Blast Motion is introducing a new series of metrics that analyze a player’s swing mechanics. A player’s plane, connection, and rotation are now measured and evaluated using machine learning, data mining, and artificial intelligence. The new Blast Insights are available to premium service subscribers.
Prior versions measured raw data such as bat speed, time to contact, and degree of attack angle. A composite Blast Factor score was computed, half based on power and half on efficiency, but the new granular evaluations in Blast IQ detail much more about the swing.
“Plane” measures how long a hitter’s swing remains on the same swing plane after the bat makes contact. This helps predict the consistency of quality contact. “Connection” assesses the angle of the hitter’s body in relation to the bat, which indicates an ability to adjust to pitches at different locations. “Rotation” measures how quickly a bat accelerates into the swing plane, which is a good indicator for proper sequencing of body mechanics.
Blast Motion says it works with at least 21 MLB clubs (although only the Astros and Twins are public partners), and that these metrics apply to both baseball and softball. In conjunction with its Blast Vision product, the same dashboard can offer batted-ball result data such as exit velocity and launch angle.
“For the first time ever, with release 5.0, consumers will have access to a highly accurate, affordable, and mobile pre-impact and post-impact hitting solution that intelligently provides actionable insights, available from a single vendor,” said Blast Motion CEO Michael Fitzpatrick in a statement. “We’ve optimized and proven our solution at the highest levels with over 70 percent of the MLB teams and all of the [National Pro Fastpitch] teams using Blast.
“Unlike professional high-speed camera systems and launch monitors, the Blast solution provides a complete view of a player’s swing, showing both the cause and the effect, and can be used anywhere to deliver real-time feedback, while giving serious athletes a significant collegiate and professional recruiting advantage. This is truly a game-changing development, and it represents the future of sports.”
SportTechie Takeaway
The periodic critique of wearable and sensor technologies has been that there is often insufficient support to understand the new wealth of data. Metrics such as plane, connection, rotation could help answer that need. Presenting a number for attack angle has limited value without knowing whether a hitter jerked his or her hands at the last second to make contact or whether he or she was prepared with the bat on a level plane through the strike zone to make better contact. These new Blast IQ metrics could help in evaluating and motivating player performance, rather than just tracking a record of what happened.