Apparatus for practicing golf, in particular the chipping aspect. The apparatus may be provided as a portable installation or permanent installation for events or entertainment. The apparatus is ideally suited for golfers who cannot attend a full golf course in all weather conditions or prefer to practice their chipping. Raised structures provide chipping and bunker surfaces with the cup as the target. The apparatus is arranged to return the ball to the golfer after every shot.

The present invention relates to a golf swing platform linked to a virtual golf course, and may independently drive a swing-stage part and a hitting part of the platform, and the inclination information may be calculated from terrain information of an area corresponding to the swing-stage part and the hitting part of the platform based on a position where a virtual ball is placed on the virtual golf course, and the swing-stage part and the hitting part may be controlled to be driven, respectively.

The present invention relates to a golf swing platform linked to a virtual golf course, and may independently drive a swing-stage part and a hitting part of the platform, and the inclination information may be calculated from terrain information of an area corresponding to the swing-stage part and the hitting part of the platform based on a position where a virtual ball is placed on the virtual golf course, and the swing-stage part and the hitting part may be controlled to be driven, respectively.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for 3D flight tracking of objects include a method including determining a golf ball trajectory based on observations by sensor(s), extrapolating the trajectory backward in time, calculating distance measure(s) between the extrapolated trajectory and physical locations, determining one of the physical locations to be an origin of the golf ball based on the distance measure(s) and two types of separately estimated errors, wherein a first of the two types of separately estimated errors affects ball positional error for the initial observations, and a second of the two types of separately estimated errors affects an angle of the extrapolated trajectory; and presenting golf ball data on a display device associated with the origin of the golf ball.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for 3D flight tracking of objects include a method including determining a golf ball trajectory based on observations by sensor(s), extrapolating the trajectory backward in time, calculating distance measure(s) between the extrapolated trajectory and physical locations, determining one of the physical locations to be an origin of the golf ball based on the distance measure(s) and two types of separately estimated errors, wherein a first of the two types of separately estimated errors affects ball positional error for the initial observations, and a second of the two types of separately estimated errors affects an angle of the extrapolated trajectory; and presenting golf ball data on a display device associated with the origin of the golf ball.

Golf entertainment venues with a computing system configured to optically identify and track graphical images located on golf balls hit by players. The graphical image located on a golf ball can be associated with a player and the computing system can assign the player a score when that player's golf ball successfully arrives at a target area. In some embodiments, the graphical images can be printed on the golf balls using, for example, a single pass inkjet printing technique. In some embodiments, the computing system can be configured to sort golf balls based on optically identified graphical images.

Golf entertainment venues with a computing system configured to optically identify and track graphical images located on golf balls hit by players. The graphical image located on a golf ball can be associated with a player and the computing system can assign the player a score when that player's golf ball successfully arrives at a target area. In some embodiments, the graphical images can be printed on the golf balls using, for example, a single pass inkjet printing technique. In some embodiments, the computing system can be configured to sort golf balls based on optically identified graphical images.

The present invention is to provide a divided driving swing platform including a plurality of plates divided from the swing platform on which a user can perform a golf swing with a golf club and operated stably by increasing a degree of freedom of movement of each of the divided plates so that each of the divided plates can move in various ways and interference between the divided plates does not occur when each of the divided plates is driven and operated.

The present invention is to provide a divided driving swing platform including a plurality of plates divided from the swing platform on which a user can perform a golf swing with a golf club and operated stably by increasing a degree of freedom of movement of each of the divided plates so that each of the divided plates can move in various ways and interference between the divided plates does not occur when each of the divided plates is driven and operated.

An exerciser includes: sensor installation units provided to be spaced apart from and face each other in a direction parallel; a radiation unit for radiating light, in a first sensor installation unit; a light receiving unit for receiving the light radiated from the radiation unit, in a second sensor installation unit; a speed detection unit for detecting a speed of the golf ball by checking a moment the golf ball passes; a position measurement unit for measuring a position of the golf ball; an operation control unit for performing calculation to detect an initial position value of the golf ball and a moving speed Vb and a moving distance Hb of the golf ball; and a storage unit for storing the measured speed Vb and distance Hb of the golf ball.