Ways to Measure Spin Rate Using a Diamond Kinetic Ball

Ways to Measure Spin Rate Using a Diamond Kinetic Ball

There are many products out on the market that are helping improve player development at the amateur level of baseball. Many of these products can seem daunting to amateur level coaches, but there are many benefits to having this technology. There are two products that are not only affordable but helpful for player development at the amateur level. One being Blast Motion as I have already wrote about in prior posts. The other is Diamond Kinetics. What I would suggest is getting a Diamond Kinetic ball. This ball will tell many advanced metrics that will help your pitchers improve, but the one metric that will really help them is Spin Rate. 

What is Spin Rate?

According to MLB.com Spin Rate,"Represents the rate of spin on a baseball after it is released. It is measured in revolutions per minute." The amount of spin on a pitch will change the trajectory of the pitch after it is released. For example, a high Spin Rate fastball appears to rise to a hitter compared to the same pitch at the same velocity with a lower Spin Rate. Another example is a changeup with a lower Spin Rate. This pitch will have more movement on it since it is a lower Spin Rate pitch. The higher the Spin Rate, the better chance for a swing and miss. 

At the higher levels of baseball we have noticed the importance of Spin Rate and how to classify pitchers. It appears at the amateur level of baseball we have not caught up with the upper levels of baseball and rightfully so, there is a vast difference in budget. But with an affordable piece of technology, we can bridge the gap better than before. This is where the Diamond Kinetic ball comes into play. One of the most important metrics for pitcher development and find the right pitch mix for the pitcher is Spin Rate. Luckily the Diamond Kinetic ball will tell you information to calculate the Spin Rate for all pitches. 

To find the proper Spin Rate for your pitchers, use the Bauer Unit equation. Driveline Baseball states that, "Bauer Units normalize spin rate per velocity, which, as you’ll see, is important when comparing pitchers’ spin rates." The Bauer Unit equation is very simple, it is Spin Rate (RPM) divided by Velocity (MPH). Average spin is around 24, above average spin is above 24 and below average spin is below 24. 

Classifying Pitchers

The pitch to use to classify what group of spin that the pitcher will be in is the fastball. There will be three groups of spin that will tell the pitcher and coaches how to attack hitters to have success. Those groups are average Spin Rate, above average Spin Rate, and below average Spin Rate. Average Spin Rate pitchers will need to look into developing a two-seam fastball. Above average Spin Rate pitchers will need to pitch in the middle to upper parts of the strike zone because the fastball will be rising and have a higher whiff rate. Below average Spin Rate pitchers need to throw middle and low in the strike zone and focus on pitches with sink and movement. 

Conclusion

Having average or below average Spin Rates doesn't mean you are a bad pitcher, all it means is to help create a plan of attack on hitters for the pitcher to have success. For example, I learned last week this interesting statistic. The stat goes that 68% of balls in play in Major League Baseball are outs. That means that more often than not the pitcher is going to win the battle against the hitter. There are many ways to get hitters out in the game of baseball, therefore no matter how much Spin Rate you generate, develop a pitch mix that will allow you to have massive success by using a device such as the Diamond Kinetic ball. 

Works Cited

“What Is a Spin Rate (SR)?: Glossary.” Major League Baseball, m.mlb.com/glossary/statcast/spin-rate.

“Bauer Units and Pitch Comparison.” Driveline Baseball, Driveline Baseball, 1 Feb. 2018, www.drivelinebaseball.com/2017/03/bauer-units-pitch-comparison/.