Patent ID: 7691003

Claim:
A method for performing projectile-based sport simulations comprising: (a) causing a striking apparatus to strike a first projectile with striking means, said striking apparatus being configurable to alter the strike properties with which said first projectile is struck; (b) measuring the strike results from said strike, said strike results including the distance over which said first projectile travels; (c) entering the strike properties and strike results in a database; (d) repeating steps (a) through (c) for a variety of strike properties; (e) providing a sports practice device having a tethered projectile assembly, said tethered projectile assembly comprising a simulation projectile mounted to a flexible tether and a sensor means selected from the group comprising: i. at least one projectile detection means, said projectile detection means being capable of detecting the position and velocity of at least a portion of said tethered projectile assembly after said simulation projectile is struck; ii. at least one strain gauge mounted in said tethered projectile assembly to detect the deflection thereof; and iii. striking means detection sensors to detect the strike properties of a striking means as it strikes said simulation projectile; (f) causing said striking apparatus to strike said simulation projectile of said sports practice device using the same strike properties as used in steps (a) through (d); (g) measuring sensor readings from said sensor means during said strikes; (h) entering said sensor readings and said strike properties in said database, such that each set of said sensor readings corresponds to a set of strike properties and such that each set of strike properties corresponds to a set of strike results; (i) having a user strike said simulation projectile of said sports practice device and measuring sensor readings produced by said sensor means; and (j) calculating the strike results for the user's strike in step (i) by correlating the sensor readings obtained in step (i) with the information entered into the database.