Effects of Right View Pro© on Bat Velocity and Batted-Ball Exit Velocity in Miles Community College Baseball Players

By: Dan McKinney

•.300 Average or Better (Breen, 1967)

AND/OR

•Minimum.275 average for more than 220 times at bat and/or high stats in home runs, total bases, or slugging percentage (Race, 1961)

Introduction

•Bat Velocity is an important characteristic of successful hitters (Szymanski, 2009)

•Most important factor in hitting for distance (Brenkus, 2010)

Benefits1) Increased decision time

2)Decreased swing time

3) Increased Batted-Ball Velocity (Szymanski, 2009)

•Specific resistance weight training, mechanical efficiency, weighted implement training

•Right View Pro (RVP)

•Mirror Neurons-Imitate action observed

Problem Statement•Resistant weight training and weighted implement training increase bat velocity

•This study will show if a visual aide can improve mechanical efficiency of a collegiate baseball player so much that his bat velocity and batted-ball exit speed increase.

Purpose•Can bat velocity and batted-ball exit velocity increase through the use of a visual hitting system(Right View Pro©)

1. Examine effect that RVP has on bat velocity and exit velocity in male collegiate baseball players

2. Examine if there are more ways a hitter can increase bat velocity/exit velocity

3. To assess if a significant difference in bat velocity and batted-ball exit velocity exists between RVP users, Non RVP users, and Non hitters (Pitchers Only)

HypothesisBat Velocity-No difference will exist in bat velocity between RVP Users, Non RVP Users and Non-Hitters

Batted-Ball Exit Velocity- No difference will exist in batted-ball exit velocity between RVP Users, Non RVP Users and Non-HittersPlayer Max Exit Speed Avg Exit Speed Avg HR Distance

Wladimir Balentin 122.3 107.3 423Albert Pujols 119.6 106.9 414Carlos Pena 119.4 104.4 395Mark Reynolds 118.6 107.1 421Nelson Cruz 118.3 106.6 417Michael Cuddyer 118.1 108.2 416Prince Fielder 117.6 105.0 406Ian Stewart 117.5 106.0 419Pablo Sandoval 117.3 105.5 410Juan Miranda 117.2 117.2 469

Operational Definitions•Bat Speed or Bat Swing Velocity: The highest speed of the bat head (peak velocity) through the hitting zone. Bat speed is measured in miles per hour (MPH).•Batted-Ball Velocity: The speed at which the ball exits the bat measured in miles per hour.•Dynamic Balance: Motion of the balance point through the swing. Center of Gravity•Kinetic Link Principle: Sequential transfer of energy•Bio-Mechanical Efficiency - whole body system working as one in a constant dynamically balanced state in the best possible time, order, and place

Literature Review•Successful Hitters have more attributes than just great Bat Speed or Batted-Ball Exit Velocity.

Cognitive Processing•Pitcher’s body language, the previous history of pitches (sequences), and the pitch count (2-0, 0-2) (Gray, 2002).

1. Inadequate perceptual information in the hitting situation

2. Lack of processing time (<300 milliseconds)

3. Issues tracking the ball with his eyes (Gray, 2002)

Perceptual Information•An uncouple response(verbal) vs. coupled response (actual swing)

•Uncouple: Experts were more accurate in determining the pitch.

•Coupled: Experts were more accurate when using the first 100 milliseconds of ball flight independently of the pitcher’s body movements (kinematics)(Ranganathan & Carlton, 2007).

Reaction Time•Simple reaction time-190 milliseconds (0.19) light stimulus and about 160 milliseconds (0.16) for a sound stimulus (Kosinski, 2014)

•Batting Reaction Time: Average starting reaction-time was around .21 seconds and the average movement reaction-time to be approximately .27 seconds (Hammel & Stumpner, 1950).

•Choice Reaction Time: Average choice starting reaction time to move the bat was 0.29 seconds and the average choice movement reaction-time in the same students was 0.34 seconds (Hammel & Stumpner, 1951).

Visual Research•Experts: Focus on head, chest, or trunk of the pitcher to the pitching arm and release point before ball is released. •Find release point during the wind-up. Approximately 150 milliseconds after release, move their eyes to the ball. •Non-experts: Focused on head and face of the pitcher before release(Takeuchi & Inomata, 2009). •Move eyes prior to release and focus attention away from the release point, such as the head of the pitcher (Shank & Haywood, 1987).

Bat SpeedImproved through 1. Bio-Mechanical Efficiency- Dynamic Balance & Kinetic Link Principle (Keyes, 2005) 2. Torque (Rotational Force). Strength is one variable that contributes to high bat velocity (Keyes, 2005).

Greater the velocity=Greater the energy (Lund & Heefner, 2005)

Overweight and Underweight Resistance Training (DeRenne, 2011)

•On-Deck Warmups: Increase after warming up with a Wooden overloaded bat (34 oz.) and a 27 oz. under loaded bat (DeRenne, 1982)

DeRenne’s Dirty Dozen Study•Warming up with a bat that is 10% + or – the weight of a standard bat (30 oz.) produced the greatest bat velocity•The most common used donut ring manufactured the lowest bat velocity (DeRenne, 2011)

Methodology•29 NJCAA Division II Baseball Athletes•Group 1: Functional Baseball Weight Training Program•Group 2: WT Program, Video Analysis•Group 3: WT Program, Video Analysis, RVP Analysis

•Participants had 1 warmup swing and 10 recorded swings off the tee into a net with the Stalker placed on the other side (Batted-Ball Exit Velocity) while the Pocket Radar was approximately 30 feet behind the hitter (Bat Velocity).

•Equipment Used: Stalker Radar Gun, Pocket Radar Gun, Tanner Tee, Rawlings R100HS Official League ABCA Baseballs, BBCOR Easton S1 CXN (33 in, 30 oz., 2 5/8 inch barrel

Groups 2 and 3 (RVP) were provided 5 (30 minutes) video analysis sessions

Results- BAT VELOCITY

Source (Bat

Velocity)

SS Df MS F P

Treatment [between groups]

77.098633 2 38.549316 1.84 0.178905

Error [within group]

543.640022 26 20.909232   

SS/Bl          Total 620.738655 28      

Groups A (N=9) B (N=8) C (N=12)Baseline Test 73.93549383

(MPH)77.47633929 (MPH) 82.76087963 (MPH)

Post-Test 75.34757496 (MPH)

74.75833333 (MPH) 81.40277778 (MPH)

Average Difference

(±) 1.412222 -2.72 -1.356667

Standard Deviation (±)

5.816882 3.818313 3.941556

Results: Batted-Ball Exit VelocityGroups A B C

Baseline Test70.96790123

(MPH)

76.69146825

(MPH)

82.27314815

(MPH)Post-Test

75.11014109

(MPH)

73.87931548

(MPH)

81.64444444

(MPH)Average

Difference (±) 4.142222 -2.8125 -0.628333

Standard Deviation (±)

7.10226 3.264881 3.071469

Source SS Df MS F PTreatment [between groups]

220.633424 2 110.316712 4.93 0.015301

Error 581.926072 26 22.381772    Ss/Bl          Total 802.559497 28      

Tukey

HSD Test

HSD (.05) HSD (0.1) M1 vs M2 M1 vs M3 M2 vs M3

  5.44 6.97 P<.05 Non-

significant

Non-

significant

Discussion•Results suggest that RVP does not increase Bat Velocity or Batted-Ball Exit Velocity•Small muscles (hands & wrists) contribute about 1 horsepower per 10 pounds•Lack of Energy, Large Muscles•Kinetic link chain/principle being disrupted sequentially

Limitations•Amount of swings outside of practice/games

•Health, Attitude, Focus of Players

•Order of participants baseline and post-test

•Accuracy of Stalker/Pocket Radar and Recorder

• Where on the net the ball was hit

Conclusions/Recommendations

•Results show that using RVP does not significantly improve bat velocity or batted-ball exit velocity. •Bat Velocity and Batted-Ball Exit Velocity can increase when warming up with bats 10% + or – the standard bat weight•Specific resistance training, overloaded, and under-loaded weight training techniques have been proven to increase one’s bat and exit velocity.•Other benefits of RVP within confines of DeRenne’s Six Swing Components (Stance, Load and Stride, Launch, Bat Approach, Contact, and Finish) and 4 Absolutes( Balance, Kinetic Link, Bat Lag, and Axis of Rotation).

•Moving Baseball vs. Stationary Baseball

•Wood Bat vs. Aluminum Bat

•DeRenne’s Studies/Components with RVP

Questions?