The term “big data” is one the industrial sector usually equates to increasing amounts of information that can be extracted from production equipment, inventory management systems, and other enterprise assets. Well, now it also means exit velocity, carry distance and attack angles.
No, that’s not a reference to testing results for a military supplier, but the data being captured by teams like the Minnesota Twins and Houston Astros as they implement Blast Motion sensors and mobile apps. Blast Motion uses sensors that can be attached to either end of the bat for capturing data about the player’s swing.
In addition to those previously mentioned datasets, the sensor and software can also provide information that includes launch angle, bat and hand speed, and the swing’s time-to-contact. All of this data is fed to a mobile app that provides videos, 3D visualizations, and other personalized instructional tools to help the player adjust his swing. It also monitors the player’s progress over time and identifies performance trends. This insight allows players to create a guided approach to improving their swing.
Although the Twins and Astros are the only teams publicly acknowledging the use of Blast, some insiders estimate that more than half of the teams in Major League Baseball are using it. Although it’s the league’s official bat sensor, Blast is prohibited from use during games.
The Blast Baseball mobile app and sensor sells for $150, with subscription packages for cloud services ranging from $60 -$100 annually. The technology is also available for golf and softball.