I'm pulling the trigger on a Pocket Radar, but am curious to hear if anyone has an opinion on going with either the $199 unit by itself, or the $299 package deal with charger, batteries, tripod and phone mount?
Thanks ahead,
Ken
I just got an email that the Pocket Radar Ball Coach will be $100 off during Black Friday - Cyber Monday ($199). You can also trade in your old pocket radar for an additional $100 off, making your final cost $99.
$100 Off Ball Coach Thanksgiving - Cyber Monday 2015 (Available for Sale: Thursday-Monday)
Radar guns measure speed at specific points in the flight of the ball. Some can make multiple measurements and can display, if so optioned, the maximum speed recorded. The maximum speed will always be at the release of the pitch. From there the pitch slows down due to air resistance. Air resistance is the only thing in this world that slows the pitch down. The power level and radar pulse timing aspects of a radar gun are critical to capturing that release point and can account for the difference found between two radar guns. How Pocket Radar or Ball Coach Radar fair in this regard, I do not know.
The laws of physics dictate a consistent and reliable relationship between the release speed of a pitch and its average speed (see Robert K. Adair’s “The Physics of Baseball” or numerous studies available online). That is, if you know the average speed, you can figure out the peak (release) speed. Atmospheric conditions and the spin rate of the ball can affect this calculation, but unless it is really windy, ignoring these two factors results in a small error compared to radar gun error.
The RevFire uses these laws of nature to convert its average measurement to the peak value displayed to the user. “Well then Mr. RevFire”, you may ask, “why is it I can measure Sophia several times using RevFire at 61 MPH and on the same pitches using a Stalker radar gun get 63 MPH. Then I switch to Mandy and consistently get 63 on the Stalker and 64 on the RevFire?” The difference is due primarily to the pitcher’s release point and how close it is to the plate. Catchers are amazingly consistent in where they catch, but softball pitchers vary in their stride length from the rubber. The RevFire is reporting the speed that is perceived by the batter. Although Sophia and Mandy are throwing the ball at the same speed of 63 MPH, Sophia has a shorter stride length, releases the ball further from the plate, and gives the batter a greater reaction time. Sophia’s form gives the batter an edge equivalent to about 3 MPH vs. Mandy’s pitches, even though radar guns show them to be throwing the same speed. At the end of the day, what matters is the time that a ball is in flight and the ‘apparent’ speed to the batter. RevFire provides this insight.
New RevFire2 technology is now in testing around the country. We do a tremendous amount of testing to develop high confidence in the performance and durability of our products. Additionally, look for RevFire 2 to integrate with other products to provide the ultimate in pitching insight and analysis.