RevFire / Pocket Radar recommendations

It looks like many of you use both the RevFire and Pocket Radar. I know that RevFire obviously can't measure bat speed, but for pitching only purposes - is RevFire enough of a tool to make a Pocket Radar unnecessary? Any great advantages to having both? I'm trying to decide what to get myself for Christmas.

revfire measures speed based on distance so if you catch the ball at different distances, you'll get different readings.

from a versatility standpoint, revfire. if accurate speed measurements is your goal, pocket radar.

If you can find a used RevFire jump on it as they have not been available for quite some time. No telling when the RevFire 2 will hit the market. Otherwise Santa can only get you the Pocket Radar.

I am a big fan of RevFire.....but you can use the Pocket Radar in live game settings. Because of the chip in the RevFire ball it is only useable in a training session.

The only advantage of the RevFire is spin measurement. The Pocket Radar can be used in games, can measure ball exit speed for batting, and give a more accurate readings for pitch speed.

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)

I have both and will say that RevFire is great at measuring spin rate per second (RPS) but very inaccurate and inconsistent to be used for measuring speed. I recently got the Pocket Radar Ball Coach and compared the readings side by side and RevFire was all over the place. The Pocket Radar seems very accurate and has consistent readings. Over the years I have had the Glove Radar, the Bushnell Speedster, and now the Pocket Radar; and hands down the Pocket Radar is the best.

My suggestion is to buy both devices since they are used to measure different skills (spin vs speed).

You'll eventually want both, but assuming you only have the budget for one right now, which one will help you more depends on where your DD is in her development.

If she is currently throwing movement pitches, I would get the RevFire first. Improving those pitches is all about increasing RPSs and without the feedback, she will not know if she's progressing. Setting goals and getting feedback on progress is incredibly important in my opinion. Hard to set goals on spin unless you can measure it. I've found the speed to be at least consistent enough to use for comparison and a gauge on progress. Just have to make sure you're consistent with your distance. If she's a beginner and only working on FB and or Change, then you would be better served getting the Ball Coach Radar.

That said, RB is correct. You may not be able to find a RevFire right now. I'd stay away from used. Never know what kind of abuse the balls have taken. Can't believe they are going to miss the Christmas season with the RevFire 2 release. Would be an epic miss on their part.

This is a good question about the differences. The Ball Coach radar will always give you the maximum speed right at the release point for measuring pitch speeds, arm throwing speeds and ball exit speeds off the bat for hitting. Since a softball slows down by about 5 MPH in the short distance from the pitcher to the catcher it is critical to get the maximum speed right at the release point. Since the RevFire measures the time it takes to go from pitcher to catcher and then tries to calculate the average speed based on distance traveled, it will not consistently report the speed right out of the hand. It also cannot measure ball exit speed off the bat. The RevFire can measure spin rate based on using special balls with sensors built in that cannot be hit with a bat. The Ball Coach radar can be used with any type of ball so it can be more versatile in a game situation. If you want to work with accurate pitch speeds and also the differential speed for a change-up then the Ball Coach is what the college softball coaches are using to make these measurements. The NFCA has also added Ball Exit Speed off the bat as one of the standard measurements they use in evaluating new recruits. This Thursday to Monday we are running our biggest sale of the year for Black Friday. We have three specials available with big savings that are only available from Thanksgiving day through Monday November 30th. These will not be advertised on our web-site, but if you would like to see these special deals send us an e-mail at info@PocketRadar.com and we will send them over to you. As always, feel free to contact me by e-mail or our toll-free number at 888.381-2672 and I am always happy to answer any questions.

The pocket radar is far more versatile, I use it with my pitchers and my hitters. I really want a revfire to use with my pitchers, but since it is a more versatile tool, I went with the pocket radar first... actually I have two pocket radars, both ballcoach version.

I am a data person, and I try to incorporate every measurement I can to get the most out of what I have and the pocket radar is a valuable tool.