Baseball question

You're getting a 2nd-tier opinion on this, but since the first-tier guys haven't chimed in yet....

A bat speed of 75 will never catch up to a 90mph fastball. It's math-meets-baseball. Just as they say you need a certain level of velocity to pitch at such-and-such a level, bat speed breaks down the same way.

it is asked in another thread as well--perhaps he didnt like the "high tier" response

quote:

I know pitchers are gunned all the time

Very few HSs own guns which cost upward of $700. It is becoming more comon. College and pro scouts certainly use guns which can precisely measure a pitcher's throwing speed and endurance from 300 feet away. Radar provides a fair amount of useful info in practice and real game situations. Radar can give some clues about the health of a pitcher's arm and when he needs rest.

I don't know of any way to "gun" bat speed from the stands. Just watching where the ball is hit will provide an adequate idea of batting power. Gimmicks to measure bat speed are cumbersome and provide no "real game" information. I'm not sure that many colleges even gather such info.

quote:

A bat speed of 75 will never catch up to a 90mph fastball

The bat doesn't have to catch up to an oncoming baseball.

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The concept IS being discussed by succesful college coaches...

Last summer I spent a some time talking to a top 30 DI coach (Regionals last year)frankly talking about pitching and hitting.

He was of the opinion that most college DI hitters swing between 83-87 MPH. Said that if you pitch a fastball at those velocities, his hitters will ding it consistently. Over that and it's more problematic, under that it's problematic.

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Just to chime in "game bat speed" typically differs greatly from "practice bat speed."

If a hitter has a 85 mph bat speed in practice or when being measured using a bat speed monitor, but his/her reactive strength is low they will not be able to dublicate that 85 mph during the game.

So yes of course bat speed is important, but being able to track the baseball and react is far, far more important.

Most MLB players have above 90 mph bat speed during games.

quote:

He was of the opinion that most college DI hitters swing between 83-87 MPH. Said that if you pitch a fastball at those velocities, his hitters will ding it consistently. Over that and it's more problematic, under that it's problematic.

Are you suggesting that a fast swinger should slow down when facing a slow pitcher? Should a batter slow down when facing a breaking ball pitcher? (I have no idea on this)

How is bat speed measured? The end of the bat will be travelling the fastest compared to other points on the bat because it travels a larger circumference in the same time.

Do bat speed monitors measure the speed of the end of the bat? If so, how does it do so?

Just curious.

Radar will pick up bat speed easily but I presume it locks onto whatever part of the bat is moving the fastest: The very tip.

I believe that specialized bat speed monitors use a method similar to that used to measure bullet velocity. They compute how long it takes an object to move between two points about a foot or two apart. Amazingly, low cost methods can accurately time even bullets.

I don't recall any discussion of bat speed devices on this group. Has anyone actually bought or used one?

At a college prospect camp they measured each hitter's batted ball speeds when they hit indoors.

Trying to measure who has power?

I asked the question but I'm still a bit confused.I would agree there is more to hitting than bat speed but most would agree that a straight fastball is very hitable and yet for a pitcher 90mph is the bar that seperates the prospects from also-rans.It sounds like measuring bat speed makes sense but obviously does not predict successful hitting.
Also TR I moved the post to the hitting section because I received no responses here at first.