Best radar equipment?

[cuzmail]

Lots of threads about pitching speed lately. So what radar gun is the best or best to use?

I have used a pocket radar (found a little difficult), Rev Fire, Bushell, and PC has a more expensive gun - brand unknown. Found all seem to be about the same. A friend who is also a police officer calibrated the pocked radar and said it was accurate to the margin of error stated. I have used the bushnell gun in the truck along with GPS and found it was accurate that way. It is also fun to set off other people's radar detectors too

My eyes must not be any good, there are times when I could swear the pitch was faster than the previous one only to see the MPH reading the same or 1mph faster. The eye test and feel when it hit the glove says the numbers should have been higher?

Your thoughts on radar guns and methods? I know about the cosign of the angle. I see a lot of people using a gun at angles that will not produce accurate numbers because of this. I also see people who must have watched grandpa's instrucitonal video on How to radar your Grandaughter.

 

[coach james]

I have a bushnell... its a consistant 5mph slow...
My dd was consistently clocked at 52 average this summer by many other people and guns... but my bushnell has never read over 47???

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I am on my 3rd Glove Radar. They are only $80.00. One would probably last you longer than it does me, though.

It captures the speed as the ball hits your glove, so add 5 MPH to the pitcher's speed. It has always been pretty accurate. If not, my girls celebrate each gain in speed, anyway.

 

[Phathead]

Just got the SKLZ sport radar last night. I will use in a couple of days and let you know. Warning, I have no experiance with radar guns so it will just be info.

 

[00fpdaddy]

Lots of threads about pitching speed lately. So what radar gun is the best or best to use?

I have used a pocket radar (found a little difficult), Rev Fire, Bushell, and PC has a more expensive gun - brand unknown. Found all seem to be about the same. A friend who is also a police officer calibrated the pocked radar and said it was accurate to the margin of error stated. I have used the bushnell gun in the truck along with GPS and found it was accurate that way. It is also fun to set off other people's radar detectors too

My eyes must not be any good, there are times when I could swear the pitch was faster than the previous one only to see the MPH reading the same or 1mph faster. The eye test and feel when it hit the glove says the numbers should have been higher?

Your thoughts on radar guns and methods? I know about the cosign of the angle. I see a lot of people using a gun at angles that will not produce accurate numbers because of this. I also see people who must have watched grandpa's instrucitonal video on How to radar your Grandaughter.

My eyes must not be any good, there are times when I could swear the pitch was faster than the previous one only to see the MPH reading the same or 1mph faster. The eye test and feel when it hit the glove says the numbers should have been higher?

This right here I always see with my dd and her teamates. Ball seems like its flying faster than previous pitches but only a 1mph difference. Its not really eye test for me but sometimes the sound of the catchers mitt and/or the reactions of her catcher. 1mph is huge according to coaches. I am sure math/physics guys can figure out 49/50 difference from 40 feet or 43. how about a lil x-mas present fellas? Merry Christmas to All.

 

[cuzmail]

My eyes must not be any good, there are times when I could swear the pitch was faster than the previous one only to see the MPH reading the same or 1mph faster. The eye test and feel when it hit the glove says the numbers should have been higher?

This right here I always see with my dd and her teamates. Ball seems like its flying faster than previous pitches but only a 1mph difference. Its not really eye test for me but sometimes the sound of the catchers mitt and/or the reactions of her catcher. 1mph is huge according to coaches. I am sure math/physics guys can figure out 49/50 difference from 40 feet or 43. how about a lil x-mas present fellas? Merry Christmas to All.

Yep! and sometime you can hear the ball/laces cutting the air. The sound is different.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Those are the times, when it has all come together. I don't tell the dad's the speed, I just say "Very nice!"

 

[cuzmail]

Those are the times, when it has all come together. I don't tell the dad's the speed, I just say "Very nice!"

Exactly, and then I look at the gun and it will show the same speed or + 1mph? That's when I get confused!!!

 

[Amy in AZ.]

cuzmail, It is the same as hitting the sweet spot of the ball with the sweet part of the bat. You don't think that you hit the ball very hard, but it is sailing.

MPH are hard to come by, when pitching. But, that sweet pitch that is only 1 mph faster looks enormously fast, when you are the batter, too. Usually, you can see it coming on your DD's face. I used to start making an "oooh," sound even before the pitch, because it was either going to be a beauty, or the batter better start backing out.

 

[cuzmail]

OK, so back to the topic. What is the best radar for ease of use and accuracy?

I have been using mostly the Rev Fire simply because it is so easy to use. I have put the Pocket Radar and Bushell on the "shelf" at least for now. You have to realize that Rev Fire gives a calculated average speed and you need to catch the ball at the back of the plate or the calculation will be wrong via extra ball distance traveled. We started using it to give us the ball spin rate and not speed, but the other speed methods were just so iffy I started using it for speed too.

Amy - you mentioned adding 5mph to the Glove Radar. What distance from the glove does the radar pick up the ball?

Hope everyone had a excellent Christmas. Santa brought DD a '13 Xeno and a OneX to replace her too small '12 Xeno.