loaded between a pair of thermoformed pre-form half-shells and molded under sufficient short-term heat and suction to form the golf ball. The thickness of each thermoformed depression and thermoformed pre-form half-shell may be tapered.

Method of making golf ball comprising aligning thermoformed depressions with dimpled mold cups and applying sufficient heat and suction to the thermoformed depressions without exposing any preselected subassembly to the heat and suction to soften the polymeric material of each thermoformed depression and draw air outward from a volume located between an inner surface of the dimpled mold cup and an outer surface of the thermoformed depression to form a thermoformed pre-form half-shell having an outer surface with the size, shape and contour of the inner surface of the dimpled mold cup(s) and an inner surface with the size, shape and contour of the outer surface of a preselected subassembly. Afterwards, a preselected subassembly is loaded between a pair of thermoformed pre-form half-shells and molded under sufficient short-term heat and suction to form the golf ball. The thickness of each thermoformed depression and thermoformed pre-form half-shell may be tapered.

A sports ball is configured to enhance detection of spin properties by radar. The ball includes a spherical body having a first reflectivity with respect to radiation generated by a radar to be used in detecting spin of the ball. In addition, the ball includes a plurality of markers. Each of the markers has a second reflectivity with respect to the radiation generated by a radar to be used in detecting spin of the ball. The second reflectivity is different from the first reflectivity. The markers are distributed on the ball so that every great circle extending around an exterior surface of the ball is within a distance d of a projection on the exterior surface of the ball of at least one of the markers. The distance d is less than a radius of the ball.