Bat Speed Radar results and use

[TigerJeff]

I was wondering what the average bat speed reading you are getting using this machine? I can't tell if this thing is working correctly of not.

 

[starsnuffer]

My 13 yo daughter (avatar) uses one with her hitting coach. They use it to measure progress doing underloading drills, and also to determine the best bat weight to use as she grows and progresses. 3 months ago she was swinging at 59mph average over 10 swings. Now she's at 65mph average over 10 swings.

Try to use it in conjunction with a regular radar gun measuring ball exit speed off a T. It's the exit speed that you ultimately care about, as mechanics elsewhere may suffer as actual swing speed increases.

I'll ask her hitting coach what he sees as averages are across different age groups and get back to you. It'll be a week before we see him again though.

-W

 

[redhotcoach]

My 12 yr old dd hits 61. I have had about 20 other 12 year olds, they range 45-55.

65 is really fast.

 

[SBFAMILY]

Average will be in the 50's . We had close to a 100 kids in a Bustos clinic use one. Howard and CB have used them for years and it is just another tool that lets you measure and monitor progress . Like any device it will give you false readings , so it is how and what type you use. Just as an example :

Minimum Standards to Tryout for the 2008 Olympic Team

Infielders/Outfielders (Must meet each of the following)

Bat Speed ? 50 mph (min)
Run Home to 1st ? 2.95 sec. (max)

http://www.batspeed.com/research06.html CB was around 80

Plus one of the many studies on this subject.

http://www.acs.psu.edu/drussell/bats/batw8.html

 

[nanotech14]

Where my dd trains at they use exit speed off a tee,they did measure her bat speed one time , but since then only exit speed of the ball off a tee.She hit 63.2 mph at 12yo at the time but avg. is 61.1.So I have to ask this which one has more benifit? IMO,I believe neither one matters, a girl can get all sorts of high #'s,but if they have bad mech. or cant hit live pitching it doesnt really matter.

 

[SBFAMILY]

You want it at contact. So appears they are doing it correctly.

 

[starsnuffer]

Where my dd trains at they use exit speed off a tee,they did measure her bat speed one time , but since then only exit speed of the ball off a tee.She hit 63.2 mph at 12yo at the time but avg. is 61.1.So I have to ask this which one has more benifit? IMO,I believe neither one matters, a girl can get all sorts of high #'s,but if they have bad mech. or cant hit live pitching it doesnt really matter.

It's a measurement. It's data. How you use it or what you do with it is up to the individual. Where my daughter takes instruction the kids track their progress by putting their bat speed, pitching speed, pitching spin speed, ect, on a whiteboard. They also have silly weekly contests they post their scores for, such as hitting a volleyball off of a T 20' in front of themduring front toss drills and other such stuff. However, they also get recognition for actual performance in games.

I think it can be safely argued that most students will want their speeds to improve over time. This is more important then making a comparison I think. It's also good information for the instructor, "Gee, I have little Sally with her tiny hands gripping the bat with her fingers, but now her bat speed and exit speed decreased, perhaps Sally is in a unique situation right now?"

-W

 

[Mr T]

Numbers seem a bit low but I could have a unit that is just off. I posted my 10U rec team results a while back.

I had a couple girls in the mid to hi 50s, and my dd went over 60 a couple times (without hip coil )

 

[JAD]

I would not worry to much about the actual bat speed, but the data can be a useful tool to measure 'progress' if you take the measurements the same way at time intervals going forward.

 

[TigerJeff]

When you measure your kids, do you have them swing at it (pitcher's position) or off to the side? What distance? I am tring to figure out how accurate this thing is. The speeds seem slow, even when I measure myself.