Abstract: A testing apparatus for measuring a golf ball that has been hit includes a golf ball or an element that can be either rigidly connected to, or linked through, one degree of freedom pivoting around its axis to an arm, which when the golf ball is struck can pivot around an axis of rotation that can achieve a partial or full turn before hitting a mechanical stop. The golf hit testing device further includes apparatus for measuring force, acceleration and rotational velocity of the golf ball that has been hit.

Abstract: A device for measuring flight data of a flying object by using a high speed image camera is provided. The device includes: a launch signal generator which determines whether the flying object is launched and generates a signal when it is determined that the flying object is launched; and a high speed image camera system which includes an integrated control unit and a high speed image camera which photographs the flying object after the launch signal generator generates the launch signal. The integrated control unit controls the high speed image camera and calculates preliminary flight data and final flight data from images photographed by the high speed image camera. A position through which the flying object passes at a point in time when a predetermined photographing time elapses is estimated using the preliminary flight data, and, on the basis of the position, an image capture area is set.

Abstract: A contact state observation apparatus of golf ball can observe the contact phenomenon between a golf ball and a golf club which has been conventionally hidden and unobservable. The contact state observation apparatus of golf ball includes: launching means for launching a golf ball 10; an impact plate 20 with which the launched golf ball 10 impacts; and imaging means 30, provided opposite to the launching means across the impact plate 20, for shooting an image of the contact state between the golf ball 10 and the impact plate 20 at the time of impact of the golf ball 10. The impact plate 20 has, in a part where the golf ball 10 impacts, an observation hole 21 whose area is smaller than a contact area with the golf ball, and the imaging means 30 shoots the image of the contact state through the observation hole 21.

Abstract: A camera 10 photographs a golf player swinging a golf club to hit a golf ball and the golf club. Image data is obtained by photographing. A calculating part 16 extracts a plurality of frames from the image data. The calculating part 16 determines a check frame in which the golf player is in a predetermined posture from the plurality of frames. The calculating part 16 determines a contour of the golf player from the check frame. The calculating part 16 decides a swing from the contour of the golf player. An extreme value constituting the contour is determined in deciding the swing. A feature point is determined from the extreme value. The swing is diagnosed using the feature point.

Abstract: A practice golf swing device which permits the swinger of a golf club to hit a variable height replica golf ball that is fixedly attached to a universally pivoting arm (swivel arm) that moves in direct proportion to the swing path and speed of the golf club. The motion thus initiated in the swivel arm may be measured at the base of the arm (knuckle ball) using an optical/digital sensing output as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,288,993 and 5,703,356 with this measurement being computed so as to numerically or graphically depict the movement. This graphical depiction may be viewed as a pictorial view of a golf ball in flight along the path that would be expected had the ball been struck by a golf ball with the same force and direction that is imparted to the replica golf ball, which is attached to the pivot arm of the device. The apparatus has a self-zeroing capability that provides an identical “at rest” position prior to impact.

Abstract: A swing measurement method of directly measuring a swing behavior without being influenced by flexure of an impact implement, such as a golf club or baseball bat is provided. In addition, a golf swing analysis method and computer program product having computer program code for a simple and effective model of the behavior of a grip portion during a golf swing is provided. A three dimensional magnetic sensor capable of measuring position and direction is fixed to a grip portion of the impact implement within magnetic fields in which the magnetic field distribution of intensity and direction are known, and the behavior of the swing is directly measured. In addition, the path of the grip portion is approximated as an arc within a swing plane using the three dimensional position coordinates of the grip portion obtained in this measurement, and thus an arm angle, a wrist angle, and an angle of shaft rotation are found.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a launch monitor system that measures club motion data and ball motion data. The system includes a club monitor and a ball monitor. The club monitor obtains images of the club before impact with the ball, and the ball monitor takes images of the ball after impact during a single swing. The present invention further includes a method of monitoring a club and ball in a single swing.

Abstract: The present invention provides a pitching training tool, comprising a rod-shaped body portion, which has a hollow, cylindrical shaft portion that is lighter than a regulation ball, and a gripping portion, which is integrally formed to one end of this shaft portion; an acceleration sensor or other such detector, which is incorporated in the gripping portion side of this rod-shaped body portion, and which detects a state of motion when the rod-shaped body portion is swung around; an arithmetic processing portion for performing computations based on motion state data from this detector; and a display for displaying the results of computations by the arithmetic processing portion, and is constituted so as to compute in the computing portion at least the rotational speed of the rod-shaped body portion based on the detection results by this detector and to display same.

Abstract: A ball motion measuring apparatus has a CCD camera having a multi-shutter which can open and close successively; strobes; a swinging speed measuring sensor; and a controlling/computing device connected to the CCD camera, the strobes, and the swinging speed measuring sensor. The swinging speed measuring sensor outputs a trigger signal for opening/closing the shutter to the CCD camera when the swinging speed measuring sensor detects passage of a golf club. Upon receipt of the trigger signal, the multi-shutter opens and closes successively. Synchronously with the opening/closing of the multi-shutter, the strobes emit flashlight sequentially. In this manner, a plurality of images of a golf ball driven by the golf club are photographed in a one-image frame.