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Glove Radar?

B bbforlife100+ posts
Curious if anyone has experience with glove radar. It is my understanding that glove radar measures the speed at which a ball enters the glove and you need to add about 8 mph to that time to get the speed of the ball leaving the players hand. Doing this my son has been throwing around 62+8=70mph. The other day he had a pitching lesson and the instructor (a former college player who is now in the minors) who had never seen my son pitch said he was throwing high 70's and said no way he way only throwing 70. He may have been mistaken but I don't think he is giving us a sales pitch because he didn't seem like that kind of guy and knows this was a one time lesson since he is getting ready to go to spring training. So at the end of the day I will have to get a reading from a better radar gun but in the mean time was wondering if anyone has had any experience with these glove radars being slow or inaccurate?
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CADadCADad5,000+ posts
Can't speak for anyone else's unit but mine seems to read pretty accurately. I haven't tried direct comparisons to the gun. I'll try it next week if I get a chance. The gun puts my 12yo at 60 to 61 when he's trying to throw hard. The glove radar reads 54 to 55 in the same situation. His maximum so far on the gun is 64 and he hit 58 once last night on the glove radar. He throws from a shorter distance so that seems to be about the right drop off. I think the gun might be a mph fast or so. I will say that the reading on the glove radar and how fast the pitch seems to me don't always match. My guess is that most of the time the glove radar is right and I'm wrong.
H HiHardHeat1,000+ posts
The catcher's technique with a glove radar is important. If he routinely "gives", drawing the glove back towards himself as the ball nears the glove, it will read low. If he spears at the ball, it will read high.

The movement of the catchers glove is important. We got a reading of 88 MPH on it on a 14 YO who threw a pitch in the dirt. The catcher jabbed for it to block the pitch. This pitcher was normally about 72 on the glove radar.
CADadCADad5,000+ posts
HHH,
Quick hands! Smile If I find myself cushioning or jabbing much I tend to discount the reading. The reason I tend to think the glove radar is right and I'm wrong is that I think the pitch was faster than it reads more often than I think the pitch was slower than it reads.
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S Starzz500+ posts
From my experience there really is no need to worry about speed at 10,11,12,13 even 14. Emphasis should be on mechanics, control, FB development and long toss. Radar guns, glove radar etc is a means for a dad to put a number on his son...very unnecessary. A good pitching coach and/or trainer would not consider this as a means of success.
90% of all youth throw about the same at the same ages to a point, they all will add speed as they mature, even without a specialty coach. Those that work on the above will see the rewards beginning in high school. The best will tell you the same, work on location, the arm strength and mechanics...everything else will come with time. Save your money or put it towards a knowledgeable coach.

Good Luck.

"If you can imagine it you can create it. If you can dream it, you can become it". William Arthur Ward

"Baseball is Life"

KrakatoaKrakatoa1,000+ posts
I've found that for the most accurate reading the ball needs to sail right into a very stationary glove. Any movement or tilt to the radar and the readings get whacked. It's true that for a 54' mound you'd add about 7mph; add 8mph from 60'6". If you're charting, you should only chart those balls which do not induce any movement in the catcher's mitt. I think it's a great (and relatively inexpensive) tool.

"Son, when you pitch a strike, Mr. Hornsby will let you know."
MrandMrsBaseballMrandMrsBaseball1,000+ posts
I agree with Starzz opinion.
At the 12 yo level, a few were throwing high 70's wooooooo, "They are good!" Only one of them is still playing the rest hurt their arms and either quit or never were the same.

_______________________
"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring." Rogers Hornsby, Hall of Famer

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