Leveraging Hitting Technology to Gain an Advantage
In a new age of technological advancement, players are utilizing modern-day devices and practices to help train smarter, not harder. A couple of weeks ago, we took a deep dive into how technology has impacted the training regimes of pitchers. From the use of high-speed cameras to high-tech devices that capture the 3D image of the ball, technology has certainly made a profound mark on the game today. To think that pitching can get even tougher to hit is a scary thought. As a result, hitters are finding themselves down in the count, so to speak. So how are today’s sluggers combating pitchers’ use of technology? By fighting fire with fire. Let’s take a look at how the game of small-ball has transitioned into the game of home runs and exit velocity, and how hitting technology can help batters do both.
If you get the chance to watch Javier Baez take his cuts in the cage below the grandstand of Wrigley Field, you’ll notice he stands adjacent to a large, white device that resembles that of a backstop used for pick-up baseball games. That device, staring at Baez’ every move, is actually tracking every swing he takes along with the flight of the ball off the bat. The device, known as Hittrax, is a high-tech, free-standing module that allows players to gain more insight into how they are hitting the ball. In today’s game, the terms “exit velocity” and “launch angle” are talked about so often that it’s become second nature to the culture of baseball. With a Hittrax device, a player can see these metrics in real-time and analyze the result of a swing. What’s more is that the Hittrax device not only provides objective feedback but allows the user to visually see how far the ball was hit off the bat. The device includes a feature that simulates batting practice or home run derby in any Major League ballpark. In terms of business strategy, the simulation feature in the gives users the ability to “gamify” their practices or hitting sessions, making it more appealing to a younger demographic, and to those unable to take BP at an MLB ballpark on a regular basis.
Although seeing your result off the bat is great, the feedback on the swing itself likely has more impact related to in-game success. Perfecting and optimizing a swing is what’s going to allow a user to see those results in the Hittrax device. The old adage of flipping baseballs until your hands started to blister is slowly seeing its way out the door of clubhouses. That swing-til-you-drop approach is being replaced by a more measured routine. (Editor’s note: I am responsible for that joke. Mike surely has a better sense of humor than that.) With the introduction of smaller devices that can read the characteristics of a swing’s movement patterns, we can now objectively quantify our approach to the baseball.
It all starts with a few small devices that can be found in your smart phone. These small chip-like devices called accelerometers and gyroscopes can realize an object’s relation in space and recognize its movement patterns. Tech companies like Blast Motion have started inserting these devices into small, attachable pieces, otherwise referred to as “wearables”. The piece itself can be attached to the knob of the bat and deliver real-time metrics to show a hitter just how efficient he or she is with their swing. Connected to a smartphone via Bluetooth, a user can see their swing metrics almost instantaneously. With metrics such as attack angle, bat speed, and hand speed, players who have access to this data will most certainly enable them to objectively train smarter. In fact, MLB has partnered with Blast Motion to become the official swing sensor of Major League Baseball. Moreover, aside from being the company’s official spokesperson, Carlos Correa insists that the device has enhanced his game, along with the rest of the Houston Astros organization.
Training the Brain
Aside from the actual act of swinging or making contact, the game (or anything for that matter) is reliant upon your brain to first recognize what it wants to do in order for your body to perform. Hitting a curveball, for example, involves a cognitive calculation in addition to the physical. As neurologists continue to study the brain’s contribution in sports, it is becoming more apparent that the more athletes can improve their reaction time, the greater chance they have at excelling in their sport. With advancements in modern technology and neurology, baseball – and sports in general – is beginning to see a much more advanced approach to training.
In a business where players have four-tenths of a second to make a decision on whether or not to swing, there is no time for distractions. In order for the brain to register that decision, it must be engrained in the neuro-connection of that player. In other words, training the mind to essentially pass the test of recognizing to swing or not is an important aspect to being a successful baseball player. Certain factors that can throw off a hitter’s timing can be the difference between a swing and miss, a foul tip, or a homerun.
Chad Bradford, former reliever for the Oakland Athletics, had success at the Major League level by messing with hitters’ brains. You may recall from the Michael Lewis book “Moneyball” that Bradford was a soft, submarine-throwing reliever that continuously was passed on by Major League teams. While the story revolves around Oakland’s interest in him for his sheer ability to get batters out, we may find it interesting to see while the objective analysis of Bradford’s current and projected stats may have made the story, his success on the field could largely be contributed to his delivery, in his ability to disrupt hitters’ timing. While most pitchers will throw from a high three-quarter arm slot, Bradford was delivering pitches from nearly ground level- something hitters, from a cognitive standpoint, are just not used to seeing.
The celebrity softball game during All-Star weekend is another example of this. While the collection of actors, actresses, musicians, and other stars make for an interesting spectacle, there is one other aspect that you can count on seeing during the event. That is super-star fast-pitch softball pitcher Jennie Finch consistently making past and current hitters look silly with her windmill delivery. Granted, the mound in softball is closer than the regulated 60 feet, six inches on a baseball diamond, the cognitive training required to pick up the timing needed in order to hit a pitch from her is the similar effect to that of Chad Bradford. You can always just ask Barry Bonds what it’s like…
(Skip to the 6:35 mark of the video to go straight to the matchup)
In order to help hitters’ reaction time, a New York-based tech startup known as DeCervo is monitoring player’s brain waves to track their cognitive abilities. The company rolled out a computerized game that tracks brain waves of players using electroencephalography, better known as EEG. The game itself simulates a pitch in which the EEG can monitor not only when and if the user decided to swing, – which is simulated by pressing the space-bar – but when the user picked up the actual pitch itself as a result of electrical activity within the brain. That is extremely advantageous feedback for the player. The company also created an app version of the game, which is available for download on iOs and Android devices.
These advancements have not only begun to help players on the field, but enhance the decision-making process off of it. Front office execs are utilizing tools such as DeCervo to objectively quantify a player’s skills and abilities and, in turn, better predict performance. In fact, one of the more popular stories that involves the front office use of applications is how the Red Sox used a tool to quantify eye-sight. As a result, they were able to snag an undervalued Mookie Betts in the 2011 Draft in the fifth round (172 overall).
What it Means for a Player
With such insight into a player’s body, the question then becomes, how can we use technology to truly advance player performance and reduce risk of injury without using this type of information against the player. In fact, this has been a major question among players and the MLB Player’s Association. As a result, it was included in the current CBA that the use of wearables is “…wholly voluntary” and that “…data shall be treated as highly confidential”. Moreover, it cannot be used against the player in arbitration.
As baseball becomes more and more involved in the use of technology, it gives players and organizations the ability to train smarter and work more objectively towards a goal. Although the use of technology within the game is still a new advancement, it is a promising sign to see baseball adopting practices that allow not only front offices to make smarter decisions, but for players to reach their potential and stay healthier.
– Mike Lambiaso
