At Pro Skills Baseball, we specialize in providing top-tier hitting instruction to baseball players in South Jersey, focused on helping athletes develop the skills needed to succeed at every level. Our hitting instruction is built on a personalized approach, emphasizing proper mechanics, balance, and power generation. Each player undergoes a comprehensive evaluation process that assesses key aspects of their swing, including timing, vision, back heel load, and adjustability. This data-driven approach allows us to create customized training programs that target individual weaknesses and enhance strengths, ensuring players reach their full potential at the plate.

We break down every detail of the hitter’s mechanics through video analysis and hands-on coaching, offering clear feedback and measurable goals. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced athlete, our expert coaches are committed to helping you improve bat speed, hitting consistency, and overall performance.

We gather information from every area that could affect an athlete's performance. By combining the data and information collected, we can outline what lies ahead and provide a "road map to success."

Data will be collected in – 

• Movement Screening 
• 3D Motion Capture 
• Pressure Mapping 
• Technical Video Analysis 
• Ball Exit Speed (HitTrak)
• Measure Bat speed (Blast Bat Sensor) 
• All players will have their swings video daily uploaded to an app they can view on their phones.

Using the information from all the areas listed above, we can create a custom program for the athlete with a clear picture of what needs to be addressed physically and technically. Below is some information on each area and why it is essential to the entire process.

Physical Movement Screen
 

Coaches often encourage players to move their bodies into positions their athletes are physically incapable of achieving. Usually, players cannot reach a certain exit velocity because they have limited mobility, poor stability, or even a prior injury that limits their range of motion. Yet, suppose coaches are unaware or untrained to assess such physical limitations. In that case, they will likely proceed with barking some mechanical instruction out in a bullpen or batting cage and demonstrating that they don't know what they don't know. 

Through our connection with Onbase University, we are educated and knowledgeable in movement screening related to baseball/softball. If the underlying cause of poor technique (bad mechanics) is poor movement quality, then a coach must be able to identify this and explain it to the player. The training recommendation could include a combination of technical advice and exercises to improve the athlete's fitness level or develop a swing style that accommodates the athlete's physical limitations. 

If a physical limitation in the body causes an athlete's technical issues, standard technical coaching cues or drills will not work to correct it. Instead, the limitation must first be identified, and then the correct measures can be taken to fix the body. Once the body is correct, the proper technical aspects of the swing can be taught/learned.  

3D Motion Capture / Kinematic Sequence
 

Ever wonder how some MLB players with unorthodox mechanics still find success? Or why every MLB hitter seems to have a slightly different swing? Thanks to 3D motion capture systems, researchers have uncovered the true key to effective hitting. It's not about how closely your swing matches legends like Ted Williams or Barry Bonds on video—it's about the efficiency of your swing compared to the best in the game.

With data from 3D motion analysis, we can now understand how players generate speed and transfer energy throughout their bodies. This process, known as the "kinematic sequence," reveals the most efficient way to transfer speed to the bat. Remarkably, all elite hitters share a similar kinematic sequence, regardless of how different their swings look on a 2D video. For instance, if you compared Bryce Harper’s kinematic sequence to Mookie Betts’, you'd find striking similarities, despite their visually different hitting styles.

All great hitters start by generating speed from the lower body, then transferring it through the torso, arms, and ultimately to the bat. However, each player's style of achieving this sequence is unique.

Currently, the only way to measure this efficiency is through a 3D motion capture system.

Technical Video Analysis

Even though efficiency is the key to determining a good swing, 2D video analysis helps break down the swing's technical (mechanics) aspects. As a result, 2D Video can help determine if the athlete presents with unhealthy mechanics or out-of-order movements that can lead to inefficiency in their kinematic sequence. 

Swing Path Metrics Analysis 
 

From the moment it’s released by the pitcher to when it makes contact with the bat, a 90-95 mph pitch takes approximately 400 ms to reach the batter. That’s less than half a second. If you zero in on the actual point of contact, it’s a fraction of that. We are talking about 7 ms. That’s 7 thousandths of a second!

So, if anyone is telling you they know everything about your swing by just looking at it, they are missing the point. The whole thing happens way too fast for the human eye.   There is a great deal that we can learn from a player’s swing path metrics.  The following are examples of several that we analyze in evaluating the swing:

Attack Angle Range is the angle of the bat’s path at impact relative to horizontal.  Although every player has an average AA, the standard deviation is often so wide that we also look at a player’s AA range to understand better their overall swing path.

Power generated during the swing is found from the effective mass of the bat, the Bat Speed at impact, and the average acceleration during the downswing.  Higher Power is achieved when a hitter can swing and accelerate a heavier bat to higher speeds.

Rotational Acceleration measures how quickly your bat accelerates into the swing plane. Rotation is a good indicator of how you properly build bat speed by sequencing. The quicker your rotational acceleration, the more power you will have and the more time you have to decide on the plate.

Average Bat Speed is the speed of the bat's sweet spot at impact, measured six inches from the tip.

Batted Ball Data Analysis 
 

Analyzing batted ball data from HitTrax speaks volumes about a player's strengths and deficiencies behind the plate.

The following summarizes metrics we evaluate from batted ball results using our HitTrax camera system.

• Basic Metrics
• Spray Charts
• Depth of Contact
• Strike Zone

Link to schedule an appointment

https://www.vagaro.com/cl/ur9b-0lrRp~eAPKEFT~5fFQd46yPgb9lNB3zap-EHg4=

Appointment Link