The present invention is a training apparatus and method-of-use for developing a hockey player's stick handling techniques to carry the puck forward and perform a variety of shots. The apparatus includes a collapsible platform which is utilized by athletes and trainers that includes drills and guides that promote stickhandling skills, teach proper techniques in four different categories of shooting, and encourage correct posture for skating and stickhandling motion.

The two-part system includes a modified hockey puck and a set of goal units that can be mounted on a hockey goal. Within the puck are light sources, motion sensors, infrared transmitters, and a power source. Within the goal units are light sources, infrared sensors, and a microcontroller. When the goal units are mounted on the hockey goal, the infrared sensors form a detection area through which the puck must pass in order to count as a goal. The infrared transmitter of the puck and the infrared sensors of the goal units communicate with one another, and when an infrared signal is received the microcontroller triggers the light sources mounted to the goal to illuminate and indicate that a goal has been scored. Additionally, both the puck and the goal units are designed to reduce power consumption by switching between a low-energy mode or an active mode of operation.

A multilayer anti-slip compact structure for individual/joint application on a forehand and/or a backhand side of a hockey stick blade, which contains a backing carrier (A) and an anti-slip layer (B) applied on said backing carrier (A), wherein the backing carrier (A) contains a first layer with thickness max. 0.3 mm and tensile strength min. 400 N and weight max. 130 g/m.sup.2; on the first layer, a second resin or glue layer (3) with thickness max. 0.1 mm containing polyurethane, polyacrylate, organic resin or suitable polymer, or their combination; and the anti-slip layer (B) is formed by a third resin layer (5) with content of epoxide and/or phenol or polymer with thickness max. 0.1 mm and weight max. 250 g/m.sup.2. The first layer of the backing carrier (A) is formed by a plastic film (1) from a polymer or a fibre/net structure (2) from fibres containing cotton, viscose, glass fibres, plastic fibres, polyester fibres, or their combination.

A computer-implemented method for recommending an item of equipment, which comprises: gathering sensed data from a sensor; processing the sensed data in accordance with a biomechanical protocol to determine at least one performance indicator associated with a subject's execution of the biomechanical protocol; and determining at least one recommended feature of an item of equipment based at least in part on the at least one performance indicator. Also, an equipment recommendation system with specific application to hockey, which comprises: a camera configured to produce images representative of execution of a hockey shot of a given type by a subject; an I/O interface; and a processor connected to the camera via the I/O interface and configured to extract parameters from the images and to output, via the I/O interface, a hockey stick recommendation for the subject that is based on the parameters and on the given type of hockey shot.

A first list of available players is provided to each individual user who then selects a first fantasy lineup, where selections by another individual user does not preclude other individual users from also selecting the same player. First fantasy lineups are received from each individual user, the fantasy lineups comprising one or more players selected from the first list of available players. Each individual user may provide a replacement lineup prior to the end of a game. A subsequent list of available players is provided to each user and does not include players from the first fantasy lineup. Subsequent fantasy lineups from each individual user are received comprising only players selected from the subsequent list of available players. None of the players of the first fantasy lineup for an individual user is included in any subsequent fantasy lineup of the individual user.

A wearable training apparatus has a vision-control assembly and a head-mounting assembly coupled to the vision-control assembly. The vision-control assembly has a see-through area corresponding to a central portion of the human field of vision (FOV), and a vision-blocking area for blocking the human peripheral FOV except the central portion thereof. The wearable training apparatus may be in the form of a pair of eyeglasses with lenses provided with reduced FOV or alternatively, may be in the form of a goggle with reduced FOV. A training system may comprise one or more wearable training apparatus, one or more imaging devices for recording images and/or video streams of the performance of users wearing the training apparatuses, and one or more computing devices for playing back and analyzing the recorded images and/or video streams.

Embodiments of golf gloves having a cut out portion and methods to manufacture gloves having a cut out portion are generally described herein. Other embodiments of gloves may be described and claimed.

A piece of sports equipment includes a handle, a head attached to the handle, and at least one dead blow mechanism. The at least one dead blow mechanism includes a chamber and a movable portion disposed within the chamber. The chamber and the movable portion each include a similar cross sectional shape.

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 piece of sports equipment includes: a surface; and base paint including magnetic particles, the base paint being located on the surface of the piece of sports equipment, the magnetic particles being arranged based on a predetermined design after being subjected to magnetic field generated by one or more magnets. A method of manufacturing a piece of sports equipment includes: obtaining an object including one or more magnets arranged in a predetermined design; applying a base paint including magnetic particles to an exterior surface of the piece of sports equipment; while the base paint is fluid, positioning the piece of sports equipment within a magnetic field of the one or more magnets; and maintaining the positioning of the piece of sports equipment for at least a predetermined period, thereby allowing the magnetic particles in the base paint to arrange based on the predetermined design of the one or more magnets.