A swing training assembly includes a shuttle, a shuttle travel track, a tensioner, a shuttle displacement line and a shuttle pulley. The shuttle resides in the shuttle travel track and the shuttle pulley and shuttle displacement line are adapted to linearly displace the shuttle to different shuttle positions within the shuttle travel track in response to displacement forces applied to the shuttle pulley by a user pulling on the shuttle displacement line. The tensioner provides an opposing counter-force to control the rate of shuttle displacement. The swing training assembly may also include body positioning limits to maintain proper body alignment while the user pulls on the shuttle displacement line.

A swing training assembly includes a shuttle, a shuttle travel track, a tensioner, a shuttle displacement line and a shuttle pulley. The shuttle resides in the shuttle travel track and the shuttle pulley and shuttle displacement line are adapted to linearly displace the shuttle to different shuttle positions within the shuttle travel track in response to displacement forces applied to the shuttle pulley by a user pulling on the shuttle displacement line. The tensioner provides an opposing counter-force to control the rate of shuttle displacement. The swing training assembly may also include body positioning limits to maintain proper body alignment while the user pulls on the shuttle displacement line.

A system for delivering balls to each of two players playing on opposite sides of a field includes a remote control unit worn or placed on each of the two players, each remote control unit configured, upon activation of a particular player, to transmit a wireless signal that identifies a location of the particular player. A ball pitching machine includes a housing configured to receive and hold the balls, at least one wheel, a ball shooting mechanism that receives the balls and shoots one of the balls at a time; and a controller that includes a position-locator, the controller configured to receive and process the signal, direct positioning of the ball shooting mechanism so as to face the player that sent the signal and shoot one of the balls in a direction of the player's position, in accordance with the signal received from the remote control unit.

A system for delivering balls to each of two players playing on opposite sides of a field includes a remote control unit worn or placed on each of the two players, each remote control unit configured, upon activation of a particular player, to transmit a wireless signal that identifies a location of the particular player. A ball pitching machine includes a housing configured to receive and hold the balls, at least one wheel, a ball shooting mechanism that receives the balls and shoots one of the balls at a time; and a controller that includes a position-locator, the controller configured to receive and process the signal, direct positioning of the ball shooting mechanism so as to face the player that sent the signal and shoot one of the balls in a direction of the player's position, in accordance with the signal received from the remote control unit.

Disclosed are techniques for quantifying body postures of a player employing a loop drive technique to strike a ball, such as performed in table tennis activities. A video recording of a player striking a ball with a loop drive technique is received and divided, using image processing techniques, into two segments: the first concerning player body postures before the ball is hit, and the second concerning body postures from the moment of impact between the ball and racket and the subsequent follow-through body postures. Then, image processing techniques are again leveraged to isolate and quantify specific body postures contributing to a loop drive technique in a given segment.

Disclosed are techniques for quantifying body postures of a player employing a loop drive technique to strike a ball, such as performed in table tennis activities. A video recording of a player striking a ball with a loop drive technique is received and divided, using image processing techniques, into two segments: the first concerning player body postures before the ball is hit, and the second concerning body postures from the moment of impact between the ball and racket and the subsequent follow-through body postures. Then, image processing techniques are again leveraged to isolate and quantify specific body postures contributing to a loop drive technique in a given segment.

An alternate reality training system for tennis is operationally coupled to a head assembly, a stand assembly, and a vertical polymer flexible rod assembly connecting the substantially polymer head assembly to the stand assembly. The vertical polymer flexible rod assembly oscillates when a ball member held in the head assembly is hit by a racket. An alternate reality software system is adapted to synchronize with oscillations to present substantially simultaneous cues for hitting a physical ball member coupled to the head member and convert associated data to a virtual ball member adapted to visually present data from hitting the physical ball member and associated user data. Data includes variables of power, accuracy, timing, trajectory, spin, and impact sweet spot from which to calculate virtual ball flight.

An alternate reality training system for tennis is operationally coupled to a head assembly, a stand assembly, and a vertical polymer flexible rod assembly connecting the substantially polymer head assembly to the stand assembly. The vertical polymer flexible rod assembly oscillates when a ball member held in the head assembly is hit by a racket. An alternate reality software system is adapted to synchronize with oscillations to present substantially simultaneous cues for hitting a physical ball member coupled to the head member and convert associated data to a virtual ball member adapted to visually present data from hitting the physical ball member and associated user data. Data includes variables of power, accuracy, timing, trajectory, spin, and impact sweet spot from which to calculate virtual ball flight.

In a first aspect, a system for monitoring a swing is provided that includes (1) a swing measurement device adapted to couple to a swinging object and to output a signal indicative of a characteristic of the swinging object; (2) a wireless transmitter coupled to the swing measurement device and adapted to wirelessly transmit the signal output by the swing measurement device; and (3) a wireless device adapted to receive the wirelessly transmitted signal and to provide information regarding the swinging object based on the received signal. The wireless device is a cellular telephone or personal digital assistant (PDA). Numerous other aspects are provided.

In a first aspect, a system for monitoring a swing is provided that includes (1) a swing measurement device adapted to couple to a swinging object and to output a signal indicative of a characteristic of the swinging object; (2) a wireless transmitter coupled to the swing measurement device and adapted to wirelessly transmit the signal output by the swing measurement device; and (3) a wireless device adapted to receive the wirelessly transmitted signal and to provide information regarding the swinging object based on the received signal. The wireless device is a cellular telephone or personal digital assistant (PDA). Numerous other aspects are provided.