A baseball or softball protective facial mask worn like a pair of sunglasses or glasses without the inconvenience of straps. The protective facial mask having a protective frame assembly encompassing a wearer's face to reduce facial injuries. A set of ear extension components coupled to the protective frame assembly extend over or around a wearer's ears. The ear extension components having a non-slip silicon material to hold said protective facial mask in place to a wearer's head. A set of ear padding implements is disposed on an inner area of said ear extension components to dampen any force focused towards the wearer's ears. A nose bridge having a non-slip rubberized material helps support a weight of the protective facial mask.

A method and system to analyze sports motions using the motion sensors of a mobile device, such as a smart phone, is provided. This method uses the mobile device motion sensor output to define the impact point with a virtual object, such as a golf ball, baseball or tennis ball. The motion sensor signature of the sports motion is analyzed for characteristics, specific to each type of sports motion. A method is disclosed using multiple sensors outputs in a mobile device to compute the impact point with a virtual object, such as a golf ball, baseball, tennis ball. Further, a method is disclosed where moving virtual sports objects interact with virtual sports motions and the responsive outputs are displayed on the mobile device and/or any Web-enabled display device.

A system for refereeing a sports match including a portable processing device for compiling data associated with the sports match and eyeglasses including data display means for displaying the data associated with the sports match to a wearer of the eyeglasses.

A method may include receiving a group of images taken by a camera over time in an environment, in which the camera may be oriented within the environment to capture images of an object in a substantially same direction as a launch direction of the object, and the group of images including a first image and a second image. The method may further include: identifying a first position of the object in the first image; identifying a second position of the object in the second image; generating a flight vector based on the first position of the object and the second position of the object; and determining one or more flight parameters using the flight vector. Additionally, the method may include: generating a simulated trajectory of the object based on the flight parameters; and providing the simulated trajectory of the object for presentation in a graphical user interface.

A method for use in testing sports equipment such as a baseball bat for conformity to a performance standard or specification utilizes a compression contact member having a geometrical form identical in whole or in part to a baseball. In the method one supports one side of the bat in a cradle and presses the contact member into the batting member at a point of maximum performance on the bat. One continues alternating between compressions of successively increasing depth and elasticity test compressions, pausing to measure performance when the elasticity increases by a given percentage. The bat passes if it exhibits damage prior to exceeding a maximum permissible performance level or if its performance level is still less than that maximum once a maximum compression depth is attained.

A butt-end device or knob for a sports implement with a handle for holding the sports implement. The butt-end device or knob has an inner member or inner surface mountable adjacent to a longitudinal end of the handle and a hand-engaging surface to engage a user's hand when holding the handle, the hand-engaging surface being movable relative to the handle in order to follow movement of the user's hand when the user swings the sports implement.

A system for illustrating the flight of a sports ball includes a radar, an imager, and a controller. The imager is configured to image a moving sports ball. The controller is configured to (i) receive, from the imager, an image including the moving sports ball, (ii) receive, from the radar, radar data associated with the moving sports ball, (iii) determine, from the radar data, a portion of a trajectory of the moving sports ball, (iv) alter the image to illustrate the portion of the trajectory relative to the moving sports ball, and (v) output the altered image.

A ball throwing machine can include a hopper for receiving one or more balls and a ball delivery device. The ball delivery device can be used to throw or pitch a ball from the hopper to a user of the machine. The ball delivery device can include wheels to impart speed to the ball and a direction system to control the projection angle of the ball. The direction system can control at least one of the up and down angle and the side to side angle of the ball as it is thrown, among possibly other throwing parameters. A controller may be provided for controlling operation of the ball throwing machine.

A net assembly includes a base having hub and at least three extension arms, wherein the extension arms extend from the base hub to form a polygon. At least one flexible support pole is removably coupled to each of the extension arms of the base, and a net is configured to receive each of the flexible support poles. The net comprises a plurality of panels which define a polygonal cross-section. The net bends each of the flexible support poles such that the each of the poles is in a flexed state and wherein in the flexed state, each of the flexible support poles is adapted to exert an outward force onto the net, thereby exposing each of the plurality of panels of the net.

Described is a knob for application to the gripping end of a hollow stick. The knob comprises a rounded, oblique, cylindrical support structure, transitional shaft and tang aligned on a common longitudinal central axis. The support structure comprises a greater diameter rounded, cantle-like support and gripping structures.