Pocket Radar Ball Coach

I have used it successfully and not-so-much. Here is a good article that has the same general opinion of it as I do.

http://www.justbatreviews.com/...r-ball-coach-review/

I've used it directly behind a stalker radar gun at a PG event and gotten similar readings, but you need to be as direct in-line with the ball as you can for the most accurate results. One thing I've noticed is if I'm close to a cell-phone tower (which lots of baseball fields seem to be!) it will just register a number whether I'm pushing the button or not. Doesn't seem to affect the accuracy when I am taking actual readings, though, it's just kind of annoying.

We used it this Spring to measure my son's exit speed off of a tee...was very easy to use and worked pretty well.  Really helped him get ready for the tee swings at the showcase he attended.  Pretty much agree with the linked article above.

Thanks for the link. So if I wanted to measure speed from SS to 1B, it would have trouble on a 60/90 if I put the radar behind 1st base? That is right on the edge of 100ft. Seems like reads from OF would be difficult. 

Concur with above, it's a useful tool if using direct line of sight.  Kind of fun to have at tourney's to check out P velo's....  It was helpful when recording some exit velo's off a tee, but only as a reference when son was refining his swing or he'd switch from a wood bat to metal.   Be careful about using it too frequently with your son during your sessions, can be a preoccupation and one can forget an exit velo swing for a showcase can be a bit different than a solid swing during a game.  It shouldn't be different, but some kids alter their swing a bit just to score a big number of the tee.  Next thing you know is that they can't hit the broad side of a barn in a game.  Observed this with a few players, one being a huge exit velo kid recruited by a big conference team who was on my son's team.  Just sayin...

the only trouble you'd have is it might not pick up the ball right out of the throwers hand, so readings might be a little lower than if you had it directly behind the SS.

Gov posted:

Concur with above, it's a useful tool if using direct line of sight.  Kind of fun to have at tourney's to check out P velo's....  It was helpful when recording some exit velo's off a tee, but only as a reference when son was refining his swing or he'd switch from a wood bat to metal.   Be careful about using it too frequently with your son during your sessions, can be a preoccupation and one can forget an exit velo swing for a showcase can be a bit different than a solid swing during a game.  It shouldn't be different, but some kids alter their swing a bit just to score a big number of the tee.  Next thing you know is that they can't hit the broad side of a barn in a game.  Observed this with a few players, one being a huge exit velo kid recruited by a big conference team who was on my son's team.  Just sayin...

Right? it's a quantum effect- the act of observing can alter the outcome...

KilroyJ posted:

the only trouble you'd have is it might not pick up the ball right out of the throwers hand, so readings might be a little lower than if you had it directly behind the SS.

I guess if I did the slow rollers to him at SS, I could place the radar behind him where it would work. Was hoping to be able to simulate closer to game speed. I am not sure what the format is for measuring across the infield in a showcase. 

Elijah posted:

KilroyJ posted:

the only trouble you'd have is it might not pick up the ball right out of the throwers hand, so readings might be a little lower than if you had it directly behind the SS.

I guess if I did the slow rollers to him at SS, I could place the radar behind him where it would work. Was hoping to be able to simulate closer to game speed. I am not sure what the format is for measuring across the infield in a showcase. 

Format:  guy with gun stands behind 1B recording velo's from throws across IF.  They don't stand behind IF throwing ball.

Just thought I'd mention that Walmart on line has a good deal on these. Radar, tripod, clamp, rechargeable batteries and charger, all for $300.

On a related topic, I was remarking on the throwing velo of a player we know which sounded out of whack. 82mph off the mound, low 90's from the infield. I expressed disbelief in the #'s, and son said that the INF's at Showcases now field a ball heading up the middle, take a whole bunch of steps, then launch it with little regard for accuracy. The result is a high velo. Since the showcases always record the highest velo, no attention is paid to the significantly lower velos on throws from the hole where the feet are set.

57special posted:

Just thought I'd mention that Walmart on line has a good deal on these. Radar, tripod, clamp, rechargeable batteries and charger, all for $300.

On a related topic, I was remarking on the throwing velo of a player we know which sounded out of whack. 82mph off the mound, low 90's from the infield. I expressed disbelief in the #'s, and son said that the INF's at Showcases now field a ball heading up the middle, take a whole bunch of steps, then launch it with little regard for accuracy. The result is a high velo. Since the showcases always record the highest velo, no attention is paid to the significantly lower velos on throws from the hole where the feet are set.

It's always been that way.....though if you throw it too high, the gun won't read it.  Even at that 90+ from the IF and 82 off the mound seems strange to me.  Son was 90-91 from the mound in HS and never more than 84-85 in the IF.....though he normally tried to keep it somewhere that the 1B could catch it

I'm going to say that it's quite accurate. I'm seeing more and more scouts at our games using this rather than a Stalker or Jugs. I was speaking to the dad of one of our players who was sitting directly behind a scout last week in the stands and he reported what he was seeing on his PR and it lined up perfectly with what we were getting on the Jugs.

I just used it last night basically for the first time in a live game and it seemed accurate, although there was no other gun there to compare it with.  Super easy and fun to use.  Both my son and the opposing pitcher (one of the top pitchers in our area) were around the same, velo-wise on FBs and off speed pitches.  It will be interesting to compare it with a separate "real" gun at some point.

I use it a ton and it works well for us.  You need to follow directions and not use it like a radar gun (from the side radar guns work).  I particularly like using it during BP every so often to document exit velo.

I think it is decently accurate (have one myself) but you have to be directly in line (front  or behind) with the ball flight ( even in line with the flight and with a higher launch angle you already lose some accuracy -you really need to hit a low liner to the middle of the net) and not more than 15-20 feet away. Thus it is not really good for in game use or even from the stands.

But to measure throwing or hitting into a net or fence it will work just fine.

anyone have any clue with how many miles per hour you would loose from having someone gun you from a 10-20 degree angle?

I've sat next to the scout guns and find mine is 1-3mph lower when it's off. 1-2 frequently, 3 less often.