Glove Radar is a simple-to-use radar device that attaches to the back of your glove and measures the incoming speed of a baseball or softball. It is supposed to respond to the ball just before impact with the glove, which supposedly gives you the true speed. Compared to a radar gun, the glove radar is relatively inexpensive, reasonably accurate and does not require a third person to operate.
NOTE:
According to the Sports Sensor website, a baseball drops 1mph in speed for every 7 feet so a fastpitch pitcher from 35 feet can expect the speed to drop by as much as 5mph just as it crosses the plate (I'm not a physicist, but it seems reasonable that a softball would drop even more than that just because of the larger surface area of a softball).
I don't actually own a gun radar, but my daughter's pitching coach does. The results produced by this little device are quite good, usually about 2~3 mph lower than the radar gun. According to advertising claims, its accuracy should be within "+/- 1mph of popular radar speed guns". If anybody else has any data on accuracy, please share. I have been using this product for several months to track my daughter's progress. When we first started using this radar in our backyard practices, Rose consistently threw in the low 30's. Now she can consistenly throw in the mid-30's, and her top speed is 37mph. It is an indispensable tool for providing feedback to any young pitcher and will encourage them to throw harder. When a young pitcher uses good mechanics, speed naturally follows. I can't tell you how many times her face just lit up when she found out she just broke her own personal record.
We also use this radar when we practice overhand throws. For example I'd have her throw repeatedly - as hard as she can - from second base to first. I use it to point out flaws in her overhand mechanics and how the speed dropped as a result. After a few practices, I'm also seeing improvement in the speed and accuracy of her overhand throws.
The glove radar is very easy to use. There is an LCD display where the measured speed is displayed, in MPH. The display is clear and very readable in broad daylight. Right below is an "ON" push-button. You simply push it once to turn it on. Initially I think it displays "0", but after some use it will display the last measured speed. Push the "ON" button again and the display will now flash "00", indicating that the radar is ready to measure. Have your pitcher start pitching. Once the ball is caught the measured speed is immediately displayed. Push the "ON" button again before the next pitch to start the next measurement. The radar shuts off on its own after a period of inactivity. I wished this device could record the highest measured speed - that would be my only gripe about its features.
IMO the biggest flaw of this product is how it is secured to the glove, and the included instructions were not the most helpful in this regard. In my case I attached the glove radar to the back of a catcher glove and had to tie the lanyard around the wrist strap. Well, not every glove will have a wrist strap so you may have to get creative and find a way to properly secure it, which is very important. If the glove radar is loosely secured and moves upon ball impact, the measured speed is likely to be less accurate. I have had to re-secure the device once or twice in several months.
Overall Rating: 5 out of 5
Ease of Setup: 4 out of 5
Usability: 5 out of 5
Features: 4 out of 5
Value: 5 out of 5
Buy it here: Sports Sensors Glove Radar
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