Athletic nets, athletic performance evaluation systems and methodologies for using the same

Abstract

A system is provided that generates and assigns a composite performance index number for an athlete throwing or hitting a plurality of objects at a net. The system involves a net having a uniform grid, at least one spin rate device embedded within the objects; one or more measurement devices at least one of adjacent to or integrated within the net and positioned to observe the grid; and an evaluation apparatus coupled to the spin rate device and the one or more measurement devices. The evaluation apparatus includes a processor configured to: based at least upon data captured by the one or more measurement devices, determine relative to the grid respective locations where the objects are thrown or hit by the athlete; and generate and assign, based at least upon the determined location, a composite performance index number for the athlete. Associated methods and computer program products are also provided.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A system for determining and assigning a composite performance index number for an athlete throwing or hitting a plurality of objects at a net, the system comprising:
 a net having a uniform grid, the grid being overlaid with a first box and at least four target zones, each one of the at least four target zones intersecting a respective one of four corners of the first box, a first portion of each one of the at least four target zones being positioned outside the first box, a second portion of each one of the at least four target zones being positioned inside the first box;   at least one spin rate device embedded within the objects;   one or more measurement devices at least one of adjacent to or integrated within the net and positioned to observe the grid; and   an evaluation apparatus coupled to the spin rate device and the one or more measurement devices, the evaluation apparatus having a processor configured to:
 based at least upon data captured by the one or more measurement devices, determine relative to the grid respective locations where the objects are thrown or hit by the athlete; and 
 generate and assign, based at least upon the determined location, the data captured by the one or more measurement devices, and the at least one spin rate device, a composite performance index number for the athlete. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a pair of second boxes each one of the second boxes in the pair having two of the four target zones positioned therein, wherein a center of the first box is positioned outside both second boxes of the pair of second boxes. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein a first intersection of two of the four target zones is aligned with a first midpoint of a first of the pair of second boxes and a second intersection of another two of the four target zones is aligned with a second midpoint of a second of the pair of second boxes, wherein the first and second midpoints lie along a single axis. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the first portion of each one of the at least four target zones extends outside the first box a width of the object being thrown or hit at the net, the second portion of each one of the at least four target zones extends inside the first box the object width, such that an intermediate zone is defined between each of the at least four target zones and the pair of second boxes. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first box defines a strike zone. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more measurement devices is a radar device configured to measure at least one of a velocity of the object or a location of impact of the object with the net. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more measurement devices is a motion or impact sensor configured to measure at least a location of impact of the object with the net. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to generate a first composite score for a first subset of objects thrown or hit at the net, a second composite score for a second subset of objects thrown or hit at the net, and a variance score for the first and second subsets of objects thrown or hit at the net. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the first and second composite scores and the variance score are weighted average scores based upon the data captured by the one or more measurement devices and reference data associated with at least one of the athlete or one or more athletes other than the athlete under evaluation, wherein the first and second composite scores and the variance score provide inputs for the generation of the composite performance index number. 
     
     
         10 . A method for determining a composite performance index number for an athlete throwing or hitting objects, the method comprising the steps of:
 capturing, via one or more measurement devices in communication with a computer processor, velocity, spin rate, and accuracy data for a plurality of objects thrown at a net, a first subset of the plurality of objects having a first type value, a second subset of the plurality of objects having a second type value different than the first type value, the net having a uniform grid, the grid being overlaid with a first box and at least four target zones, each one of the at least four target zones intersecting a respective one of four corners of the first box, a first portion of each one of the at least four target zones being positioned outside the first box, a second portion of each one of the at least four target zones being positioned inside the first box;   calculating, via the computer processor, at least four first subset composite weighted average scores for the plurality of objects within the first subset, each one of the four first subset scores corresponding to objects impacting respective ones of each of the at least four target zones, each one of the four first subset scores being combined into a first type index;   calculating, via the computer processor, at least four second subset composite weighted average scores for the plurality of objects within the second subset, each one of the four second subset scores corresponding to objects impacting respective ones of each of the at least four target zones, each one of the four second subset scores being combined into a second type index;   calculating, via the computer processor, a variance index, the variance index being based upon a determined composite variance in velocity of each object within the first subset relative to a corresponding object within the second subset, further relative to a predetermined variance in velocity; and   generating and assigning, via the computer processor, a pitching performance index to the athlete, the pitching performance index being a composite weighted average of the first type index, the second type index, and the variance index.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein one or more of the first type index, the second type index, the variance index, and the pitching performance index are based further upon reference data associated with one or more athletes other than the athlete under evaluation. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the capturing step involves the sub-steps of:
 instructing the athlete to throw or hit at least four objects at a first of the four target zones in two distinct types of throws or hits;   instructing the athlete to throw or hit at least four objects at a second of the four target zones in two distinct types of throws or hits;   instructing the athlete to throw or hit at least four objects at a third of the four target zones in two distinct types of throws or hits; and   instructing the athlete to throw or hit at least four objects at a fourth of the four target zones in two distinct types of throws or hits.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the first type index and the second type index are calculated based upon, at least in part, a determined accuracy of the two distinct types of throw or hits across the first, second, third, and fourth target zone as compared to the instructions provided to the athlete. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising assigning a score to each throw or hit based upon the determined accuracy, 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein a first score is assigned for each throw or hit that impacts the net within the instructed target zone of the at least four target zones and a second score is assigned for each throw or hit that fails to impact the net within the instructed target zone, the second score being less than the first score. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the grid further comprises a pair of second boxes each one of the second boxes in the pair having two of the four target zones positioned therein, wherein a center of the first box is positioned outside both second boxes of the pair of second boxes and a deduction is imposed for each throw or hit that impacts the net beyond either of the pair of second boxes. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the capturing step further involves the sub-steps of:
 instructing the athlete to throw or hit at least four objects at a first of the four target zones in a third distinct type of throws or hits;   instructing the athlete to throw or hit at least four objects at a second of the four target zones in a third distinct type of throws or hits;   instructing the athlete to throw or hit at least four objects at a third of the four target zones in a third distinct type of throws or hits; and   instructing the athlete to throw or hit at least four objects at a fourth of the four target zones in a third distinct type of throws or hits.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein a third type index is calculated based upon, at least in part, a determined accuracy of the third distinct type of throw or hits across the first, second, third, and fourth target zone as compared to the instructions provided to the athlete; and wherein the variance index is calculated based further upon the third type index. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the pitching performance index is a composite weighted average of the first type index, the second type index, the third type index, and the variance index when the third type index improves a value of the variance index otherwise calculated based upon only the first and second type indexes. 
     
     
         20 . A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions embodied therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising one or more executable portions configured for:
 initiating capturing, via one or more measurement devices, velocity, spin rate, and accuracy data for a plurality of objects thrown at a net, a first subset of the plurality of objects having a first type value, a second subset of the plurality of objects having a second type value different than the first type value, the net having a uniform grid, the grid being overlaid with a first box and at least four target zones, each one of the at least four target zones intersecting a respective one of four corners of the first box, a first portion of each one of the at least four target zones being positioned outside the first box, a second portion of each one of the at least four target zones being positioned inside the first box;   calculating at least four first subset composite weighted average scores for the plurality of objects within the first subset, each one of the four first subset scores corresponding to objects impacting respective ones of each of the at least four target zones, each one of the four first subset scores being combined into a first type index;   calculating at least four second subset composite weighted average scores for the plurality of objects within the second subset, each one of the four second subset scores corresponding to objects impacting respective ones of each of the at least four target zones, each one of the four second subset scores being combined into a second type index;   calculating a variance index, the variance index being based upon a determined composite variance in velocity of each object within the first subset relative to a corresponding object within the second subset, further relative to a predetermined variance in velocity; and   generating and assigning a pitching performance index to the athlete, the pitching performance index being a composite weighted average of the first type index, the second type index, and the variance index.