PITTSBURGH – As part of their presentation “How Technology Unlocked My True Potential At The Plate” from the 2017 American Baseball Coaches Association Convention, Diamond Kinetics co-founder and Professor of Mechanical Engineering at The University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Buddy Clark, in conjunction with Master Hitting Instructor Dan Koosed of Pro Swing Rx in Anaheim, Calif., discussed how and why exit velocity and launch angle are so important, relative to hitting success.

In the clip above (Part 3 of our series), Dr. Clark tells us the physics behind the results and why physics dictate that certain launch angles allow for a certain amount of ball travel distance, relative to exit velocity.

In taking a look at the above image, we see the results for a ball with an exit velocity of 80 mph, coupled with three different launch angles (0° degrees, 10° degrees and 30° degrees).

Per Dr. Clark, the ball with the launch angle of 0° degrees and an exit velocity of 80 mph will travel roughly 30 feet in the air. A ball with a launch angle of 10° degrees and an exit velocity of 80 mph will travel roughly 130 feet, while a ball with a launch angle of 30° degrees and an exit velocity of 80 mph will travel roughly 265 feet.

By changing the launch angle, the batter goes from carrying the ball halfway back to the pitcher (0° degree launch angle), to carrying the ball to second base (10° degree launch angle), to carrying the ball to the outfield (30° degree launch angle) – and therefore giving themselves the opportunity for an extra base hit.

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And in case you missed it, we have Part 1 and Part 2 of Dr. Clark and Mr. Koosed’s presentation below. In Part 2, Mr. Koosed gives us quantitative proof of how increased launch angles, coupled with high exit velocity, can ultimately lead to very good results.

PART 2: “How Technology Unlocked My True Potential At The Plate”

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In Part 1, Dr. Clark outlines how he and Mr. Koosed will present case studies, data and quantifiable means as to how technology can unlock cause and effect data, and allow any batter to reach their true potential at the plate.

PART 1: “How Technology Unlocked My True Potential At The Plate”