Zepp Swing Analysis App

[PA SB Dad]

I bought the sensor and app and used it at my last practice. I've had a look at each of my players' swings off a tee looking at both the bat path and bat plane modes. What's interesting is that you can really see which girls are casting because they have these long loopy swings (though I have to admit I didn't need to spend $150 to figure that out, I already knew they were casting). The bat plane visual gives you a sense of their hand path pretty well.

I did write to Zepp to ask them some questions about the algorithms and assumptions they make to calculate the time the bat is in the hitting zone as well as where on the bat the line for bat path represents (I assume it's the mid-point of the bat, but it would be really cool if they could program an approximate "sweet spot" on the bat depending on the make, model, and length of the bat). I thought it would also be helpful to have a visual of the hand path in relation to where contact was made (you can sort of get that from the bat plane, but it doesn't show you where on the bat contact was made).

Anyone else had a chance to play with it yet?

 

[YOCOACH]

I bought the sensor and app and used it at my last practice. I've had a look at each of my players' swings off a tee looking at both the bat path and bat plane modes. What's interesting is that you can really see which girls are casting because they have these long loopy swings (though I have to admit I didn't need to spend $150 to figure that out, I already knew they were casting). The bat plane visual gives you a sense of their hand path pretty well.

I did write to Zepp to ask them some questions about the algorithms and assumptions they make to calculate the time the bat is in the hitting zone as well as where on the bat the line for bat path represents (I assume it's the mid-point of the bat, but it would be really cool if they could program an approximate "sweet spot" on the bat depending on the make, model, and length of the bat). I thought it would also be helpful to have a visual of the hand path in relation to where contact was made (you can sort of get that from the bat plane, but it doesn't show you where on the bat contact was made).

Anyone else had a chance to play with it yet?

Getting mine today. I won't get a chance to play with it until Monday though.

 

[Indiana's DH]

I've posted a couple times before on my use of the Zepp. I'm using it - I don't think it is must have for every coach, but I'm 'having fun' with it. I had some extra money from a corporate sponsorship of our team so I decided to take a chance and try it. The way I use it is to print 3 different views for each hitter on the team (they are first year 16A moving up from 14B) and then compare with the swings I took during a session with a D1 player when she was home over Xmas break (Rainey). I attached the D1 swings to this message and then I'll do another message with one of our best 16A hitters. Here are the 3 views:

Zepp_front is the view I use to check for a high finish and for a single swing plane. I also attached a swinging skeleton demonstrating the "single swing plane" for comparison. Rainey's high finish is excellent - you can also see where she breaks the single swing plane a little bit, hinting that she may be pulling off the ball a bit early. The high finish is 1 major discriminating feature I see that differrentiates between the D1 hitters and everybody else.

The Zepp_top is the view I like best for evaluating wether the swing is truly pulling off the ball too early. In Rainey's top view you can see that even she is pulling off a bit. Compare her top view with other Zepp_top I attached (no pull), that swing is from another DI college/semi-pro baseball player. The difference is subtle but leads to a difference in the time that the barrel is lined up in the path of the pitch. This was the only area for improvement I could find in Rainey's swing, using the Zepp and conventional video.

The Zepp_side view is the one I use to check for scooping hands. Rainey has lightning fast hands and absolutely no scoop. I asked her what drills she did to develop the start of her swing and she told me high tee and lots of reps on fast pitching - that's a huge need for all of my 16s hitters. Many of their side views show the barrel dropping to the plane of the pitch, and then coming thru.

 

[Indiana's DH]

These Zepp shots are for a mid-lineup 16s hitter (Avery):

Zepp_front: Her finish isn't terrible but is definitely not as high as Rainey's. I think this is a very common difference between the elite college hitters and the good hitters - that high finish. We can also see that Avery is breaking the single swing plane to the low side.

Zepp_top: Also looks good but her path could stand some improvement - staying longer thru the ball, compare with Rainey above.

Zepp_side: The dropping of her hands is evident. Although she is very good for a HS aged player, this past year when she faced the rise ball and power pitchers up near 60 mph she was overmatched, and in this view we can see why. The start of her swing is very different from Rainey's. While Rainey immediately turns the barrel and sends the hands directly to the hitting zone, Avery's hands take a chopping path down to the plane of the pitch and then across. From what I've seen I think this is a second of the most common differences between the rarefied DI swings and the rest of the HS standouts - scoopy hands. The third difference would be the bat speed. I have measured 2 D1 players in the mid to high 70s, and my HS players are all high 50s to mid 60s. On batted ball exit velocity with a radar gun some of them go over 70 mph, Rainey is 83 mph.

I have these shots for all my players, as well as video screen shots, and use them to show areas for improvement. I could probably do the same without the Zepp, but the girls do find the visuals easy to understand.

 

[DiamondDad316]

Just got a mine last week. Have a couple questions...

1) Has anybody had any issues with calibrating the Zepp? Visually, the swings look really smooth but the output shows erratic swing (looks like EKG results for a heartbeat).
2) Once I figure out the issues above, does the sensor have to be calibrated for each individual player or once it's calibrated can use for the team?
3) Over the summer I found some Zepp results from a recent camp but that link is no longer working. I am looking for any links so I can compare with our team.

 

[MadtownMike]

Just got a mine last week. Have a couple questions...

1) Has anybody had any issues with calibrating the Zepp? Visually, the swings look really smooth but the output shows erratic swing (looks like EKG results for a heartbeat).
2) Once I figure out the issues above, does the sensor have to be calibrated for each individual player or once it's calibrated can use for the team?
3) Over the summer I found some Zepp results from a recent camp but that link is no longer working. I am looking for any links so I can compare with our team.

Go to OnDeckSoftball - they use Zepp Sensors to measure batspeed. Example- https://ondecksoftball.net/uploads/events/2015_Norcal_Jamboree_ODM.pdf

 

[Westwind]

All I know is that we tried one, my buddy is a tech dude, he entered data and calibrated it per the manual for every hitter and it did not seem like it reflected swings accurately.

The hitter with the visually fastest bat was the slowest according to Zepp, that hitter had an inverted 7 shaped swing that didn't match the video of her swing and the 12 year old swung faster than either 16 year old.

Seems like every one else that posted about them had way better luck than us. We wanted it to work but gave up on it...

 

[Coach Ky-Ky]

Westwind, you're not alone. I tried one probably a year ago and had everything from the "EKG" readings to irractic bat speeds.
I think I'd like to try it again someday but once some bugs are worked out.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

 

[Westwind]

We certainly had grand plans for it.

Kids have IPads from the school, I'd record almost every practice swing if I felt good about the info.

 

[ScottyDont]

I used ours a few times before sending it back. I honestly didn't feel like it was telling me anything I couldn't see with my own eyes. And if you don't have a good coach to correct the problems properly, it's useless.

I'm sticking to what I can see.