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As the golf world descends on the historic town of St. Andrews for the 150th Open Championship, what can we expect for the week will come down to a variable that nobody can control: the wind. At just 7,300 yards, the Old Course at St. Andrews is short by today’s standards and its primary defense …
Unless you avoid golf Twitter and podcasts, you’re probably familiar with the text-group turned media-behemoth that is No Laying Up. What started as a group chat among college friends at Miami of Ohio has evolved into one of the influential voices in the game of golf. We’ve been a partner of their flagship podcast since …
If there are two storylines that seem to be prominent at every US Open, it’s length of the course and length of the rough. This year should be no different at the Country Club at Brookline which will play over 7,200 yards (at par 70) with fescue that could conceal a small animal. With rough …
Smash factor is one of the most important performance metrics you can evaluate with your Mobile Launch Monitor (MLM). Smash factor refers to the relationship between the speed of the ball as it leaves your clubface and the speed of your swing. Ball speed divided by club speed, essentially. If your swing speed is 100 mph and your …
There will never be a major tournament that doesn’t value elite control of distance and dispersion, but there aren’t many courses that will penalize misses as much as Southern Hills this week. Southern Hills Country Club, host of the 2022 PGA Championship, opened in 1936 and was designed by Oklahoma golf legend Perry Maxwell. Over …
Max Homa has already established himself as one of the most likable characters in professional golf, but on Sunday he cemented himself as one of the game’s elite and a potential President’s Cup team member. It seems like it was just last year that Twitter’s funny guy narrowly avoided Q school with a flurry of …
ST. LOUIS – With the goal of enriching, educating and enhancing the game of softball and its community, Rapsodo has partnered with student-athletes Elizabeth Hightower of the University of Florida and Tiare Jennings of the University of Oklahoma, in accordance with the NCAA’s new Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) Policy. As premier players at their positions, …
Have you ever wanted to see how your metrics stack up against collegiate softball players in today’s game? Now, thanks to Rapsodo Certified Assessments you can get an unbiased, statistically-based evaluation of your abilities. What is a Rapsodo Certified Assessment? Rapsodo Certified Assessments are a player development and player evaluation tool trusted by top softball …
Have you ever hit your 7-iron at the driving range toward a specific target and wondered how close you were actually getting with each of your shots? Do you ever feel like your 7-iron and 8-iron carry the same distance during a range session? Every week on the PGA Tour, we watch professionals tweak their …
Hitting spin rate is the number of times a ball rotates per minute off of a hitter’s contact and is measured in revolutions per minute (RPM). Hitting spin rate’s interaction with spin direction, exit speed, and launch angle may result in longer distances and more powerful hits. If a hitter consistently has an optimal spin rate combined …
“We are excited to have a leading sports company like Rapsodo join our efforts in bringing more consistency, accountability and structure to these young players through technology.” Jami Lobpries, Executive Director, Alliance Fastpitch The Alliance Fastpitch broke sports world barriers when its inaugural All-Star Game aired on ESPNU the evening of Tuesday, July 27th. The …
Rapsodo ranks No. 1042 on the 2021 Inc. 5000 list, with three-year revenue growth of 464%. Inc. magazine revealed that Rapsodo is No. 1,042 on its annual Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. The list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the American economy’s …
Amateur golfers don’t just practice inefficiently because they don’t know HOW to practice, but because they don’t know WHAT they’re practicing. The goal of this article is to highlight the importance of distinct practice objectives. According to Mark Blackburn, golfers should separate their practice into two distinct categories: technical work and skill work. He explains: As …
If the style of play at some of the “less imaginative” courses on the PGA TOUR is often described as “bomb and gouge,” the style of play at this week’s Open Championship at Royal St. George’s might be described as “bounce and roll.” Though Royal St. George’s lacks the star appeal of many of the …
“When I say the Mississippi Sate baseball program saved my life, I mean it in the most literal sense.” Unbelievable. Immaculate. Preternatural. While I’m sensitive to each individual’s definition of a “perfect day”, I simply cannot fathom a more incredible, awe-inspiring, and emotional experience – from a sport perspective, that is – than what I …
Rapsodo made a trip to the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, NC for the inaugural MLB Draft Combine. As data providers for the event, we used our hitting and pitching technology to assess more than 120 of the fastest pitchers and hardest hitters from high schools and colleges across the country. These players …
The two most dramatic shots of Jon Rahm’s historic US Open victory were undoubtedly his putts on the 71st and 72nd holes; but the turning point of the tournament came on the tee box at 17. Rahm stood on the 17th tee box needing to make birdie. The fairway bends slightly around a canyon on …
Baseball America released their 500 Top 2021 MLB Draft Prospects List. Since 85% of players on this list use Rapsodo data for player development and evaluation, we decided to make some rankings of our own based on their data. Just how hard are these top prospects throwing? We ranked the top 20 pitchers by velocity below: Rankings as of …
Baseball America has released their Top 500 MLB Draft Prospect List for the 2021 season. Since 85% of players on this list use Rapsodo data for player development and evaluation, we decided to make some rankings of our own based on their data. If you’re curious to know a little more about just how hard the top MLB draft prospects mash taters, …
The trials and tribulations of the past few years has given many golfers a greater appreciation of the game they love—and occasionally hate. However, that sentiment extended beyond enthuiasts and scratch golfers. There has been an influx of players returning to the game after a long layoff and newcomers to the sport appearing on golf …
On Sunday, 50 year old Phil Mickelson made history by becoming the oldest player to win a golf major. He didn’t just defy age last week, he defied his recent form. According to stat-savant Justin Ray, Phil had - by far - his best ball-striking week of the season.
Programs that use MLMs from all 3 NCAA divisions, NJCAA, and NAIA were named conference champions across the nation. The University of Connecticut Men’s Golf team (NCAA D1), Maryville University of Saint Louis (NCAA D2), and Stevens Institute of Technology (NCAA D3) took care of the 3 NCAA divisions. South Mountain Community College won their conference championship in the NJCAA, and Ottawa University of Arizona held on to win their conference championship in the NAIA.
The Women’s College World Series Championship is fast approaching, and there are a lot of stud pitchers traveling the road to Oklahoma City this year. The average velocity for these DI pitchers is above 63 miles per hour, and some like Rachel Garcia (UCLA) are consistently clocking in at close to 70 miles per hour. Whether you’re throwing for a championship team or your local summer …
Elizabeth Benn is a Senior Coordinator for Major League Baseball. Her role focuses on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives like Take the Field, a program designed to connect women who have a serious passion for working in baseball to the right network and information to help them achieve that goal. “This isn’t just some cool thing to do on the side,” Benn said. “We target [women] who are already trying to get …
If you’re a baseball or softball player, chances are you’ve hit more than a few heaters throughout your career. You’ve probably also hit a few dribblers. The difference between these two types of hits comes down to one metric: exit velocity. What is Exit Velocity? Exit velocity (or exit speed) is the speed of a baseball or softball as …
In case you missed it, our partners DJ and Neil from No Laying Up introduced a driving range game on Instagram named Call Your Carry. Call Your Carry is a game developed by Golf Blueprint, a popular game-improvement tool which develops tailored golf practice plans and exercises based on decades of learning theory and performance …
Following its mission of helping athletes reach their full potential, Rapsodo has partnered with The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) to bring our current and future technology and data to all 11 AAPB teams.
If you’re a young baseball or softball player who wants to play at the college level (or beyond), you share the same dream as many other young men around the world. Whether it’s Division I or Division III, you’ll need to get in touch with college scouts and coaches in order to get recruited. So how do you get college baseball scouts to notice you? The Rapsodo team works …
One of the calculations of our Mobile Launch Monitor is Smash Factor. Essentially, Smash Factor is a measure of the efficiency of the strike. It’s an after the fact calculation that divides the ball speed by club head speed.
Marty Tyson, Head Coach of the Corona Angels travel organization in Corona, California has officially joined the Rapsodo Softball family as a member of our advisor board. Tyson is the first travel ball coach to join the board, though he no stranger to the college softball game. A Man With a Championship Mindset Marty Tyson has led his organization at all levels to …
The COVID climate has posed a long list of challenges for many industries, especially those in the sports world – and these 12 months have been especially interesting for people like Carlos Collazo. As a national writer for Baseball America who has covered baseball recruiting and the MLB Draft, Carlos has been able to learn firsthand how professional baseball scouts and college recruiters are finding talent, despite canceled seasons and halted travel. On the flip side, he has also seen how players can …
Below we’ll break down one of Driveline’s unique pitching features, EDGE Visualizations. What is EDGE? EDGE began as a series of web-tools that allowed users to input their pitch/ or spin data to recreate pitches and simulate their ideal repertoires. By integrating EDGE inside Rapsodo Cloud, these Driveline pitching tools live at the click of a button for coaches and athletes …
The absence of in-game reps and on-field competition over the past year has worn on many players – leaving coaches to look for creative ways to keep things fun and competitive in practice settings. One instructor, John Lampros of Two Five Baseball, a baseball hitting training facility in California, has figured out how to leverage …
Determining the best plan of action during a pitch design session can be challenging for both coach or player. Which pitch should we prioritize during a session? What should our goal be for a given pitch? How much better will these adjustments make us if we execute properly? The answers to each of those questions …
Very few people personify life-long learning in the game of baseball like Eric Minshall. At his facility, the Cincinnati Throwing Club, Eric continues to elevate the mission that helped take him from the high school coaching ranks to the Pittsburgh Pirates organization: always help players develop into the best versions of themselves. Eric’s data-driven training …
One of the common denominators among the best distance wedge players in the world is that they tend to have a launch angle that is lower and more consistent than higher handicap golfers. Elite players rely on low-launching wedge shots to control spin and trajectory. Generally, they apex their wedges under 50 feet and launch …
This is a special week for me and Rapsodo. Ten years ago, this week (December 2010), I registered Rapsodo with the Singapore government and started our journey. An idea to build an affordable golf launch monitor evolved into building a sports technology company with the vision of helping athletes achieve their best. Today, we put data-driven tools …
To help softball players reach their full potential, coaches are beginning to use data as the cornerstone for their player evaluation and development programs. That is why we’re excited to announce that our Rapsodo Certified Softball Courses are now available! What is Rapsodo Certified? Rapsodo Certified courses are online, video-based courses with a series of …
If you Google “softball player development,” you’re going to come across thousands of articles from blogs, media outlets, facilities, organizations and companies that all have different philosophies, tips, tricks, you name it… on the subject. Naturally, every coach wants to have the best players on their team. Whether you’re starting a stud freshman or a …
As one of the most prodigious drivers in professional golf, Dustin Johnson understands the importance of focusing on wedge distance control during his practice sessions. With the combination of DJ’s remarkable power and his wedge play, he becomes a competitor with an almost unfair edge on the golf course. Each time DJ is taking a …
Listen to Raffy talk more in depth about his first experience with Rapsodo in the MLB on the Rapsodo Baseball Podcast. A RAP WHAT?! “Lopez!!!! You got Zeuch!” “Got it,” I said. “No drops!” My catching coordinator screamed at me. I was with the Toronto BlueJays in 2017. I had signed with them late in …
Most companies don’t recruit people who’ve expressed hatred for their products. But MLB catcher Rafael Lopez had a good reason for his harsh feelings about Rapsodo in the early days. “As a hitter, I hated Rapsodo,” Lopez said. “It made pitchers too good. Once they understood their data and how to use it, average pitchers …
An average baseball or softball swing takes approximately 150 milliseconds to complete. While coaches and players alike have trained their eyes to look for certain markers throughout the swing, it is still an incredibly fast process to decipher, especially when developing (or breaking) hitting patterns and habits. Since an average swing takes the same amount …
Rapsodo is once again a proud sponsor of the annual National Fastpitch Coaches Association Convention. But things are gearing up to be a little different than our past appearances at the event… So what can coaches and other NFCA National Convention attendees expect this year? The NFCA Convention Has Gone Virtual Like so many other …
When most people think about technology’s role in their training regimen, they tend to think solely in terms of performance. Tyler White from Gestalt Performance recently appeared on the Rapsodo Baseball Podcast to discuss the ways technology is also aiding in improving injury prevention and rehabilitation. Baseball Injury Prevention and Data White believes getting a …
“Some golfers practice easy and hope it shows up when the game is hard. Others practice hard to make the game easy.” – Dr. Bhrett McCabe, Golf Sports Psychologist Do you consider your range sessions easy or hard? Are you working on new skills or fine-tuning the ones you already have? Many golfers organize their practice …
The following article was written by a Southern California high school senior/baseball player who owns Rapsodo HITTING 2.0 and PITCHING 2.0 units. This is the story about how he helped his peers improve their skills and get noticed through his creation of virtual recruiting videos using Rapsodo data. The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly taken its …
At the end of August, we unveiled the Rapsodo Green Grass Program. The goal of this program is to help golf teachers, coaches, instructors, pro shops and other professionals in the sport to use MLM data to elevate their programs by: Driving new revenue Improving client performance Increasing client engagement Helen Kurtin, our local advisor and a Golf Digest Best in State …
In the same week Rapsodo recorded 1 million swings on the Mobile Launch Monitor (MLM) app, we had the longest drive ever recorded in the app as well. Eric Sim – also known as the JUCO Bandit – hit a ball from Vancouver, BC that landed somewhere near our HQ in St. Louis. Sim told us …
We are thrilled and honored to announce that the Rapsodo Mobile Launch Monitor was recently named the best personal golf launch monitor for 2020 by MyGolfSpy. Taking factors around accuracy, user-friendliness, features, portability, price, and metrics into consideration, the MLM beat out other leading brands such as Flightscope, Skytrak, and Garmin – and took the …
Have you ever wanted to know where your pitch stacks up against the most elite pitchers in the game? Now you can! Using Rapsodo data from 9 of the last 10 Women’s College World Series Champions and 19 of the top 25 programs in the U.S., we were able to take the most elite softball …
When someone opens the dashboard on the Rapsodo PITCHING 2.0 app, they are greeted with a wide variety of metrics that describe the most recent pitch: velocity, spin direction, gyro degree, vertical and horizontal break, spin data, release data, and strike zone plot are all available for review seconds after a pitch is thrown. While …
Rapsodo Baseball Podcast hosts Seth and BP sit down with Michigan Baseball's pitching coach Chris Fetter to discuss player development and the power of data.
Every golfer has heard the adage “drive for show, putt for dough," but technology and new statistics is proving that saying wrong.
The new indoor/outdoor net feature is now available on the Rapsodo MLM Mobile Launch Monitor App for select iPhones and iPads. Learn more here.
Technology will never be a substitute for good coaching, but it can be an enhancement of good coaching. Bringing ball flight data to the recreational golfer doesn’t just help instructors teach a better lesson, it offers an opportunity to deliver a more comprehensive practice program.
The elite velocity from Hunter Greene was among the main reasons the Cincinnati Reds jumped at the opportunity to use the second overall pick on Greene and begin developing him as one of the game’s most top pitching prospects.
First of all, the data indicates that this is not true. Longer drivers are not less accurate, they just have greater dispersion. What does this mean? To understand this you have to consider the relationship between launch angle and distance.
The SuperSpeed Slugger System is designed to increase bat speed by utilizing the concepts of overload/underload training to train the brain to increase the speed at which it tells the body to perform the batting motion.
In the decades since Fred Claire called him in his Cal Tech dorm room, Kaplan has built scouting and player development databases for the Baltimore Orioles, San Diego Padres, Montreal Expos (ask your parents), and Houston Astros. He’s consulted with more than half of all MLB organizations.
We have taken this time to develop and implement our Rapsodo Certified Facility program. This allows players to get structured, verifiable data, a Rapsodo Certified RapScore, along with video + data overlay.
INSIGHT offers coaches and players the ability to collect and record numerous pitching data points and view clear, high frame rate video of each pitch at the same time. Benefits of this integration are massive, effectively removing the guesswork and shortening the feedback loop during these pitch development sessions.
Congratulations to Rapsodo Advisor Mark Blackburn for being named the PGA of America’s National Teacher of the Year! We couldn’t be happier for our advisor, Mark Blackburn. From coaching PGA TOUR champions like Chez Reavie or Kevin Chappell to working with golfers of all levels and ages at Greystone Country Club in Birmingham to …
Are you looking to better your knowledge in one of baseball’s budding industries? Look no further than the Rapsodo Certified program! We’ve brought together some of brightest minds in the game to provide an in-depth look into analytics, what they mean, and how to apply them. Rapsodo Certified is delivered by Dr. Alan Nathan, Callix Crabbe, Randy Sullivan and Wes McGuire from Florida Baseball Ranch, along with …
While this pandemic has taken away a lot of things for many people, it has also allowed us to get creative and try many new things that may not have been thought of before. At Rapsodo, we planned on being at multiple Nextgengolf tournaments around the country over the past few months but were unable to attend due to the pandemic.
We are now proud to announce our $51 thousand donation to Turn Two for Youth, the official charity of ABCA. Turn Two for Youth is a non-profit charitable organization created by two baseball families. It facilitates the enjoyment and expansion globally of youth baseball and softball. The organization collects equipment and distributes it to teams and children that don't have access to or cannot afford these items.
It’s usually a pleasant surprise when Rapsodo data shows up in articles and on broadcasts. In the case of the 2020 MLB Draft, we knew it was coming. As part of their draft prep, ESPN reached out looking for information on the players likely to be drafted early. As more and more session data was …
One of the distinguishing characteristics of elite golfers is their ability to control the clubface. Whether managing direction or maximizing distance, an awareness of clubface orientation is paramount.
A few weeks ago we broke down Rapsodo Pitching SuperScores for 5 2020 MLB Draft Picks. As promised, here is our Rapsodo Hitting SuperScores breakdown, including 1st overall pick Spencer Torkelson.
He may run one of the most popular and influential social media accounts in all of baseball, but Rob Friedman (aka @PitchingNinja) doesn’t do it for the Likes. “I just want to help the next generation of players get better,” Friedman said. It’s become a point of pride for MLB pitchers to have Friedman serve …
If you have the slightest curiosity about the science of the golf swing, you’re probably familiar with Dr. Sasho MacKenzie. Dr. MacKenzie is a biomechanics expert who teaches and researches out of St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish Nova Scotia. He’s also a valued advisor of Rapsodo.
Most golfers only evaluate shots by where they end up, not how they got there. Distance and proximity to target are the most important outcomes in a shot, but statistics like centerface contact (smash factor), swing speed and trajectory are a few of the key inputs which help determine the latter.
Today we announced our donation to Right to Play that would total to $26 thousand. “We believe sport has the power to unite and bring together people regardless of distance, beliefs or backgrounds," Batuhan Okur, founder and CEO of Rapsodo, said. “We want underserved and vulnerable children to have the opportunity to enjoy the games we love and to be healthy and active through sport.”
In the latest episode of the Rapsodo Baseball Podcast, Callix takes a break from his newfound role in “Daddy Daycare” to chat with Seth and BP from his home in Florida. The guys talk about Callix leaving his home in St. Thomas at 15 years old and moving in with his sister in Georgia to pursue his dream of playing professional baseball.
Such utilization of our technology prompted us to unveil each player’s SuperScore on draft day. The idea of the SuperScore is simple: take the best measurements of each pitch type or hit made by a player and stitch them together to provide a glimpse into the overall “stuff” that players possesses.
Still searching for the best Father’s Day gift? We have just the gift for all the golf dads out there! It’s tech that’s not too technical, fun and informative! The Rapsodo MLM will change your dad’s golf game for the better. 5 Reasons Your Dad Needs an MLM: 1. TO BE MORE PREPARED FOR THAT …
Deep practice isn’t measured in time, it’s measured in meaningful reps. 10,000 hours of practice doesn’t mean much if it’s 10,000 lazy hours.
The 2020 MLB Draft has come and gone. A draft done like never before – completely virtual. Instead of the MLB Network filled with people, alone at the podium stood MLB Commissioner, Rob Manfred, speaking directly to the camera. In-studio analysts sat or stood 6 feet apart with others reporting from the comfort of their …
Miles goes into detail about landing in the bullpen after his early struggles as a starter in low-A ball, and one team’s misfortune turned into a career-changing opportunity for him.
In part one of this series, we established the profile for our hypothetical pitcher’s fastball. The key to developing and designing secondary pitches is understanding how the individual pitches play off the fastball, as it gives us a reference point for release and where these pitches should live on the break chart. For our pitcher, …
With the fastball and curveball profiles set for our pitcher, they now have weapons to attack the top and bottom of the zone. Between the two pitches, our pitcher covers almost three feet of vertical break (35.4 inches, to be exact) and 17.7 inches of horizontal break.
There is a classic Vince Lombardi quote coaches have plastered to the walls of their weight rooms for decades: The only place success comes before work is the dictionary. The Cincinnati Reds hired a 24-year-old pitching coordinator. You might hear that and wonder how someone so young managed to Heisman Lombardi’s formula and find a …
Being able to accurately read a Rapsodo app dashboard has its own benefits. Coaches need to able to take those readings and turn them into impactful feedback.
In order to get the most accurate data with your MLM, it's important to make sure you set up the device properly in the first place. We've seen it all when it comes to setups, but the only way we endorse is what our Quick Start Guide suggests.
On a quiet afternoon in Detroit, a suspicious character in a hooded sweatshirt loads workout equipment from the Tigers’ weight room in Comerica Park into the back of a pickup truck before driving away. Luckily for the organization, the man in the hoodie is their left-handed ace, Matthew Boyd. Instead of being a month into …
He stayed up late and we got up early. That’s what it took to connect with our good friend, Dan Straily, as he prepared for his first regular season start in the suddenly-appointment-television Korean Baseball Organization (KBO).
We recently announced that all players and coaches need to complete and verify their Rapsodo profiles. Since the initial announcement we've received many questions that we want to clear up.
One of the most disruptive tendencies in golf is the dreaded two-way miss. Golfers who have a tendency to hook OR slice the ball can manage their game, but golfers who have a tendency to slice AND hook are in trouble.
On the second episode of the Rapsodo Baseball Podcast, Rathwell joins Seth and BP to discuss his journey from power-washing the streets of Seattle by day and working out by night to helping lead Driveline Baseball as the company’s CEO.
From the beginning of Rapsodo Diamond Sports, we knew we wanted to work with Driveline. After four years of growth, the two companies are ready to join together in the ultimate analytics partnership. With Driveline's expertise and world-class analytics tools and our industry leading data, we will provide a complete package to every level of customer.
Last month we released our Baseball Hitting Certification . Now we are ready to release our Baseball Pitching Certification.
Seth Daniels (Director of Diamond Sports) and Brian "BP" Page (Recruiting & MLB Relations) share the origin story of Rapsodo Baseball, how they got involved, and share some of their favorite stories about the humble beginnings and the excitement growing with major college programs and Major League Baseball.
Looking towards future seasons, Heidelberg’s players now have access to Rapsodo’s HITTING 2.0 unit along with the PITCHING 2.0 unit. The program maximizes the potential of these units and uses them together.
Gyro sliders (those with spin efficiencies <10%) will register vertical and horizontal break at or near the exact center of the break chart. This may sound strange at first, but remember that these break measurements are spin-induced measurements.
We are creating the Rapsodo National Player Database for players, coaches and scouts. Right now coaches and scouts have limited access to player data and are unable to watch live games. We hope this helps players get their names and information out there and for coaches to be able to find players.
We recently discovered another benefit of using Rapsodo technology, one we knew would be a valuable asset to our players and program. At the time we hadn’t realized just how big it would be.
One of the many skills that set professional golfers apart from amateurs is precision with their distance wedges. Elite golfers have tremendous distance control inside of 60 yards because they are able to control the trajectory and spin.
COVID-19 is having an unprecedented impact on people, businesses, communities, and events. The sports community is not immune to this disruption: The NBA canceled the remainder of the 2019-2020 season. The NHL has postponed their season. The NCAA canceled the remainder of spring sports, including the iconic NCAA “March Madness” Tournament. The MLB canceled the remainder of Spring Training …
Ethan agreed to sit down and chat with us about the origins of his delivery adjustments and how he uses reaction time to attack each hitter that steps in to face him.
Being at the Rookie Advanced level, many of the players with our club were getting their first real taste of professional baseball. Some were in their second, sometimes third, year of professional ball, but many were in their first pro season.
The key to an effective off-speed pitch, in terms of movement, is killing vertical break. What we mean by this is getting vertical break as low as possible while still maintaining release measurements that are similar to the pitcher’s fastball release.
We often hear from customers running into the same problems or having the same questions. Here are the solutions to the most frequently asked questions:
The most powerful tool for accomplishing this in golf is a training aid from SuperSpeed golf. The SuperSpeed Golf Training System has become extremely popular among professional golfers, and for good reason.
The following article was written from a coach’s perspective. Josh Johnson is an assistant softball coach at Mississippi State University and uses Rapsodo PITCHING 2.0 with his pitchers. This past weekend a friend was in town to play us and I asked if he would like to use our Rapsodo on his kids. He said …
We have officially launched the first of four certification courses, Rapsodo Baseball Hitting Certified! These unique modules provide coaches with master concepts and insight on how to make data the cornerstone of their player development programs. The baseball hitting certification includes lessons on hitting aerodynamics, hit classifications & outcomes, the Rapsodo Power Matrix, and more! …
Coaches and players from all levels now have the opportunity to take an online Certification course to become Rapsodo experts.
The following article was written from a coach’s perspective. Jason Immekus is an assistant coach at Crowder College in Neosho, MO and uses Rapsodo PITCHING 2.0 with his pitchers. As a coach at the college level going on 18 years, we are always looking for new ideas and ways to keep our workouts fresh and …
Curveballs, just like fastballs, have a transverse spin profile that directly impact the vertical movement of the ball. This topspin profile aids in creating depth or sweep, depending on specific pitch type.
From moving the third basemen to short right field to adding another outfielder altogether, teams pay attention to exit direction. A player's exit direction is seen by MLB teams as something that stays consistent, which can lead to more accurate defensive positioning and less opportunity for the hitter.
All fastball types will spin somewhere between 10:00 and 12:00 for lefthanders and 12:00 and 2:00 for righthanders. This backspin profile directly effects how strongly a particular fastball resists or succumbs to natural forces during its flight.
Tying all the information provided in this series together, we finally arrive at the break measurements that give each individual pitch their unique movement profile. These measurements, displayed in inches, reflect spin-induced movement; thus, they do not take the force of gravity into account.
You’ve probably read a hundred articles about distance in golf - and rightfully so. Distance is one of the most important attributes in a golfer’s game. This isn’t an article about the importance of increasing your distance, it’s an article about the importance of knowing your distance.
For athletes and coaches, competition, along with other aspects, is why they play any type of sport. Through my days as a player, I loved competing regardless of the situation. It could be shagging fly balls in the outfield or hitting baseballs off a tee.
Launch angle (LA) is a hot topic in baseball as of late. Ever since Statcast introduced launch angle along with many other metrics in 2015, there has been a discussion about its relevance. Some have called launch angle a “type of swing”, but let’s call it exactly what it is: a metric to describe a batted ball.
Curveballs and sliders typically will register the highest raw spin totals of all pitches (MLB average spin rate ≈2430-2530 rpms), though these ranges can become more inflated based on the gyroscopic spin measurements of each pitch.
Whether it was the TV’s in the background showing endless replay videos with shot tracers, GPS satellite view pictures, and our star-studded advisory board, the Rapsodo booth at the 2020 PGA Merchandise Show attracted people from all around the world.
The use of spin rate has mostly been referred to as a characteristic of pitching, but it can be applied to hitting as well. Every batted ball has a spin rate which can be used to determine a hitter’s quality of contact. Dialing in a hitter’s spin rate can lead to greater success in exit speed, launch angle, and other important statistics.
In 2019, MLB four-seam fastball spun at roughly 2300 rpms; however, the most effective four-seamers averaged well above that mark. Given the nature of the pitch, maximizing raw spin and spin efficiency is vital. I’ll use a pitcher from a previous article to better illustrate what spin efficiency can do for a true four-seam fastball. Velocity (mph) Spin …
One of the largest differentiators between Rapsodo and other consumer ball flight tracking technologies is Rapsodo’s ability to track both raw spin and the percentage of raw spin that directly impacts movement. This measurement is called spin efficiency.
The Rapsodo Mobile Launch Monitor (MLM) was awarded the 2020 ING Product Ingenuity Award in Technology. The ING announced the winners in each category at the Industry Honors Presentation Press Conference at the PGA Merchandise Show. The International Network Of Golf is a non-profit, media-based networking organization whose mission is to enhance and promote communication …
There are many variables when it comes to velocity in fastpitch softball pitching. I like to pull them into three main groups: size of the pitcher, mechanics of the movements, and effort. Rapsodo softball can help measure a myriad of information in the mechanics department that can instantly help the pitcher work mechanics and see direct results.
Rapsodo announced its partnership with Golf Digest at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, FL. This partnership is to build the new Coach Connect™ platform together. Coach Connect will make improving your golf performance easier with better results.
The 2020 PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Florida spans from January 22nd– January 24th. Combined with the Tour Edge Media Day and Demo Day, Rapsodo will be there for the full week. For those of you that are new to the golf industry, these six days are truly like no other.
In 2003, best-selling author Michael Lewis published Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. The book was about how Oakland A’s GM Billy Beane used advanced analytics to uncover hidden value in baseball players and gain a statistical advantage over his more well-resourced competition. You’ve probably heard of the book. It sold almost 2 …
The American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) and Rapsodo are gearing up for a three-year partnership. This partnership is a perfect match as both organizations, Rapsodo and the AJGA, share similar goals in improving player development. The AJGA is a “501 nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who …
There are two release measurements that affect the overall movement profile of a given pitch: spin direction and gyro degree. While both are measured at release, we will tackle each measurement within their own dedicated sections.
Whether it was our hat or spin axis tool giveaways, the several demos that took place in our cage, or our product displays and video clips, the Rapsodo booth remained as busy as expected throughout the 2020 ABCA show in Nashville, Tennessee. As a first-time attendee, I enjoyed meeting coaches across all levels as well …
Speed. Base stealers have it, pitchers throw with it, and with the advent of StatCast – batters can have it too. Exit speed is a measurement of how hard a given ball is hit as it leaves the bat. The higher the exit speed, the farther a ball has the ability to travel. The measurement of speed in baseball …
INSIGHT is a high speed, slow motion camera that can be used for both hitting and pitching. It sits on a tripod to capture up to 850 frames per second.
From my perspective, three main points are top of mind: how coaches use technology today, what their players think of the technology and data, and how we can better bridge gaps as a technology partner.
Velocity Velocity: the singular measurement by which all pitchers have been assessed over the course of baseball history. It gauges the release speed of the ball as it leaves a pitcher’s hand. It goes without saying that pitches thrown at higher velocity ranges have more room for location error, especially when it comes to fastballs. However, …
Using Rapsodo to measure the velocity of each pitch thrown is valuable to all pitchers. All of the pitchers I work with are fixated on getting to 60 mph on their power pitches.
Four years ago, Rapsodo made a name for itself at this very convention where it launched its first diamond sport product still in beta stages.
Bowdoin College Assistant Softball Coach Jen Burton won a VIP NFCA Experience through Rapsodo at Softball Excellence in August.
NFCA19 is in the books! The much anticipated fastpitch softball coaches convention did not disappoint. More than 20 hours of educational presentations and countless conversations were jammed into the four day event in Atlantic City, NJ. Rapsodo had a prominent presence at the event with a 20 by 60 foot booth which included a full …
Welcome to Rapsodo’s new blog. A space for finding baseball, golf and softball expertise! We are excited to launch this new platform where you will find articles on understanding and reading Rapsodo data analytics, frequently asked questions, success stories, Q & A’s, event information, company updates and more!