New update allows pitchers to get unprecedented insights into their pitches, helping them reach never-before-seen levels of performance

ST. LOUIS, Jan. 26, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rapsodo, the sports technology and data analytics company known for their industry-leading products and experiences, announces a new software update to its existing PRO 3.0 device. Earlier this month, the update debuted at the 2023 American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) convention in Nashville.

The PRO 3.0, which launched in June of 2022, is Rapsodo’s first all-in-one hitting and pitching device that delivers the next generation in player development to optimize peak performance, operating with a 75% faster processing time to help streamline practice. The update will provide users with baseball’s newest metrics, pioneered by the company: Seam Orientation and Seam-Shifted Wake Break (Wake Break). Rapsodo’s PRO 3.0 will be the world’s first device to compute these data points, helping athletes on MLB, college, high school, and youth teams. Seam orientation is now available for PRO 3.0 users, while Wake Break will be released in the near future.

Seam Orientation & Seam-Shifted Wake Break

Seam orientation is the position of the seams relative to the ball's spin axis. Pitchers adjust their seam orientation by gripping the ball in different ways.

Seam orientation creates the Seam-Shifted Wake Effect resulting in unexpected pitch movement. For example, if a ball is thrown the same exact way twice (same spin axis, spin rate and velocity), but has a different seam orientation, the Seam-Shifted Wake Effect can cause as much as eight inches of difference in break. Players and coaches will now be able to analyze seam orientation and Wake Break together to see how changing the orientation during pitch design can add or reduce break. The soon-to-be-released Wake Break metric will then inform players and coaches how much of their break is a result of the Seam-Shifted Wake Effect.

Origins of the Metrics

John Garrett, Analytics Engineer at Rapsodo, has been at the forefront of seam orientation and Seam-Shifted Wake research since its inception. In 2019, he began researching the Seam-Shifted Wake Effect at Utah State University’s Experimental Fluid Dynamics Lab as a mechanical engineering student. Garrett and his team used Rapsodo’s early devices to test their theories. He joined Rapsodo in March 2022 after a stint with MLB and has spearheaded the implementation of seam orientation and Wake Break into Rapsodo’s PRO 3.0 device.

Impact

For years, elite pitchers have tracked metrics like ball speed and spin rate, adjusting pitches accordingly to perform at the highest level possible. With seam orientation and Wake Break incorporated into the mix, pitchers will be able to achieve a new understanding of how to make pitches more difficult to hit. The impact these metrics have on an individual pitch can be the difference between a batter hitting a home run and striking out.

“I strongly believe this data and the actions pitchers take as a result of analyzing this data can turn an average pitcher into an elite pitcher,” says John Garrett, Analytics Engineer at Rapsodo. “This could also shift the way pitchers practice. Frequently monitoring their seam orientation and the resulting Wake Break (Seam-Shifted Wake) will let them focus on adjusting those minute details that will help take them to the next level.”

Additional Features
The new update to PRO 3.0 also includes the following metrics:

• Release Extension: the distance from the mound where a pitcher released the ball
• Contact Depth: the depth at which the ball was struck in relation to the front of home plate
• Strike Zone Visual: an interactive 3D visual of the ball and its location in the strike zone
  

Coaches and players will benefit from these metrics for several reasons. Release extension provides insight into how fast the ball is appearing to approach home plate. Greater extension will result in the ball looking faster.

Since optimal contact depth can change from hitter to hitter, being able to track performance based on this new metric allows for a more tailored player development plan.

Lastly, having visual feedback on the strike zone allows coaches to have a clearer picture of what the ball is doing once it reaches the batter.

“Rapsodo is on the front lines of technological innovation in sports, and adding these new advanced features to the PRO 3.0 will allow pitchers to add more tricks to their arsenal,” Batuhan Okur, CEO of Rapsodo said. “We’re excited to see how access to this type of data will change the way pitchers perform.”

The PRO 3.0 update is now available for anyone who has the unit.

You can learn more about the unit or purchase it here: rapsodo.com/pages/pro-3-0.

About Rapsodo:
Rapsodo develops data-driven sports technologies designed to empower athletes and coaches. Their products are used by thousands of professional and collegiate teams, including all 30 MLB teams. Founded in 2010, the company developed the first affordable golf personal launch monitor, distributed in the USA under SkyTrak. In 2019, Rapsodo released its Mobile Launch Monitor (MLM) which has since received many accolades, including MyGolfSpy’s 2021 Best Personal Launch Monitor. The company continues to focus on delivering a variety of sports training and simulation technologies that allow users to better understand performance through reliable statistics. This ultimately translates into Rapsodo's motto of "Measure to Master." Devoted to growing its business and customer base, Rapsodo was recognized as part of the prestigious Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing private companies in 2021 and 2022. To learn more, visit Rapsodo.com.

Media Contact:
Patrick Lloyd
Uproar PR for Rapsodo
plloyd@uproarpr.com
(813) 422-2450