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Why Baseball Biomechanics Information is a Game Changer

baseball biomechanics

Until not long ago baseball biomechanics information from motion capture systems (mocap) was primarily available in research labs, rehab facilities or biomechanics departments at universities.  Much of the work in this arena has been performed by biomechanists who specialize in the study of movement. They generally use the principles of physical mechanics combined with biology to understand:

    • How we move
    • How we can move more effectively and efficiently
    • Why we get injured and how to reduce the incidence of injury

Two prominent figures in the world of baseball mocap have been Dr. Glenn Fleisig and Dr. James Andrews, dating back to 1985 with their work at the American Sports Medicine Institute (“ASMI”).

But times are changing fast… Continue reading “Why Baseball Biomechanics Information is a Game Changer”

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Reopening Guidelines; Summer Registrations

Hey Everyone,

PLEASE READ ENTIRE POST BELOW!

Yesterday, New Jersey’s Governor Murphy gave us the green light to proceed with our reopening with 2 major limitations:

    • Capacity usage limit of 25%
    • Strength training by appointment only – This means you can’t come to the facility outside your designated appointment / time slot

Given the current environment, we have had to make certain adjustments to how athletes can train at RPP this summer. Continue reading “Reopening Guidelines; Summer Registrations”

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So, Your Velo’s Got the Virus!

By Nunzio Signore (BA, CSCS, CPT, NASM, FMS)

stress and performance

You are at home doing everything you can to stay athletic. You are working out (the best you can), getting your reps in, throwing/hitting in the backyard, and filming yourself so that you can make sure you’re not developing bad habits. But as the weeks go by, you continue to see lower throwing and exit velos.

If you’re feeling stressed, you’re not alone. Continue reading “So, Your Velo’s Got the Virus!”

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How to Analyze Baseball Swing Mechanics in 15 Steps

baseball swing mechanics

Hitting an MLB fastball requires the application of a huge amount of energy in the blink of an eye, roughly 130 ms to be exact. That’s about a 1/8th of a second. Only through a coordinated series of contractions involving not only muscles but joints and connective tissue traveling up the kinetic chain into the hands and ultimately the bat can we achieve adequate bat speed and quickness to hit a baseball traveling at speeds north of 90 mph. This article is meant to familiarize you with the 2 distinct phases (stride and swing) and 15 positions in baseball hitting and baseball swing mechanics that we review when analyzing video. Continue reading “How to Analyze Baseball Swing Mechanics in 15 Steps”

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Baseball Hitting Mechanics… How to Address Sway?

baseball hitting mechanics

In this series of short articles and video analyses, as a part of assessing our hitters, I will be going over different components of baseball hitting mechanics, while Nunzio will help highlight potential issues and correctives both inside and outside the nets. Today’s topic on hitting mechanics is Sway, and it starts at with the stance and set up… Continue reading “Baseball Hitting Mechanics… How to Address Sway?”

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How We Assess Hitters at RPP Baseball

hitting assessment

As an athlete, you are not able to move efficiently if your body isn’t in a position to do so. Incorporating assessments, strength training and data analytics into how we train players is a bit of an art. Since each and every player is different in every way, the key is to parse through the information and determine which pieces are relevant for each player. Below is a typical assessment for position players at our facility and it’s broken up into several sections:

Let’s review these with some specificity… Continue reading “How We Assess Hitters at RPP Baseball”

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3 Questions When Analyzing Kinematic Sequence with K-Vest Baseball

k-vest baseball

HITTING IS HARD! Fortunately, technologies such as K-Vest Baseball, Blast and Rapsodo allow us to measure many metrics and movements, thus, giving the hitter a better chance to succeed. Unless you can understand and incorporate data into your training the value of data would be meaningless.  I should also add that it is easy for hitters to get lost in the numbers unless the collective data is properly incorporated into their training.

As an athlete, you are not able to move efficiently if your body isn’t in a position to do so. In terms of timing, if your lower half isn’t in a strong stable position to efficiently transfer energy and allow the upper half to move, then you will have a tough time hitting at any level.

It is important to understand how the lower body is behaving and how it should behave when a player is “on time”.  Here are 3 questions to ask when analyzing timing through the Pelvis of a Kinematic Sequence as measured by the K-Vest Baseball: Continue reading “3 Questions When Analyzing Kinematic Sequence with K-Vest Baseball”

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What to Do With All the Data Coming Out of Showcases?

During the past year several showcases announced partnerships with technology companies, whereby participants skills are measured during their events.  We’re not talking about the usual 60-yard dash.  We’re talking about esoteric topics like vertical bat angles of a swing and spin efficiency levels on a pitch.  On the one hand this is great news for the game. Technology is changing baseball for the better and the data can be invaluable for both training and evaluation. On the other hand, although I am a big believer in tech and the value it brings, there is an issue. Continue reading “What to Do With All the Data Coming Out of Showcases?”

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Educating Your Staff… The Palooza Experience

For the past few years, I’ve had the privilege of presenting with some of the brightest and innovative minds in baseball. Always being a big believer in educating my coaches and athletes, last year, I brought two of my coaches from RPP along with me to listen and learn when I spoke at Pitch-A-Palooza.  If you’ve never heard of it (hard to believe), Palooza is Lantz Wheeler’s 3-day extravaganza that brings together 500+ (it grows every year that I’ve presented there), forward-thinking coaches, trainers, PT’s and data/tech analysts.

The “take-home” for my guys was so beneficial that it prompted me to bring 5 of them this year. My strength coach, 2 pitching coaches, my hitting coach and a data intern all accompanied me to grab some knowledge and just as important bond as a unit. Palooza is somewhat of a “meeting of the minds” looking to both listen to and share with each other different mind sets on making players and coaches healthier and more efficient at what they do. It’s a welcome break from the world of social media we live in where many times, people troll each other’s posts simply to stick out their chest and criticize each other.

At the end of the event, I asked my guys for their impressions and their favorite presentations.  Here is their feedback.  Enjoy… Continue reading “Educating Your Staff… The Palooza Experience”