Can a scout's radar gun pick up bat speed instead of the speed of the ball being thown?
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There is equipment that can pick up bat speed, but the radar gun will only pick up the speed of the ball as it leaves the bat.
Ok, thank you PG. But what I am getting at is this:
I was sitting at a game next to a pro scout. I am assuming he was scouting the pitcher, I looked over at his gun, and it read 92.
When I mentioned this to another scout who is familiar with the guy throwing, he said "sometimes the gun will pick up the speed of the bat" like he didn't believe, or was trying to play down the guy throwing 92.
I wondered if this were true.
I was sitting at a game next to a pro scout. I am assuming he was scouting the pitcher, I looked over at his gun, and it read 92.
When I mentioned this to another scout who is familiar with the guy throwing, he said "sometimes the gun will pick up the speed of the bat" like he didn't believe, or was trying to play down the guy throwing 92.
I wondered if this were true.
Did the hitter hit that pitch? If he didn't make contact, the gun read the speed of the pitch. We see readings off the bat a lot.
Once we had a parent complain that he saw a 94 mph on the gun when his kid was pitching. We had him listed at something like 85 mph tops. Then we found a remark about the 94 mph off the bat on one of the hitters he faced.
I think that scout meant that he thought it was "off the bat" rather than picking up the bat speed.
Once we had a parent complain that he saw a 94 mph on the gun when his kid was pitching. We had him listed at something like 85 mph tops. Then we found a remark about the 94 mph off the bat on one of the hitters he faced.
I think that scout meant that he thought it was "off the bat" rather than picking up the bat speed.
PG,
It is very possible that the scout used that term "off the bat", and I confused it with "bat speed".
In any case thanks for clearing it up for me.
It is very possible that the scout used that term "off the bat", and I confused it with "bat speed".
In any case thanks for clearing it up for me.
PG: reminds me of the saying when a ball really gets hammered.
Question: What did he throw him?
Answer: I don't know what it was going in, but it was a fastball going out!
Question: What did he throw him?
Answer: I don't know what it was going in, but it was a fastball going out!
After consulting with some else who was there,
the ball was not hit.
Can we conclude that what the radar gun was reading was the speed of the pitch conclusively, and not the speed of the bat being swung? (Otherwise, how would you ever get the correct speed of the pitch?)
the ball was not hit.
Can we conclude that what the radar gun was reading was the speed of the pitch conclusively, and not the speed of the bat being swung? (Otherwise, how would you ever get the correct speed of the pitch?)
quote:Originally posted by iheartbb:
After consulting with some else who was there,
the ball was not hit.
Can we conclude that what the radar gun was reading was the speed of the pitch conclusively, and not the speed of the bat being swung? (Otherwise, how would you ever get the correct speed of the pitch?)
Certainly not conclusively on the basis of a single reading. Every now and then a radar gun will give an incorrect reading. If the wrong reading is 10 mph too slow, we call it a changeup, and don't even think about it. If it reads 10 mph too fast, we tend to think it has measured the batted ball speed, but it can also be due to interference from police radar, and a lot of other things.
Most pitches are measured pretty accurately, but it is not rare, especially in high traffic areas, to see "flier" readings. If you see several readings at 92mph then you can be pretty sure.
Ok, thank you 3FG,
I will only pursue this line of quiery because I think others may learn something from it.
The setting was not in a high traffic area, although that is something I would think most of us have never thought of - police radar.
I personally saw the 92, saw 89, and 76, don't know much about it, but since it was a scout team, I thought there was some kind of pitch calling going on, to determine or grade the FB,CUP,CRV, like that.
I just find I am curious about why the scout played it down or made it sound improbable that the kid hit 92.
It seemed plausible to me that he could get up there.
My observation was that each pitcher on both sides was trying to throw a fast ball as hard as they could at least a time or two. The better ones located to the glove, some went wild (but fast) on that day.
Just clarify, does a radar gun pick up the speed of the bat on occasion, in the case of an unhit strike, instead of the speed of the pitch?
I will only pursue this line of quiery because I think others may learn something from it.
The setting was not in a high traffic area, although that is something I would think most of us have never thought of - police radar.
I personally saw the 92, saw 89, and 76, don't know much about it, but since it was a scout team, I thought there was some kind of pitch calling going on, to determine or grade the FB,CUP,CRV, like that.
I just find I am curious about why the scout played it down or made it sound improbable that the kid hit 92.
It seemed plausible to me that he could get up there.
My observation was that each pitcher on both sides was trying to throw a fast ball as hard as they could at least a time or two. The better ones located to the glove, some went wild (but fast) on that day.
Just clarify, does a radar gun pick up the speed of the bat on occasion, in the case of an unhit strike, instead of the speed of the pitch?
iheartbb,
Not sure but I may have seen a million gun readings in my life, anyway, it's been a lot. We also have many scouts who use radar guns and report the numbers. In our building we have a gun and display board that continually reads the speed of the ball out of pitchers hand and off the bat, even pick up the cachers throw back. Not even once have a ever heard of a radar gun that is used for measuring the speed of the ball give what anyone considered a bat speed reading.
So in your case, I would say that the 92 was probably a legit reading giving the speed of the pitch. That said, there are other possibilities, everyone who has used a radar gun knows they give inaccurate readings at times. Also, it would be very rare that someone would throw just one pitch 3 or 4 mph faster than any other single pitch he threw. So if the very highest pitch was 89 and one pitch was reading 92... It would be noted, it would be possible, you might want to follow that pitcher to be sure, but you would also be a little skeptical of that one 92 mph reading.
There is other equipment that has been designed to measure bat speed. We have seen some and think it often gives misleading information. Bat speed is another subject all together.
Not sure but I may have seen a million gun readings in my life, anyway, it's been a lot. We also have many scouts who use radar guns and report the numbers. In our building we have a gun and display board that continually reads the speed of the ball out of pitchers hand and off the bat, even pick up the cachers throw back. Not even once have a ever heard of a radar gun that is used for measuring the speed of the ball give what anyone considered a bat speed reading.
So in your case, I would say that the 92 was probably a legit reading giving the speed of the pitch. That said, there are other possibilities, everyone who has used a radar gun knows they give inaccurate readings at times. Also, it would be very rare that someone would throw just one pitch 3 or 4 mph faster than any other single pitch he threw. So if the very highest pitch was 89 and one pitch was reading 92... It would be noted, it would be possible, you might want to follow that pitcher to be sure, but you would also be a little skeptical of that one 92 mph reading.
There is other equipment that has been designed to measure bat speed. We have seen some and think it often gives misleading information. Bat speed is another subject all together.