pitch speed measurement: math vs radar gun

[RookKev]

There is the alternative. Count strike-outs. The higher the strike outs, the faster she is pitching. When strike outs to innings pitched is 1:1, she is on the right path. When she gets 2:1, she is fast. 3:1, well, duh, championship rings and empty pocket books will be your future.

 

[gvm]

my camera films at 60 fps. what is the math equation for 60 fps at 43 ft? and also the equation for fastest speed at release?

 

[gophert]

Amazon.com: Sports Sensors Glove Radar: Sports Sensors: Sports & Outdoors

Get one of these. They are great for the money and very accurate. They measure the speed a few feet in front of the catchers glove, which gives you true speed at the batter. A short calculation will give you top speed at pitcher release which is what all pitchers go by.

 

[JJsqueeze]

my camera films at 60 fps. what is the math equation for 60 fps at 43 ft? and also the equation for fastest speed at release?

For this method, I think it is best to put 6 inch markers on the ground oriented in such a way that the shadow of the ball will cross the markers. Then you can simply count the frames and the number of marks it passes at the beginning of the pitch. once you have the frames, frame rate and number of hash markers crossed (try to choose frames that line up nicely on the hash marks, a few tries and you should randomly get lucky with this.

The formula is

(frames divided by framerate)= Time in seconds
Hashmarks times 2= distance in feet

now you have a feet per second velocity and you can use a web f/s converter to determine MPH.

Radar gets the velocity directly by measuring the frequency shift in the EM wave caused by the Doppler effect. Basically the same effect that causes a stock car to sound higher pitched when coming towards you and lower pitched when going away.

The distance measurement is going to be your source of error (you can pretty much bet on the cameras' frame rate being basically an error free source of a time measurement) so be sure to measure it as closely as you can. The more hash marks you can get, the lower the measurement error as a percentage. Try to get up to about 15-16 hash marks (about the pitching circle diameter) so that the measurement error is lower. Also try to measure several pitches and average them as another way to reduce error (as long as you measure some long and some short).

My results showed that my Bushnell was very repeatable, but about 3-4 MPH slower on average.

I know, I know, I am a pitchers dad so I will choose the highest possible measurement for speed. Spare me that feedback, I have heard it. this could be true except that a JUGS gun recently verified that my Bushnell, maybe not all, but my Bushnell, was indeed about 3-4 MPH slow in the mid forty range, DD registers right at my camera speed test velocities on the JUGS.

 

[gvm]

my bushnell is very close to being accurate, of course if my dd's having a bad day? I might tell her "turn that frown upside down, this gun is 2 mph's slower" she usually smiles and we get through a bad day and look forward to another good one... but ,it's hard to say it's 1 mph or 2 mph slower? sometimes the pitch is just slower?
anyways, when everybody is figuring their speed at 30 fps, that's with hash marks? I thought you just counted the frames it took from point A to point B ? hmmm....

 

[cuzmail]

The higher the strike outs, the faster she is pitching.

Say what? Are you saying that speed = strike outs?

Is this in 10U?

 

[FastPitchCat]

Amazon.com: Sports Sensors Glove Radar: Sports Sensors: Sports & Outdoors

Get one of these. They are great for the money and very accurate. They measure the speed a few feet in front of the catchers glove, which gives you true speed at the batter. A short calculation will give you top speed at pitcher release which is what all pitchers go by.

this looks interesting. might check this out.
tnx

 

[Coach JV]

save the $$ on glove radar, of all the inexpensive radar options this is the least accurate.
IMHO-the bar is set now with the rev-fire system. Regarding guns-Jugs is very accurate,
Bushnell is inconsistent. Pocket radar is pretty decent. Rev fire seems to be the tool that
is widely accepted at higher levels

 

[starsnuffer]

Rev fire isn't great at measuring speed. Measurements will change based on how the catcher is set up. Savvy daddies will extend their arm and add 1-2mph by catching the ball closer to the pitcher. It is not a speed measuring device, it is a time measuring device that extrapolates speed.

Rev fire is great for measuring spin rate, however it has no concessions for measuring spin plane. Spin rate without correct spin plane is meaningless.

-W

 

[Coach JV]

Speed is not all its cracked up to be either. Pitching is location-location-location.
If she can't hit her spots what difference does it make