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Best of 2021… Strength Training, Pitching and Hitting Articles

It’s been even another crazy year for everyone, but that didn’t stop us from continuing our efforts to develop great ball players while educating the community at the same time. A few years ago, I started a series in which I posted the most popular blogs of the year. These are the articles that received the most traffic, according to our hosting statistics. It seems to be a favorite of everyone, so here we go again with the most popular baseball articles of 2021. Continue reading “Best of 2021… Strength Training, Pitching and Hitting Articles”

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A Week in the Life of an RPP Data Intern

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I joined RPP Baseball as a Data Intern this past September, and was very excited about the opportunity to learn all of the different aspects of applying technology to training pitchers and hitters. Little did I know how all-encompassing it would be. The process of working and training daily with the latest technology has proved to be an amazing experience for my personal development as a professional in this industry. Whether I am working with Rapsodo Pitching, Rapsodo Insight, Blast Motion, HitTrax, K-Vest, or assisting with our bio-mechanist on a full blown Qualisys motion capture system, I am amazed at the impact that data and technology can have on player progression and talent maximization. I decided to write this article, not only to summarize how much I have learned in this position, but also to help provide a road map for all those that may come after me. Continue reading “A Week in the Life of an RPP Data Intern”

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A Day (Week, and Month) in the Life of a College Hitter at RPP – Part 2

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In Part 1 of this article, we covered the information we gathered from the initial assessment on this specific college athlete and how we addressed the disconnects we felt could be easily improved. Part Two will now dive into the work this athlete put in through the remainder of the summer, as well as the information we gathered from reassessments and the changing landscape of our training environment. Continue reading “A Day (Week, and Month) in the Life of a College Hitter at RPP – Part 2”

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A Day (Week, and Month) in the Life of a College Hitter at RPP – Part 1

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The summer season can be a great opportunity for college baseball players to go off and play in various summer leagues throughout the country. Some of the top tier guys go to the Cape Cod League or other competitive leagues like the NECBL and Northwoods for an opportunity to play in front of pro scouts and elevate their draft stock. Younger guys may head off to smaller leagues where pitchers can get a ton of innings and hitters can get plenty of ABs to supplement those they might not have gotten in the spring. But for other guys, the “In-Betweeners,” the summer provides a different, maybe less conventional opportunity – a chance to pop open the hood and work on their game to return to school in the fall a more efficient athlete from both a hitting and strength standpoint. Continue reading “A Day (Week, and Month) in the Life of a College Hitter at RPP — Part 1”

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Off-season Hitting Program – Frequently Asked Questions

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The following is a list of “frequently asked questions” that we often receive on our off-season hitting program.  Hope it’s helpful, but please feel free to reach the front desk at 201-308-3363 with any additional inquiries at any time or set up a visit / “consult session” where we can give you an on-site tour and review the programming.

Hitting Program Questions

Q: Will my bat speed and exit velo improve? Continue reading “Off-season Hitting Program – Frequently Asked Questions”

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How to Address an Excessive Attack Angle

Attack Angle

Attack angle is a valuable metric that indicates the trajectory of the hitter’s barrel path as it impacts the baseball. At RPP, rather than striving for a specific number, we like to see our hitters achieve an optimal attack angle range that will maximize their opportunity to make flush contact with the incoming pitch; the ideal range is between 5-15 degrees.  There can be several contributors to an excessive attack angle.  When the attack angle is too high (swinging too uphill), we first want to figure out what is causing it and then determine a plan of action to improve it. The following disconnects could potentially lead to an excessive attack angle: Continue reading “How to Address an Excessive Attack Angle”

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How to Use Blast Motion and HitTrax Info to Improve – Part 2

HitTrax

In part 2 of this series, we’re going to zero in on HitTrax results (click here for Part 1 on Blast metrics).  HitTrax provides a plethora of data in a variety of formats on batted balls that can help us evaluate a hitter’s performance at the plate, including spray charts, depth of contact and strike zone information.  Given the amount of variability in hitting a baseball, we generally like to collect information on at least 100 batted balls per hitter.  Hopefully this will include incoming pitches throughout the zone with different pitch descent angles to replicate as many different situations as possible. Continue reading “How to Use Blast Motion and HitTrax Info to Improve – Part 2”

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How to Use Blast Motion and HitTrax Info to Improve – Part 1

Blast Motion

Earlier this spring we added a HitTrax machine to our hitting program and we’ve been busy incorporating it into how we assess and train our players.  Now in this 3 part article, we’re going to review what pre-contact metrics from Blast Motion and post-contact data from HitTrax tell us about a hitter and his aptitudes:

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How to Improve Blast Motion Plane Score (Contact)

Blast Plane Score

Blast’s Plane score measures the percentage of time during which your swing is on plane (on-plane efficiency %) and the angle you make contact relative to the horizontal (attack angle). According to Blast, this metric is relevant because players that stay longer on plane:

    • Consistently barrel up balls
    • Can better adjust with their body
    • Are more consistent with exit velocity and launch angles

There are several potential physical impediments that could lead to an undesirable Plane Score.  Issues could range from lower body weaknesses, limitations on t-spine disassociation and even weaknesses in the shoulder region. Continue reading “How to Improve Blast Motion Plane Score (Contact)”

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How to Improve Blast Motion Rotation Score (Power)

Blast Rotation Score

Given the rotational nature of hitting a baseball, there are variety of potential physical impediments that could lead to an undesirable Rotation Score (rotational acceleration and bat speed).  Issues could range from the bottom of the kinetic chain to the top, including lower body weaknesses, hip mobility limitations, t-spine related issues and even weaknesses in the upper extremities. Continue reading “How to Improve Blast Motion Rotation Score (Power)”