Are there any apps for iPhone that accurately

Not that I am aware of.  None that I would trust.  Would need a phone with some radar built it for it to be accurate, no?  All the ones I see are dependent upon humans starting and stopping then calculating the speed between those two points.

Try Pocket Radar.  Only about $95, I think and they work well.

Edit:  I may have been wrong on that price, but I could swear they had a model that was under $100.

The short answer is no.

 

Most apps are just a stop watch and calculator that time the ball by having the user hit a start/stop button. The problem is that a user isn't nearly quick enough to get anything close to an accurate result, so these apps are at best a novelty.

 

There is one app that uses the camera for timing. I have not tried it, and I can't remember the name, but while it looks like it had some potential it looked like you had to jump through a bunch of hoops to get a result, and it could only be used in a practice environment.

 

Probably Athla Velocity. Reviews in the App Store are not great.

 

I hope this is not to gun your 9 yo son

yes, it is, I am hoping he breaks 25 mph, he was at 23 in the fall.

Is this for real or funny sarcasm?

They are over $100.  I think the cheapest one is $199.  I got one on ebay used for less.  I would look there.  It's pretty accurate once you get the hang of it.  

If you have an iPhone with 60 fps capability and can set it up with a clear view of release point and finish point. The coaches eye app has a timer when using the frame by frame part. Theres not the inconsistcy of a stop watch since you just go to the frame you want and get the time reading. 30 fps has too much variance and if you have the ability to do 120 fps then put it on your phone or iPad it's even better. I've switched to this for 40 times. Then just do the math for what ever distance it is. You can get pretty close but at 60 feet it's a little slower since it's the average speed over the distance vs out of hand like a gun would show.

Can someone work out the math on how far a 23 mph pitch travels before hitting the ground due to gravity?  At 23 mph, I'm thinking a stopwatch would work just fine.

I think we need angle of trajectory, height of the ball at launch point, and wind conditions... and maybe the weight of the ball. 

 

No wind. 5 oz ball launched 8 ft off of ground at an angle parallel to the ground.

I have a Pocket RADAR and I've found it disappointing.

 

I do think it's accurate, but its range is limited, and it seems to measure velo at the closest point to you.  Which means that if you're standing behind the backstop, you may not get a reading if you're too far away, and if you do get a reading, you're going to get MPH at the plate, not out of the hand.  When people compare velos, they use the higher figures from out of the hand (muzzle velocity), so this tool comes up short.

 

I do find that if you're doing a bullpen or other situation where you can stand on the back of the mound immediately behind the pitcher, you can get accurate readings.  But that means it really only helps you to track development of guys on your own team.  Not much help if you're checking out other guys or maybe trying to see what's what during a live game.

I get about 23'-9" with this calculator.

 

http://www.convertalot.com/bal...tory_calculator.html

 

That hasn't been my experience at all.  I have a very good idea of the range my son throws in based on PG events as well as several pro scouts.  My pocket radar gives the readings I would expect on him from behind the backstop without much issue at all.  Strange that there would be a performance difference between our two units.  I'm satisfied with mine.

Go find a Stalker 2, you'l be glad you did and didnt waste money elsewhere.

The numbers I got for my 2016 this fall with my pocket radar were identical to the numbers he got from 2 showcases this summer and also right on the numbers he got from his pitching coach with a new Stalker 2 at the beginning of his off season training program.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8YlV8T_p-c

 

Athla Velocity. Only works with IOS (iPhone and iPad).

Buying a stalker to gun a 9yo is a big waste of money IMHO.  OP would be better off with a 99 cent iPhone app that doesn't work worth crap. 

Or a sundial

yes. the App is accurate but the guy who uses it is not. human reaction time(perception to muscle contraction) is more than 0.1 seconds (0.2 more realistic) and a pitch is under way for less than half a second. you can of course anticipate the "Pop" but still that is not very accurate.

Just my  .02 worth, but I too am disappointed in the pocket radar. I purchased a pocket radar for Christmas 4 years ago.  From the first time we used it I felt it was off.  The readings I get are not accurate at all.  Over the past 3-4 years,  I have had it side by side with a Jugs and a Stalker and my pocket radar is anywhere between 3 and 7 mph slower. One of my friends has the pocket radar 2 and his readings are pretty much identical to the Stalkers and Jugs guns.  

Maybe that's the issue, new pocket radar units vs. older ones.  FWIW, I'm not walking around games with a Stalker in my hands.  If I was a pro (coach, recruiter, scout) and it was my job - sure.  But never as a Dad.  The beauty of the pocket radar is the size and a little discretion at the games.  I just use mine to check son's pitches here and there during the game, and maybe get a quick read on the opposing pitcher.