A device and method for launching a projectile, such as a golf ball, across a range. The device enables a golf ball to be launched across a golf course with greater control than is possible with a traditional golf club. The ease of loading the projectile into the launching device and swinging the launching device forward adds greater distance to the projectile due to an increase in angular momentum and back spin on the projectile. The device includes a C-shaped head defined by a nest, a pair of lateral retention arms, and a base. A distal portion is longer than a proximal portion to create backspin on the projectile. The concavity and lateral arms hold the projectile in place. The distal and proximal portions terminate at concave points that grip dimples on the projectile. The base is fixedly attached to a shaft, which is used for swinging the head.

A ball throwing device including a lower handle portion, a middle lever portion, and a head portion. The middle lever portion may include a plurality of latitudinal bends positioned between the lower handle portion and the head portion. Additionally and/or alternatively, the head portion may include a half-spherical cup configured to releasably retain a ball, the half-spherical cup having a plurality of edge lobes configured to flex over an outside diameter of the ball.

A ball bat includes a barrel portion, a handle portion, and a joint connecting the handle portion to the barrel portion. In some embodiments, the joint includes a releasable connector configured to releasably connect the barrel portion to the handle portion. In some embodiments, the joint includes two releasable connectors to releasably connect the barrel portion to the handle portion. The ball bat may include a flexible rod element positioned between the two releasable connectors. The rod element may include an elastomeric material. In some embodiments, the ball bat may further include a safety connector between the barrel portion and the handle portion or a releasable connector may include a threaded connection to resist release of the releasable connector. In some embodiments, the joint may include a rotatable element for adjusting flex.

A golf club includes a golf club head, a shaft adapter secured within a hosel of the golf club head, and a shaft secured within the shaft adapter. The golf club shaft is formed from a fiber reinforced polymer and extends along a longitudinal axis between a tip end and a grip end. The golf club shaft includes a tip end section, a grip end section, and a tapered section between the tip end section and the grip end section. The tapered section of the shaft includes a reference portion within the upper half that has a frustoconical shape with a near-constant taper rate, and a narrowed portion within the lower half. The narrowed portion is recessed relative to a reference surface extrapolated from the frustoconical shape.

A shaft includes a tip end, a butt end, flexural rigidities E1 to E10 at respective points that are located 130 mm, 230 mm, 330 mm, 430 mm, 530 mm, 630 mm, 730 mm, 830 mm, 930 mm, and 1030 mm apart from the tip end. A ratio (E8/E1) is greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to 7. The flexural rigidity E1 is less than or equal to 2.5 (kgf.Math.m.sup.2). The flexural rigidity E8 is greater than or equal to 5.0 (kgf.Math.m.sup.2). When a formula of a straight line that passes through a point (230, E2) and a point (630, E6) is represented by y=ax+b, the shaft satisfies the following relationships R1 and R8:

(130a+b)<E1≤(130a+b+0.5)  (R1), and

(830a+b)<E8≤(830a+b+1.0)  (R8).

A hockey faceoff training device has a base for placement on a playing surface, support posts standing upright from the base for placement of disc weights thereover into stacked condition atop the base for weighted anchoring thereof on the playing surface, a connector removably attached to top ends of the posts, and an impact member coupled to said connector via a moveable joint from which the impact members extends downwardly toward the playing surface in a default position. The movable joint comprises a coil spring situated inline with a proximal end of the impact member to bias the impact member into the default position. The base has deployable and retractable spikes to better grip the playing surface. The topside of the base comprises recessed access cavities to accommodate a user's fingers during placement or removal of the disc weights onto or from the base.

A golf club 2 includes a head 4, a shaft 6, and a grip 8. The club 2 has a forward club flex of greater than or equal to 170 mm. The forward club flex is measured for a golf club in the completed state. The weight of the head is denoted by Wh, and the weight of the club is denoted by Wc. Wh/Wc is greater than or equal to 0.72. With the golf club 2, a force acting on the player's body during a swing can be reduced. The golf club 2 can stabilize swing.

A ball bat includes a barrel portion, a handle portion, and a joint connecting the handle portion to the barrel portion. In some embodiments, the joint includes a releasable connector configured to releasably connect the barrel portion to the handle portion. In some embodiments, the joint includes two releasable connectors to releasably connect the barrel portion to the handle portion. The ball bat may include a flexible rod element positioned between the two releasable connectors. The rod element may include an elastomeric material. In some embodiments, the ball bat may further include a safety connector between the barrel portion and the handle portion or a releasable connector may include a threaded connection to resist release of the releasable connector. In some embodiments, the joint may include a rotatable element for adjusting flex.

A ball bat configured for impacting a ball. The ball bat extends along a longitudinal axis and includes a bat frame and a pivot joint. The bat frame includes a handle portion coupled to a barrel portion. The barrel portions has a distal region. The pivot joint is coupled to the distal region of the barrel portion. The pivot joint movably supports the barrel portion relative to the longitudinal axis such that the distal region of the barrel portion may pivot towards and away from the longitudinal axis about the pivot joint.

A ball bat includes a barrel portion, a handle portion, and a joint connecting the handle portion to the barrel portion. In some embodiments, the joint includes a releasable connector configured to releasably connect the barrel portion to the handle portion. In some embodiments, the joint includes two releasable connectors to releasably connect the barrel portion to the handle portion. The ball bat may include a flexible rod element positioned between the two releasable connectors. The rod element may include an elastomeric material. In some embodiments, the ball bat may further include a safety connector between the barrel portion and the handle portion or a releasable connector may include a threaded connection to resist release of the releasable connector. In some embodiments, the joint may include a rotatable element for adjusting flex.