An automatic ball machine includes a frame, a ball launching system, and a gamification display. The ball launching system is coupled to the frame and rotatably moves to point in various directions to launch a ball to a player. The gamification display displays gamification information for the player.

According to one exemplary embodiment, an apparatus, system, method and/or computer program product may provide an athletic training performance analysis apparatus including at least one athletic training performance analysis device including at least one electronic sensor coupled to the at least one athletic training performance analysis device; at least one user interface coupled to the at least one athletic training performance analysis device configured to interact with a user to receive a user selection of at least one training performance analysis routine, the at least one user interface may include: at least one electronic computer processor coupled to the at least one electronic sensor; at least one input device coupled to the at least one electronic computer processor to receive the user selection; at least one output device coupled to the at least one electronic computer processor to provide output to the user; at least one electronic memory coupled to the at least one electronic computer processor; and at least one of: wherein the at least one electronic computer processor is configured to save or retrieve the at least one training performance analysis routine from the at least one memory; where the at least one electronic computer processor is configured to electronically monitor and electronically analyze the at least one training performance analysis routine based on the at least one electronic sensor; wherein the at least one electronic computer processor is configured to randomize at least one challenge by the at least one athletic training performance analysis device; or wherein the electronic computer processor is configured to at least one of: combine a plurality of previously saved of the at least one training performance analysis routine, or shuffle a plurality of previously saved of the at least one training performance analysis routine.

A baseball pitching machine that is configured to precisely index and spin a baseball before pitching the baseball. The machine comprises a baseball spinner and launcher that is configured to spin the baseball using at least one spindle, and then launch or pitch the ball using air (i.e., pneumatic). Preferably, the position of the ball spinner and launcher can be adjusted in terms of position in both the x and y directions (i.e., both side to side, and up and down), as well as its angle. The baseball pitching machine is configured to be controllable such that pitches (in terms of type, location and velocity) can be changed on a pitch-by-pitch basis.

A ball spinner device includes a base, at least three ball supports supported by the base for supporting a ball and allowing the ball to be spun relative to the base, and a support member for directly or indirectly supporting a ball-engaging member, the support member configured to allow positioning of the ball-engaging member on a top center of the ball for at least stabilizing the ball during spinning of the ball and also optionally for causing spinning of the ball.

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to devices, systems, and methods for implementing drills and providing coaching instructions to users. Embodiments may load a drill, measure values obtained from one or more sensors installed on a player's tennis racket and/or worn on the player's body, and use those values to detect various parameters, such as the physical impact of a ball at the player's racket. Embodiments may then output a coaching instruction to the user. Embodiments may also include adding customized coaching instructions to a drill.

A smart ball-machine uses artificial intelligence to train a player or to play with a player. For example, the ball-machine can adjust the tennis ball speed, topspin, bounce according to the player's successful ball return rate. The ball-machine can be preconfigured with a profile of a player. For example, the ball-machine may download a complete profile of a tennis player from a game recording, or may download a file with a customized profile of a player to train a player using the ball-machine. The ball-machine is equipped with a plurality of wheels, motors, and shafts to provide a fully customizable launch of one or more balls. For example, the ball can be launched from the machine from one side of a tennis court to another side of a tennis court with a variety of speeds, trajectories, topspin, bounce etc.

A smart ball-machine uses artificial intelligence to train a player or to play with a player. For example, the ball-machine can adjust the tennis ball speed, topspin, bounce according to the player's successful ball return rate. The ball-machine can be preconfigured with a profile of a player. For example, the ball-machine may download a complete profile of a tennis player from a game recording, or may download a file with a customized profile of a player to train a player using the ball-machine. The ball-machine is equipped with a plurality of wheels, motors, and shafts to provide a fully customizable launch of one or more balls. For example, the ball can be launched from the machine from one side of a tennis court to another side of a tennis court with a variety of speeds, trajectories, topspin, bounce etc.

A softball pitching machine in accordance with the present disclosure is configured to lob a softball along an arcuate path with forward spin to mimic the motion of an underhand, slow pitched softball from a human pitcher. The softball pitching machine includes a throwing arm having a curved hand configured to move along a predetermined arcuate path to a preset stopping point that imparts the arcing path and the forward spin on the softball.

A system is disclosed that includes a ball-throwing machine included within a first housing, a controller communicatively coupled to the ball-throwing machine and included within a second housing different than the first housing, a camera, and a non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon logic, the logic being executable by one or more processors to perform operations including: receiving information associated with a selection of a first training drill from the controller, responsive to receiving the information associated with the selection of the first training drill, causing the ball-throwing machine to impart motion to one or more balls in accordance with the first training drill, receiving multimedia data of a player captured by the camera, and performing a player recognition procedure to locate the player within the multimedia data.

The tennis ball supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a communication circuit configured to communicate with an external device; a launcher configured to launch a ball; a body unit configured to move the launcher; and a controller configured to: control the body unit to move to a first position, identify whether the body unit is disposed on the first position based on a signal received from the communication circuit, based on identifying that the body unit is disposed on the first position, control the launcher to launch the ball, control the body unit to move to a second position after the launcher has stopped launching the ball, and identify whether the body unit is disposed on the second position based on the signal received from the communication circuit.