The team at RIP-IT, an organisation dedicated to changing the baseball and softball landscape through unique design and innovation, now seeks funding for their hi-tec bat. Rip-It has recently launched a KickStarter campaign to raise funds for an exciting piece of technology known as the smartBAT.
The idea will aim to provide a much more comprehensive feedback system for the way an athlete swings their bat; something that until now, has been extremely hard to find. The initial target for the product will be for younger players learning how to play and looking to improve their performance.
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“I am an advocate for providing people with better information because I have learned it leads to better decision making. With the smartBAT, we are helping players and parents make better training decisions by providing them with feedback on how their training is progressing,” says Jason Polstein CEO of RIP-IT, according to their press release.
As the player swings, it is captured at a rate of 1,000 data points per second and fed into advanced algorithms. The result is a set of metrics that can be viewed on a phone or computer that tracks increases in performance. The bat is connected to a phone or computer via Bluetooth and provides feedback on each and every swing, identifying weaknesses and areas that need improvement.
Statistics like bat speed, swing angle, quality of contact and practice time have been recognized as the most vital components of the baseball swing and are conveyed through simple, easy-to-understand graphics that allow players at any skill level to benefit.
For a long time, being taught the ins and outs of baseball, especially when it comes to a batter’s swing, has only come from the local volunteer coach, or at higher levels, a more experienced coach. RIP-IT claims that the advanced technology within the smartBAT can give an experience equal, if not better than, being taught and coached by those at an elite level.
This device, without doubt, will change the way players, especially juniors, learn and improve their performance when batting. The feedback the smartBAT produces has never been seen before and has the ability to do what most junior athletes simply cannot afford. It will act as an alternative to expensive coaching and personal training through professional organisations, and will be much more simple and personalized.
RIP-IT’s goal is to reach $30,000 within the next month to push further ahead with production. For more information and for those interested in making a donationt, the link to their Kickstarter capaign can be found here.