We’re extremely excited about some return to normalcy this summer and wanted to take a moment and give you an update on some of the recent and upcoming developments here at RPP.
As most of you know, we take great pride in continuing to invest in our business and providing the best training available anywhere. To that end, last year we invested in a Qualisys motion capture system, equipped with 10 cameras, that allows us to evaluate movement down to 3 mm at 300 frames per second. After 9 months, we are happy to say that the Qualisys system is now an integral part of our assessments, training, and programming. The information coming from motion capture system is unparalleled. It is the gold standard in measuring movement and has provided us with great insights in assessing and training our athletes.
Now to present time, as we have some new additions and other updates and exciting news to tell you about…
Proteus Motion
We recently purchased a Proteus Motion machine. Proteus is the first-ever technology to allow an accurate measurement of physical power production in 3D. Although we’ve been measuring linear power production in the lower half for some time, we’re excited to be able to assess power production in 3D, especially in the upper body in a rotational movement pattern. We’re quite sure that Proteus is the first ever piece of technology to allow for this.
Being able to isolate muscle groups and evaluate and train their ability to produce power is an amazing attribute of this new technology. We can’t wait to put it to work and zero in on each of our athlete’s developmental needs. It is our general belief that Proteus will turn training on its head, as it provides power production breakdowns across a large number of physical parameters.
The installation is currently expect for this summer, just in time for our summer programs. By the way, it’s also the size of a small cannon and it’s going to require me to give up my office on the ground floor and move upstairs. If interested, here is a sample report on its power breakdown and intrabody power analysis.
HitTrax Camera System
Beginning this June, our hitters will have the benefits of a HitTrax system at RPP. Although, we’ve had a Rapsodo hitting camera for several years, we believe that HitTrax, with much of its additional functionality, will provide a better tool for assessing and training our players. Everyone loves the HitTrax for its amazing visuals. Although the entertainment factor is a plus, we are mostly excited about its attributes as a training tool. In addition to the usual suspects (exit velo, launch angle, etc.), here are some of the additional functions that we are looking forward to incorporating into our evaluations:
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- Play-by-play video capture analysis – HitTrax can record each and every swing and allows for immediate review of specific successes or failures in the box.
- Complete strike zone analysis – The software provides a complete strike zone analysis which is adjusted to a player’s height. You can locate strengths and weaknesses, which when coupled with the rest of our assessment can provide an excellent training roadmap.
- Depth of contact by location – Being able to evaluate depth of contact based on location of pitch is a significant tool in helping players adjust to different pitches at different locations. It also helps identify weaknesses across the zone.
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- Pitch descent angle (a topic few talk about, but you will hear more of in the near future) – This measurement basically tells you the angle of the incoming pitch as it crosses the plate. Combined with data from Blast Motion which provides a player’s baseball swing attack angle, you can begin to see how matching planes has a big impact on production at the plate.
- Visuals which replicate real contact – HitTrax visuals are extremely helpful in seeing the results of each at bat providing training a real-feel type of atmosphere.
We’re really looking forward to combining Blast Motion, K-Vest 3D motion analysis and HitTrax data to evaluate our players hitting capabilities from pre-contact to post-contact in all locations across the strike zone.
Rapsodo Insight Camera
We’ve been using the Rapsodo pitching camera for quite some time. However, we recently added a Rapsodo Insight camera which works in tandem with the Rapsodo pitching unit. It allows us to capture video of pitch release points to demonstrate how the ball is coming off a pitcher’s hands and fingers in the final moments. It is an invaluable tool and will become integral to our pitch design programs as we help develop our pitchers in this new realm of pitch design and ball movement.
New E-Commerce Store
As most of you are aware we launched an e-commerce site late last year. The site which is linked to our main website provides a wide variety of training equipment, much of which we use at our own facility.
Stay tuned as we look to expand our offering later this year to help you reach your training goals…
My New Book on VBT
On a personal note, I am excited to announce the upcoming publication of my new book by Human Kinetics. It’s titled “Velocity Based Training, How to Apply Science, Technology and Data to Maximize Performance”. VBT is a topic I have written about previously in great detail and we’ve been using it with great success at RPP for several years now.
It is scheduled for release in early June, and you can currently pre-order on Amazon (link above). The book is a soup-to-nuts on implementing and training with VBT, a training methodology that I believe is about the take center stage during the next few years in training explosive athletes such as pitchers and ball players.
RPP Price Increases (June 2021)
Over the past several years as our business has grown, we’ve been fortunate to build a customer base with a high degree of loyalty. However, delivering a world class product is expensive. As we have continually invested in our business during the past several years, our athletes have benefitted greatly. Increasing prices is never a fun topic but unfortunately we need to raise ours at this time. New revised pricing will go into effect this coming June. Different services will have different adjustments. Please feel free to contact the front desk for details. We are hopeful that you understand.
Closing Remarks
In closing, we’d like to thank you for your continued loyalty. We’re very proud of what we have built and continue to build here at RPP. We hope to continue to bring you the highest level of commitment and training in the years ahead. All the Best,
Nunzio Signore and Bahram Shirazi (Owners at RPP Baseball)
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