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A 100 MPH “Hit Speed” during the 2014 Postseason
Every year, October Baseball comes around and provides great excitement (Giants and Royals anyone?). The 2014 Postseason hasn’t disappointed, as the remaining teams have provided the sort of excitement we have come to love or loathe (depending on the team you follow).
Exciting like the games themselves, the networks airing them always continue to improve the telecasts each year, adding new elements and technology advancements to bring you the game like you’ve never seen before. If you have been tuning into the games on FOX and FOX Sports 1, you may have noticed the speed that is displayed each time after a hard hit ball. Referred to as “Hit Speed,” it is the speed of the ball coming right off the bat. We like to refer to it as Ball Exit Speed, but other names include hit velo, hit velocity, exit speed and ball speed off the bat.
Ball Exit Speed off the bat is the direct measure of the power behind a hit. For every 1 MPH added, a ball will travel an extra 4-6 extra feet. That can the mean the difference between a ball going over the fence or being just out of reach of the fielder. It is a very important facet in the measurement of the hitting game that has often been overlooked in favor of bat speed, but the waiting game is over. The Ball Exit Speed revolution is now. Just take a look and see what Brian Cashman, G.M. of the Yankees, has to say about the value behind measuring hit velos: Yankees Trade for Chase Headley Based on Analytics
Check out this link to see the Ball Exit Speed of every home run in MLB since the 2006 season: ESPN Home Run Tracker
Check out this link to see who hit the ball the hardest in the 2014 season, and how that translated to great success for many of them: Players who Hit the Ball the Hardest in the 2014 Season
The importance of Ball Exit Speed isn’t only known around baseball circles though, as softball coaches and players have also been measuring this. Tim Walton (Head Coach of the 2014 National Champion Florida Gators) and Mike White (University of Oregon) both use our new Ball Coach radar to measure the Ball Exit Speeds of their hitters, and it is now utilized in the NFCA Testing Measurables.
When it comes to measuring Ball Exit Speeds off the bat, the new Ball Coach radar is the tool of choice leading the movement from the amateur to professional ranks. Here is what 4x All-Star and 2013 Hitting Coach for the Rockies, Dante Bichette, has to say about Ball Exit Speed and why the Ball Coach radar is the perfect fit to measure it:
“When it comes to hitting, ball exit speed off the bat is what it’s all about. Using the Ball Coach radar with professional hitters and youth hitters, I’ve learned that players at all levels need instant feedback to improve in the shortest amount of time. I love the Ball Coach radar’s convenient size and ease of use. I tested it against the other pro radar guns and the speeds were dead on. It stuns me that most people in baseball still don’t measure exit speed. Everyone knows what a 90 mph pitch looks like, but they don’t know what a good exit speed is. An extra 1 to 2 mph can make a completely different hitter. If you want to become a better hitter, you need to start measuring your ball exit speed.”
The new Ball Coach radar was the featured training tool to measure hitting power and Ball Exit Speed on BPUTV (Baseball Player University Television). Hosted by Jeff Forney, the show airs on MASN and Fox Sports Arizona, and features training segments aimed at educating and improving youth athletes.
As the education about the importance of measuring Ball Exit Speed continues to roll out to the mass audience, we look forward to sharing more knowledge and stories with you. Make sure you tune into the 2014 World Series and keep an eye out for the Hit Speed displays.
If you have any questions or would like to share your Pocket Radar stories, please give is a call toll-free at 888-381-2672 from 9 AM to 5 PM Pacific Time, or e-mail us at info@PocketRadar.com
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