Gearing Up for Summer Sports

Summer’s here, which means all the newest sports and recreation gear is hitting store shelves. Here’s a handful of cool products to look for.

1) SlamMan is a pricey punching bag with all the right gimmicks to make you forget you’re beating on a dummy. It’s got eight red lights at which to take aim, but that’s not all. This dummy’s programmable, so the lights illuminate in different sequences and speeds to vary your workout. SlamMan bobs, weaves and, best of all, can take anything from a delicate jab to a knockout shot. ($299; the Sharper Image: https://www.sharperimage.com.)

2) The Nitelite Football makes backyard pickup games an anytime activity. It’s phosphorescence comes from two 8-inch replaceable light sticks (which are good for six hours). And Nitelite is nontoxic and made from foam, so getting pelted with this flying lava lamp won’t hurt. Now you can save the car batteries and take the Nitelite out for some midnight three-on-three. Watch out for that tree! (The company also manufactures glow-in-the-dark golf balls for late-night putters.) ($14.95; C.N. Is Believing: [800] 282-1533.)

3) According to its manufacturer, the Copperhead ACX is “the bat with the brain.” A red light on the end of its handle blinks when the bat thinks. What else does this cerebral stick do? The Copperhead uses “piezoelectric dampers” to diffuse vibrations caused by hitting the baseball, which makes for more solid hits and the feeling that the bat has an unlimited sweet spot. Use it and you’ll go deep like Junior. Yeah, right. ($279-$299; Worth Inc.: [931] 455-0691.)

4) Whatever happened to the time when yo-yos were toys for children barely old enough to stop drooling? Playmaxx Inc. has changed all that. Cold Fusion, the company’s latest model, is so snazzy it could make “Walking the Dog” an Olympic sport. And get this: Cold Fusion is made from airplane aluminum. It even has a high-performance ball-bearing axle ($150; Playmaxx Inc.: https://www.proyo.com.)

5) This inflatable kayak makes spontaneous water outings only an air pump away. When not in use, the kayak folds up to fit in a car trunk and weighs just 24 pounds. Inflated, it measures about 10 feet in length and holds up to 250 pounds. It’s durable, comes with a spill guard (so your lap won’t get wet) and has a waterproof pocket. There’s also a two-person model, if you have an inflatable friend. (Starting at $369; the Sharper Image: https://www.sharperimage.com.)