Pocket Radar has launched the Smart Coach Radar, a training app that works as a companion to the company’s portable radar device and provides video records and insights beyond the speed reading.
The California-based startup developed a portable velocity measuring technology to update and scale what previously had been relegated to the bulky radar guns used by baseball scouts—and law enforcement. The radar is just 4.5 ounces and has a stated accuracy of 1 mph within 120 feet.
As cofounder Chris Stewart told Baseball America, a persistent problem for scouts and college recruiters was verifying the accuracy of purported velocities—long a staple stat for pitchers, and increasingly important for hitters through the batted-ball exit velocity number. The Smart Coach Radar can insert a calibrated reading into video recordings.
“Remote training, personal daily analysis, camps and creating instructional videos just got a huge boost,” said longtime baseball coach and consultant Perry Husband in a press release. “Portable and easy to set-up, with video for analysis and sharing, this product allows any player or coach to set up a wireless lab for pitching and hitting feedback. The Smart Coach Radar is the most complete tool for objective feedback that I have used when teaching Effective Velocity in baseball and softball.”
While baseball and softball more commonly use velocity metrics, this tool can be used in other sports as well, including tennis, volleyball, and lacrosse.
“With the new Smart Coach Radar, coaches and athletes of all ages are able to capture accurate speeds integrated with video of their mechanics, or get immediate feedback of their speeds delivered wirelessly to their smartphones,” said Pocket Radar CEO and cofounder Steve Goody in the release. “Now, any youth athlete can use the same technology in their backyard that professional players and teams use on the field every day.”
SportTechie Takeaway
There are other devices and apps that measure speed, such as Blast Vision, which uses smartphone cameras and computer vision. Pocket Radar, however, offers a radar-based measurement that has been tested and certified by the International Association of Chiefs of Police. The new Smart Coach app helps maximize its utility in gaining insights and offering reliable results.