| When you are making a recruiting video for | | | | which is basically exclusive to the major league |
| college baseball coaches, the most important thing | | | | level. |
| a player can do is to show their tools. This means, | | | | There are a few easy ways to illustrate your |
| how can you show a coach your ability to hit for | | | | batspeed for a college coach, and you really don't |
| average, hit for power, run, throw, and play | | | | need a ton of high tech equipment. You will need |
| defense? Some of this is difficult to convey when | | | | a wood bat, a ball, a digital video camera, a radar |
| a coach is watching you on video in a workout | | | | gun, and maybe a tee if you choose to use one. |
| format as opposed to in-person at a game. | | | | Most high school coaches have a radar gun that a |
| Today, we will look at how to incorporate your | | | | player could borrow, and worst case scenario one |
| batspeed in a recruiting video, and why. | | | | could be rented. In order to get the actual |
| First of all, it is important to realize that many | | | | batspeed (as opposed to the exit velocity of the |
| coaches and scouts value batspeed for a hitter in | | | | ball), you will want to kneel behind the hitter and |
| the same way they view velocity for a pitcher. It | | | | point the radar gun at them. Assume the position |
| is that important. As it is with pitchers, velocity is | | | | of the catcher. The camera should be pointed at |
| not the only indicator of success or ability, but it | | | | the player with the radar gun in the frame. If |
| shows the coach that a player has the necessary | | | | necessary, you can zoom in on the reading after |
| tools to develop their talent. The reason a coach | | | | each swing. The player can then hit soft toss or |
| wants to see a players batspeed readings is that | | | | off of a tee. You should attempt to hit low line |
| it is a good indicator of a player's ability to hit for | | | | drives straight back through the back of the |
| power (one of your 5 tools) at the next level. | | | | batting cage. This will also teach a hitter good |
| Again, this would be similar to a pitcher with higher | | | | mechanics, as they will quickly find that a longer |
| velocity being likely to have a higher strikeout | | | | swing will typically have lower batspeed. |
| rate. Players love to send coaches their stats or | | | | Remember, it is important to get the reading |
| newspaper clippings, especially those regarding | | | | from behind the player as opposed to off to the |
| home runs, but if that player comes to a tryout | | | | side or from a pitchers view. Having the radar gun |
| and swings a bat 75mph, their likelihood of being a | | | | in those locations will measure "exit velocity", |
| power hitter in college are very low. It does not | | | | which is different from batspeed. Exit velocity |
| mean that the player will not develop into a good | | | | measures how fast the ball travels off of the bat, |
| hitter, but that they more likely project to a top | | | | as opposed to how fast the player swings the |
| or bottom of the lineup player as opposed to the | | | | bat. Generating great exit velocity is a huge plus, |
| middle of the order. Interestingly, batspeed and | | | | but it will be easier to demonstrate batspeed |
| pitching velocity seems to correlate fairly closely. | | | | since exit velocity can sometimes be dependent |
| The majority of high schoolers will swing a bat in | | | | on the velocity of the incoming pitch. |
| the high 70's to low 80's. The majority of college | | | | Please check back for our upcoming articles on |
| players will reside in the mid to high 80's and the | | | | demonstrating the other four tools in video |
| elite players will swing in the 90's and sometimes | | | | format, how to properly edit the video, and how |
| over 100mph. Batspeed of over 100mph is much | | | | to ensure it is viewed by college baseball coaches. |
| more common than pitching velocity in that range, | | | | |