Rapsodo

As I have said before, I was introduced to Rapsodo in high school. In that time, I got a basic understanding of what the machine was capable of. Since I have started working with Travis Fitta and OU's coaching staff and players, I have used it everyday during practice. Rapsodo is key in the development of the players. It can give us information such as launch angle, exit velocity, spin of the ball off the bat, and where the ball would travel on a field. Part of this information is knowing your players, what goals they should have, and what approach is best for them individually; because each hitter is different. Some players will want to live in a certain launch angle. For example, guys that have a lot of pop will normally have success having a higher launch angle, while there are other players that aren't going to hit the ball out of the park a lot that will have more success with a lower launch angle. (Of course there will be certain situations that dictate what a hitter is trying to do in a certain at bat in a game).

We can also see a players average exit velocity and determine what launch angle is best for them. The players that we work with will have testing days every three weeks, and we gauge their exit velocities, launch angles, etc. We then take this information and create reports on each player. For the next couple weeks we work with the hitters and give them drills created specifically for them to improve on the things that they need to improve on. Another invaluable tool that comes with Rapsodo, is the ability to tell us the spin of the ball when it leaves the bat. Ideally, players want to create backspin between 2500 and 3000 rpm. This will allow the ball to travel further, than if it is hit true, or with topspin. A small feature that is important to note on Rapsodo is the fact that after the ball is hit, it shows two lines. There is a dotted line that shows where the ball would have gone if the ball was hit without spin, and then there is a solid line that shows where the ball will actually go with the backspin that the hitter has created. This allows players to buy in to what coaches and instructors are telling them because they have visual confirmation.

Even if you throw all the data to the side, Rapsodo gives us the ability to create a competitive atmosphere inside. In the middle of fall and winter, it is often easy to start going through the motions and get bored just taking swings inside a cage. With this machine we are able to give our hitters game like situations, and focus on specific players doing specific things while simulating at bats. That's why this one of the most valuable things about Rapsodo. And having a program that takes an individualized approached for their players will ultimately have more success than having a one size fits all approach.