Electronic measurement of the motion of a moving body of sports equipment

An apparatus for analyzing movement of an elongate body of sporting equipment comprising:

• electronic means, associated with the body, for continuously measuring six degrees of freedom corresponding to motion of the body over time, wherein the electronic means includes at least one angular rate gyro for generating a first signal corresponding to movement of the body, and at least one accelerometer for generating a second signal corresponding to movement of the body, the at least one gyro including three angular rate gyros, each gyro positioned with a sensing axis perpendicular with respect to sensing axes of the other gyros, and the at least one accelerometer including three accelerometers, each accelerometer positioned with a sensing axis perpendicular to sensing axes of the other accelerometers;
• and
• means for powering the electronic means.

An apparatus for analyzing movement of an elongate body of sporting equipment comprising:

• electronic means, located in a housing separate from the body and removably associated with the body, for continuously measuring at least one parameter corresponding to an angular rate of motion of the body over time;
• and
• means for powering the electronic means, wherein the body is a fly rod having en attached fly reel and fly line for performing an actual fly casting stroke.

A method for analyzing movement of an elongate body of sporting equipment comprising steps of:

• continuously measuring six rigid body degrees of freedom corresponding to motion of the body over time with an electronic means, releasibly connectible to and associated with the body, wherein the measuring step includes the step of generating an analog signal corresponding to movement of the body with at least one angular rate gyro;
• and
• powering the electronic means.

A method for analyzing movement of an elongate body of sporting equipment comprising the steps of:

• continuously measuring six degrees of freedom corresponding to motion of the body over time with an electronic means, associated with the body, wherein the measuring step further includes the steps of generating a first signal corresponding to movement of the body with at least one angular rate gyro, and generating a second signal corresponding to movement of the body with at least one accelerometer, the at least one gyro including three angular rate gyros, positioning each gyro with a sensing axis perpandicular with respect to sensing axes of the other gyros, and the at least one accelerometer including three accelerometers, positioning each accelerometer with a sensing axis perpandicular to sensing axes of the other accelerometers.

A method for analyzing movement of an elongate body of sporting equipment comprising the steps of:

• continuously measuring at least one parameter corresponding to an angular rate of motion of to body over time with an electronic means located in a housing separate from the body and removably associated with the body;
• and
• powering the electronic means, wherein the body is a fly rod having an attached fly reel and fly line performing an actual fly casting stroke.