Abstract: A golf club head according to an embodiment includes a face having a ball striking surface and a back surface. The back surface of the face has a thick portion located at a generally center portion thereof in a direction from the toe toward the heel, a thin portion located around the thick portion, and a tapered portion located between the thick portion and the thin portion. The thick portion has a first width which is a width in a heel-toe direction, and a second width which is a width in a sole-top direction and is larger than the first width, and the thick portion also has a first thickness. The thin portion has a second thickness smaller than the first thickness. The tapered portion has a thickness reduced from the side of the thick portion toward the side of the thin portion.

Abstract: A softball or baseball bat with modified restitution characteristic is provided. The bat can comprise a substantially rigid core coupled with a single or multi-piece sleeve. The core can comprise a tip end, a barrel taper, a handle taper, and a handle. The sleeve can slide over the handle portion and can be pressed, molded, or adhered to the barrel taper. The resilient sleeve can be sized and shaped such that the sleeve portion is substantially the same diameter as the tip end. The sleeve can comprise a material capable of impact absorption. The sleeve can have a composite structure with inner and outer sleeve components. The sleeve can further comprise a cone to taper the sleeve in the handle taper portion of the bat. The material and thickness of the sleeve and the core can be varied to meet applicable restitution requirements.

Abstract: An adjustable golf club head and weight structure is disclosed. The adjustable golf club head can include a crown, a toe, a hosel, and a sole. The sole of the club head may have one or more tracks located thereon. Each of the one or more tracks can have one or more weights secured therein. Each of the one or more weights can include an upper weight portion, and a lower weight portion. A screw can be positioned to adjoin the upper weight portion and the lower weight portion. The weight can also include a clip fastened to the screw such that the clip retains the screw within bores located in the upper and lower weight portions. In order to prevent the upper and lower weight portions from rotating with respect to one another, the weight can include an alignment portion and an alignment receptacle.

Abstract: A swing analysis device for analyzing a swing of a ball hitting tool includes: an information input unit configured to receive input of acceleration information and angular velocity information detected by a sensor attached to the ball hitting tool; a posture calculation unit configured to calculate posture information of the ball hitting tool in the swing by applying a predetermined filter to the acceleration information and the angular velocity information; a correction unit configured to correct the posture information of the ball hitting tool in the swing based on the posture information of the ball hitting tool at a first time in the swing; and a swing information calculation unit configured to calculate a swing trajectory of the ball hitting tool based on the acceleration information and the posture information of the ball hitting tool corrected by the correction unit.

Abstract: A simplified sole structure for a baseball spiked shoe can improve cushioning properties of a heel region of the sole structure and can enhance comfort when wearing the shoe. The baseball spiked shoe includes a first midsole of a soft elastic member that is disposed at a heel central portion of the shoe, a second midsole of a soft elastic member that is disposed around and outwardly e.g. horizontally away from the first midsole via a circumferential groove therebetween and that is integrated with or unitary as one unit with the first midsole, and an outsole plate of a hard elastic member that is disposed on lower surfaces of the first and second midsoles, that has a plurality of spikes fitted thereon, and that has a hardness greater than a respective hardness of each of the first and second midsoles.

Abstract: A sole structure for a shoe that can reduce the burden of MP joints and a knee joint of a shoe wearer's foot during running and that can improve cushioning properties. The sole structure of the shoe includes an upper plate of a hard elastic member disposed at a forefoot region of the shoe, a lower plate of a hard elastic member disposed under and spaced away from the upper plate, and a midsole of a soft elastic member interposed between the upper plate and the lower plate. The midsole has a longitudinally extending hollow portion that is upwardly concavely curved at a lateral mid-portion of the midsole. The lower plate has a concave portion corresponding to the hollow portion of the midsole.

Abstract: A sole structure for a sport shoe can increase accelerating force during activities and achieve quick movements. A sole assembly 1 for an indoor shoe includes a sole body 2 formed of a soft elastic member and a plate-like member or planar sheet member 3 that is disposed at a position under the first to fourth distal phalanx DP1-DP4 of the wearer's foot on a foot sole contact surface 2A of the sole body 2, and that has a higher hardness than that of the sole body 2. The plate-like member 3 extends arcuately substantially in the foot width direction along the toes of the wearer's foot and has a narrow part 3C of a short length in the foot length direction, or a spacing gap, at a region between the first toe and the second toe.

Abstract: A midsole structure for a shoe not only maintains stability at the time of impacting the ground and improves cushioning property but also eliminates discomfort to a foot sole and improves ride feeling during running. The midsole structure (1) comprises at least two midsoles provided at a heel region of the shoe and having a hardness difference. On opposite sides of the heel region, an upper midsole (2) of a greater hardness has a thickness greater than a thickness of a lower midsole (3) of a smaller hardness. In a central part of the heel region, the lower midsole (3) of a smaller hardness has a thickness greater than a thickness of the upper midsole (2) of a greater hardness. Boundary surfaces (2B, 3A) between the upper midsole (2) and the lower midsole (3) do not appear on a top surface of the midsole structure (1) (that is, a foot sole contact surface (2A) of the upper midsole (2)).

Abstract: A glove includes: a first leather member on a side of a ball catching plane; a second leather member disposed to face the first leather member; and a connection portion in which the first leather member and the second leather member are connected at a part of an outer peripheral portion of the ball catching plane. The connection portion includes a first loop contiguous to the first leather member and having a central axis, a second loop disposed adjacent to the first loop in a direction along the central axis and contiguous to the second leather member, and a string member passing through the first loop and the second loop along the central axis. At least one identical string member passes through the first loop and the second loop.

Abstract: A tow prepreg manufacturing apparatus applies resin to an original tow of reinforcing fibers. The tow prepreg manufacturing apparatus includes an oiling roller, a scraper, a resin reservoir, a tube pump, and a controller. The oiling roller is supplied with resin while rotating at a predetermined rotation speed. The scraper adjusts the shape of the resin supplied onto the oiling roller. The resin reservoir supplies resin to the oiling roller. The tube pump discharges resin to the resin reservoir. The controller controls the tube pump so that the amount of resin held in the resin reservoir remains constant and controls the rotation speed of the oiling roller so that a resin content of a wound tow prepreg becomes equal to a target resin content.

Abstract: In an iron golf club head with a face portion and a neck portion integrally molded by forging, the iron golf club head is made of an iron steel material at least containing 0.30% by weight or less of carbon and 0.0005% by weight to 0.003% by weight of boron. The face portion has been subjected to quenching processing.

Abstract: The present invention proposes a baseball bat, which comprises a hollow handle region extending along an axis and including a connection section; and a barrel region extending along the axis and connected with the connection section. The barrel region has thermoset resin layers and at least one flexible chain polymer layer, which exists within the thermoset resin layers, so that the barrel region does not harden after shape forming. The barrel region of the baseball bat can absorb vibration during batting and improve the stability of the batted ball.

Abstract: A running form diagnosis system capable of automatically scoring a running form of a runner is provided. The running form diagnosis system obtains body motion information as to a test subject running on a treadmill, and calculate a running form score of the test subject by applying obtained characteristics to a given operation expression. The operation expression is generated based on correlation between characteristics of a plurality of test runners and comprehensive evaluation given by an expert with respect to the plurality of test runners.

Abstract: A bat selection device includes: a parameter input unit which receives an input of a swing parameter value relevant to swing of a batter, for each of at least two or more bats having moments of inertia different from one another swung by the batter at an object, of a plurality of bats; an estimation unit which estimates the swing parameter value corresponding to each of the plurality of bats based on each received swing parameter value; and a selection unit which calculates an index parameter value indicative of an index for selecting a bat suitable for the batter from the plurality of bats, for each of the plurality of bats, based on the estimated swing parameter value corresponding to the bat, and selects the bat suitable for the batter based on the index parameter values.