With the thundering crack of the bat, the baseball soars screaming into deep center over the padded outfield wall. The home run is common in the game of baseball, but what goes into this perfect swing? What if I told you that a complete data breakdown of everything that goes into a swing as sweet as Ken Griffey Jr’s is out there?
Well it is, with bat sensor technology.
As America’s past-time ages, new technology such as bat sensors are growing in their use. Today, the MLB put another step forward in the growth of this tech. Blast Motion, an industry innovator focused on advanced sensor-based motion capture, swing analysis, and 360-degree game improvement solutions, announced a multi-year deal with the MLB that makes them the Official Bat Sensor Technology of Major League Baseball.
Blast Baseball will be available for organizational developmental use by MLB teams, and will be featured at the 2016 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game on July 10. The sensor technology will soon be available for purchase through the official MLB.com/shop, and will also be used by by youth athletes at the USA Baseball National Training Complex at Thomas Brooks Park in Cary, NC.
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“We’ve created a seamless user experience that’s portable, affordable, and easy to use,” said Roger Weingarth, Blast Motion President and COO. “We’re excited to be partnering with MLB to advance the game of baseball and bring professional-grade technology to athletes of all skillsets. It’s going to be fun watching technology enable a new generation of athletes.”
The Blast Baseball swing analysis sensor, Power Sensor, and mobile apps all aid in the recognition and analyzing of an individual’s swing mechanics. With a water proof sensor and bat attachment which can slip over any baseball or softball bat’s knob, swing metrics are measured to the smallest detail.
Blast Baseball has been named The Official Bat Sensor Technology of @MLB! For more info: https://t.co/AjzzWabmbg pic.twitter.com/vK1Whr6jwE
— blastmotion (@blastmotion) June 30, 2016
Blast Motion has also patented its Smart Video Capture technology accompanied by a user’s smartphone camera. Using the Blast Baseball app, the tech comes together and syncs recorded swing metrics with video to deeper analyze an individual’s mechanics. The app automatically detects a user’s swing and creates “highlight” video clips of their swinging motion. The videos are edit free and do not require playback intervention in order to properly view the clips.
The app has been designed for professional use by MLB teams providing them with 360-degree game improvement solutions. Which essentially means players and coaches can work efficiently together to analyze the data and video provided by Blast. The apps also require a Blast-assigned team identifier prior to login in order to create a more personalized experience.
The adoption and growth of the MLB pulling the trigger on wearable tech during games has opened the door for other tech as well.
In April, the MLB cleared two specific wearables, the motusBASEBALL sensor which can help teams quantitatively measure arm exertion and stress and the Zephyr Bioharness, a chest strap that will capture the physiological data of a players.
Blast Motion has not been cut short in their partnerships in the sport of baseball before landing the MLB deal. In April, off the heels of their partnership with Easton, Blast Motion released three new apps to go along with the swing sensor technology. The apps aid in gathering swing speed, time to contact, swing direction, power and other valuable data.
A month later, Blast Motion partnered with the Houston Astros making the Easton Power Sensor the official monitor of the team. Major League Baseball is the first major U.S. professional sports league to allow wearables during regular season games. With this, the growth towards more wearable tech in other professional sports looks to be guaranteed in the foreseeable future.
Wearable technology is the future of the sporting world and the MLB is leading the charge. With more towering home runs reminiscent of Hank Aaron himself, Blast Motion’s bat sensors will have plenty of data to record. Perhaps well will see just what goes into an all-time great’s swing, only time will tell.