HitTrax

Massachusetts-based InMotion Systems, LLC releases next generation HitTrax System with portable hardware and scalable software

NORTHBOROUGH, Mass., Nov. 1, 2017 -- InMotion Systems, developer of HitTrax™ and the world leader in enhanced training and simulation in the baseball and softball industries, proudly announces availability of the next generation HitTrax Motion Capture and Simulation System. Utilizing patented technology and artificial intelligence (AI) driven computer vision (CV), the new HitTrax platform maintains the high level of accuracy and millisecond response time that has made HitTrax the standard for indoor training centers, while adding the new capability of performing in outdoor environments.

The physical size of the new platform is significantly reduced compared to its predecessor as the system utilizes a two-camera configuration to capture the incoming pitch and outgoing hit. This smaller form factor allows the system to be more portable with varying mounting options to fit every scenario. On the software side, enhancements to the tracking algorithms are used to capture metrics during outdoor practices, assessments, and events thus collecting valuable data during indoor and on-field sessions.

"Advancing our proprietary tracking algorithms and incorporating the latest in camera technology has allowed us to produce a smaller, more scalable system," says Founder, Mike Donfrancesco. "The new platform allows us to immediately expand our capabilities while setting the stage for further innovations that are currently in development. The progression is driven by our desire to move all aspects of the game forward while providing our users with the flexible tools, powerful information, and one-of-a-kind experience to enable their success."

The scalable CV algorithms will serve as the backbone for today's indoor/outdoor system while also allowing the company to scale its product offerings and release an entry-level app for mobile platforms. The app will be targeted to consumers and serve as an introduction to HitTrax metrics. Expected release for the app is in Q1 2018, available for iOS and Android devices.

By Max Gelman @ St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"In previous years I've hit a lot of line drives and balls on the ground, but now I really try to increase a little bit of the launch angle and elevate the ball a little more," Kelly said. "I'm not the fastest guy out there, so if I hit the ball on the ground, I'm more than likely out, so hitting the ball in the air and driving the ball into the gap is what I'm getting back to."

Launch angle is a statistic normally found on sabermetric-based websites such as FanGraphs, Baseball Prospectus and Baseball Savant. But Kelly said he doesn't read those sites, rather he uses a hitting tool called HitTrax.

"It's a new machine where you can hit at any stadium and it reads the velocity off the bat and the launch angle," Kelly said. "Just kinda looking at that and trying to figure out what's the best angle for me and (how) do I get the most distance and velocity off the bat."

All Kelly did, he said, is "just messing around with those numbers a little bit and trying to figure out what is the most optimal angle for me."

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By William Boor @ MLB.com

In addition to working with people in the Brewers organization, Gatewood flew to Indiana to work with hitting coach Benny Craig. When he was home in Clovis, Calif., he would drive roughly five hours roundtrip once or twice a week to work with hitting consultant Matt Lisle, founder of The Hitting Vault.

Lisle use HitTrax to gather data with his clients, and when Gatewood came in for an assessment, he averaged an exit velocity of 95 mph and a launch angle of 10 degrees. After a few months of work, Gatewood was crushing the ball upwards of 110 mph with a launch angle of roughly 30 degrees.

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By David Laurila @ Fangraphs

MLB 2016 HR leader Mark Trumbo -- "In the offseason, I'll dig in a bit more. We have a HitTrax system, which a lot of people are aware of now. You can use that to kind of monitor things, to make sure everything is roughly where you want it to be. [...] For me, it's a good, standardized way to practice in a cage-type setting."

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By Don Wade @ Memphis Daily News

Memphis Baseball Academy teaches pitching, hitting and fielding to youth players and teams and has filmed players hitting in the past; that's not new. But the HitTrax motion-capture technology that MBA owner Kerry Sweeney purchased combines the culture’s reliance on detailed data for almost everything and people’s desire for visual interconnectivity."

"He just implemented HitTrax in January, but already it's popular enough that several competitive youth teams have had sleepovers on the weekend at MBA to ensure all their players could try it and they can mine the data so they have a starting point for working with hitters going into the season."

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By Roger Brown @ New Hampshire Union Leader

Indoor baseball workouts don't have to be mundane. Not if you're using HitTrax at the Ultimate Sports Academy in Manchester.

HitTrax is a data capture and simulation system that has taken off-season training to another level by providing a player with instant feedback following a session in the batting cage. That feedback analyzes tendencies, and quickly identifies a hitter's strengths and weaknesses.

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By Taylor Bloom @ SportTechie

The sport of baseball is at an interesting crossroads. While Major League Baseball took in a record $9 billion in revenue last year, and the average value of the 30 MLB teams is $1.2 billion, the sport's average audience viewer hovers around 55 years old. So while business is currently booming for baseball's top league, many fear the foundation of the game is eroding because it is failing to resonate with younger generations.

This aging issue is often blamed on the slower pace of baseball going against the acceleration of everyday society as we become a digitally entwined species who not only demands but expects information and feedback at increasingly quicker rates.

However, there is an intriguing technological baseball trio forming down at LakePoint, a state-of-the-art sporting complex about a thirty minute drive north of downtown Atlanta, that is hoping to bring a renewed passion to hitting that is fueled by simulation, swing analytics and cognitive training.

Axon Sports, Diamond Kinetics and HitTrax are three cutting-edge baseball tech companies that we have been closely following as they have developed from startup to established ball player training resources over the last few years. Now the three are joining forces at LakePoint to build a program called HITTER'S [R]EVOLUTION. This program will combine the three technologies of each company to take hitters through a three step training experience. First, Axon Sports will assess and train players' pitch recognition skills. Second, Diamond Kinetics will measure and analyse key metrics of their swing. Third, HitTrax will track data on each hit as it leaves the bat.

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"The integration of SwingTracker [by Diamond Kinetics] and HitTrax is a massive win for the entire baseball analytics industry and community. It affords any and all people involved with baseball the opportunity to learn about swings and hits simultaneously with unprecedented ease, and thus improve the two with unified accuracy."

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"At Baseball Rebellion, the last thing we want to do is teach our players to hit ground balls and low line drive singles up the middle over and over. Baseball Rebellion hitters are GREEDY and want to do DAMAGE during their at bats, with extra base hits off and over the wall! That's why many people, from all over the country, fly here for in person training and hire us for online hitting lessons. One of those player's HitTrax data will be used here to illustrate the awesome power of both the HitTrax and how changing movement totally changes the results and ceiling of a baseball or softball hitter."

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Northborough, MA - January 22, 2016 - InMotion Systems, LLC, today announced that it has won Collegiate Baseball Newspaper's Best of Show award at the 2016 American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Convention held earlier this month in Nashville for the HitTrax VCAM (Video Capture and Analytics Module). This is InMotion’s second Best of Show award, having received the honor in 2014 for the introduction of the HitTrax data capture and simulation system for baseball and softball. The award is given to the top innovative baseball products showcased at the ABCA convention.

“The HitTrax VCAM represents another step forward in the innovation HitTrax brings to the baseball community. This enhancement further validates the impact that quantitative data and immediate feedback bring to player development and instruction,” said Michael Donfrancesco, owner and manager of InMotion Systems, LLC. "We are thrilled that the selection committee has again chosen HitTrax as one of their Best of Show award winners."

The HitTrax VCAM allows for recorded video clips of a player’s swing to be synchronized and catalogued with the incoming pitch and outgoing hit data, which are also measured by the HitTrax system. Swing clips are automatically edited down to capture only the full swing, saving instructors valuable time while providing the ability to perform side-by-side video comparisons complete with illustration tools and more. With the HitTrax VCAM, instructors can now show the cause and effect of a swing and how each swing correction has an immediate effect on the hit. For more on HitTrax and the HitTrax VCAM please visit www.hittraxbaseball.com

September 18, 2015 - The Northborough based company, InMotion Systems, LLC, has created a product that tracks player performance with entertainment value. Not only can athletes hit the ball in most major league parks but they are video recorded to analyze swing. HitTrax is now being used by many baseball academys and even scouts for major league baseball teams.

WATCH VIDEO ON BOSTON.COM

How does a baseball player master their swing? A simple answer would be "proper coaching," but sometimes it takes a little more than verbal advice for players to properly identify their strengths and weaknesses on the field. This is why executives at InMotion Systems LLC, developed the HitTrax data capture and simulation system.

HitTrax is the first and only baseball simulator in the market. It offers players personalized statistics helping them become more in-tune with their playing techniques when practicing in an indoor training environment. It does this by transforming any batting cage into a hi-tech analytics and stats center enabling players to enhance their hitting and pitching techniques before stepping onto the field.

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Hitting into the Future
By Seana Smith

Baseball, commonly referred to as "America's national pastime," is taking a step into the future with a brand new machine, HitTrax.

The game's first and only virtual simulator is redefining the way baseball players are evaluated by combining analytics and real-time feedback. Now, players don't have to wait until springtime to see results on the big screen.

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CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - With their hour-long, highly competitive workout in the batting cages at the new Perfect Game Headquarters on this city's far northeast side completed late Saturday morning, Marion (Iowa) High School teammates Kaleb Lochner and Hunter Kiernan busied themselves walking around PG's new glass-windowed pro shop.

Lochner and Kiernan, a sophomore and freshman, respectively, at Marion HS, had just finished playing their first two seven inning games at the newly introduced Perfect Game National Indoor League (PGNIL) and had come away duly impressed.

The high school teammates are also teammates on the 16u PG Black squad competing in the PGNIL, and shared their thoughts about the experience with a PG questioner.

"It was different but it was pretty fun to see how it all happened, how fast the ball came off the bat and stuff like that," Kiernan said. "It was real fun going against other competition, especially kids that you go to school with. It's pretty nice that you just go into the cage and actually play, like, a real game.

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HitTrax Comes to The Turf
By Adam Spencer

Jan. 20, 2015 - For decades, baseball players have taken to batting cages when winter rolls around, honing their swings by launching ball after ball into the narrow netting of the long, rectangular enclosures.

The problem with that approach, however, is that it's hard to know exactly where a hit ball would have gone on an actual baseball field. Was that smash into the left side of the cage a double down the line, or did it end up in foul territory?

That problem has been solved by the HitTrax machine...

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A great focus piece by WVEC 13 on how Virginia Baseball Academy is succeeding with HitTrax. VBA owner and former major leaguer Wayne Gomes is featured discussing the value of HitTrax immediate training feedback and in-depth performance metrics.

Along with partner Tuckahoe Sports, HitTrax is featured in a WRIC8 sports segment highlighting how instant performance feedback is enhancing training and player engagement.

Notre Dame was the first college program in the country to use the high-tech system.

Statistics have always been part of the foundation of baseball. From the time the first player stepped into the batters box, players and fans alike have been tracking performance using traditional statistics such as batting average (AVG), runs batted in (RBI) and earned run average (ERA). More recently, the introduction of sabermetrics has redefined how a player is valued, with on-base plus slugging (OPS) and wins above replacement (WAR) becoming key metrics used for constructing a team.

While the emergence of sabermetrics changed the manner in which the game is analyzed and even played, recent advancements in technology continue to push the envelope in terms of how players are evaluated. Analyzing how a player performs in game situations is standard. Understanding how a player performs before stepping onto the field, however, can have a dramatic impact on a player's performance between the lines.

The latest technological innovation to improve player training is the HitTrax Data Capture & Simulation System. HitTrax is the first-of-its-kind training aid that delivers real-time performance metrics that are used to assess a player's skills and monitor their progress over time.

Used in a typical batting cage environment, HitTrax measures ball movement data upon impact with the bat and, in real time, provides immediate feedback by displaying the flight of the ball in a simulated stadium environment.

The breakthrough, however, is that the data captured by the system translates into hard, objective metrics that identifies a player's strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, detailed spray charts, hot zones, launch angle and exit ball velocity analysis offer newly-defined methods of dissecting a player's swing within the training environment.

With this information in hand, subjective analysis is now replaced with a real-time visual representation of the hit along with immediate feedback of key performance metrics. This benefit cannot be understated given that in today's visual world, seeing a simulation of the hit and its supporting data can provide a competitive - and psychological - edge.

"The problem with traditional baseball metrics is that they’re only an indicator of how a player is statistically performing on the field which, in many cases, can be too late," said Michael Donfrancesco, owner and manager of InMotion Systems, the developer of the HitTrax system. "HitTrax offers a comprehensive assessment of a player's strengths and weaknesses throughout their training regimen, providing the insight they need to make adjustments in the cage and ultimately leading to improved performance once they step on the field."

The University of Notre Dame, known for its academic and athletic excellence, was the first university to leverage the HitTrax technology into their baseball program. Through the Joseph T. Mengelson Endowment for Athletics Excellence, they purchased the system because of the tremendous value in the data that the system collects. It provides the baseball program with objective data that otherwise cannot be measured, helping the coaching staff to better instruct their players. Furthermore, not only do coaches use the HitTrax metrics to improve the performance of their own players, they also use it to assess a player's potential during the recruitment process.

"Notre Dame is consistently at the forefront of leveraging high-performance technology to advance its athletic programs," said head baseball coach Mik Aioki. "From the moment we saw the HitTrax system, we knew the metrics used would revolutionize how we - and other baseball programs - train its players. There's no doubt that the statistics captured in the system will soon become commonplace within the baseball community."

Aioki is proud of the fact that Notre Dame is the first university to use HitTrax, as it reaffirms the university's commitment to the baseball program and how it develops its players. He and the other coaches have configured the system so that it provides automated baseline assessment reports that not only benchmark the player's performance as of that day, but also measures progress when additional assessment training programs are conducted.

"We've found something here with HitTrax that has completely changed the way we evaluate our players," continued Aioki. "The players are more engaged and the coaches are armed with actionable insight that they've never before had access to. The proof will be to see how our kids perform when they step across the baseline but as far as we're concerned, we've hit a home run with this system."

Westborough MA and Lockport IL - May 28, 2014 - InMotion Systems, LLC and Bo Jackson's Elite Sports today announced that they have teamed to install the HitTrax data capture and simulation system at the Bo Jackson's Elite Sports training facility in Lockport, IL. HitTrax is a baseball and softball simulator that measures key performance metrics for hitters and pitchers in real time and displays live results, giving players and coaches at Bo Jackson's Elite Sports immediate feedback while charting players' progress over time, helping to improve player training, development, and on-field performance.

"Bo Jackson's Elite Sports is committed to finding the elite performer in every player who comes into our facility," said Jim Thompson, president of Bo Jackson's Elite Sports. "The HitTrax system provides our instructors with never-before-captured data that they use to easily analyze the performance of the player and find gaps in their swing. We're able to use the immediate feedback of the system to further engage the player while using the visual data necessary to reinforce the instruction being provided by the coaches. We believe in the metrics of HitTrax, and intend to include the system in our future facilities as we expand."

"We are always looking at how we can use innovative technology to bring out the most in our ballplayers, and HitTrax is easily one of the best baseball training tools I've seen in all my years of player instruction," said John Cangelosi, founder of Cangelosi Baseball, located in the Bo Jackson's Elite Sports facility. "I can't overstate the value of receiving real-time feedback from the HitTrax system. The players are able to quickly see their improvement after making only minor adjustments to their swing, and this instant gratification fuels their momentum going into the next lesson and, more importantly, onto the field."

The HitTrax baseball analytics and simulation system measures never-before-captured metrics that quantify performance and help baseball and softball players and coaches identify strengths and weakness before stepping onto an actual field. The system provides real-time visual simulation and statistical hitting and pitching data upon impact with the bat, offering immediate feedback on such metrics as exit ball velocity, distance, pitch speed, late break of pitch, strike zone analysis, and spray charts. In-depth reports generated by the system chart progress over time and identify performance trends. Players have the opportunity to compare their statistics against a national database of players at similar skill levels, from Little Leaguers to the professional ranks.

"We are thrilled that Bo Jackson, one of the greatest athletes of all time, and his partners at Bo Jackson's Elite Training and Cangelosi Baseball have chosen to incorporate HitTrax into their comprehensive baseball training regimen," said Michael Donfrancesco, owner and manager of InMotion Systems, LLC. "Dedicated to training their athletes 'inside and out', the instructors at Bo Jackson's Elite Training know they can rely on the HitTrax analytics to improve the performance of their players, giving them a competitive advantage and helping each and every one of them to realize their full potential."

About Bo Jackson's Elite Sports
Bo Jackson's Elite Sports (BJES) is renowned as one of the leading indoor sports training centers in the country. As an air-supported structure it offers 88,000 square feet of unique training space for turf sport teams (baseball/softball, football, soccer, and lacrosse) as well as to individual athletes, of any sport, who desire to improve athleticism and personal leadership skills. BJES is home to Cangelosi Baseball, Bo Jackson's Football, and Bo Jackson's Sports Leadership Centers of America. With its flagship facility in Lockport, IL and other locations planned for Hilliard, OH and Avon, OH, BJES is actively identifying weather-challenged markets to bring its unique training environment and philosophy to athletes throughout the Midwest and Northeast. More information can be found at bjeslockport.com.

HOLLISTON – With helmet on head and bat in hand, the reporter steps up to home plate in the netted batting cage at Anderson Baseball Academy. Matt Anderson, the academy’s owner, stands behind a protective screen and tosses the ball at batting-practice speed. To the side of the cage is HitTrax, a baseball simulator resembling a large iPhone, about 3 ½ feet tall and 26 inches wide. Equipped with sensors, it measures how fast the ball is coming to home plate and how fast it leaves. [...]

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Real-Time System Provides Immediate Feedback of Key Performance Metrics to Identify Weaknesses and Analyze Progress for Improved On-Field Performance

Westborough, MA - February 5, 2014 - InMotion Systems, LLC, today announced that it won Collegiate Baseball Newspaper's Best of Show award at the 2014 American Baseball Coaches Association Convention held last month in Dallas. HitTrax is a baseball simulator that measures batting and pitching statistics in real time and displays live results, giving players and coaches immediate feedback while charting players' progress over time. The award is given to the top innovative baseball products showcased at the convention.

"We are extremely pleased that the selection committee has chosen HitTrax as one of their Best of Show award winners," said Michael Donfrancesco, owner and manager of InMotion Systems, LLC. "The award reflects the committee's view of the value HitTrax provides the baseball community and highlights the important role baseball analytics plays in any training regimen."

HitTrax measures never-before-captured metrics that quantify performance and help baseball and softball players and coaches identify strengths and weakness before stepping onto an actual field. The system provides real-time visual and statistical hitting and pitching data upon impact with the bat, offering immediate feedback on such metrics as exit ball velocity, distance, pitch speed, late break of pitch, strike zone analysis, and spray charts. In-depth reports generated by the system chart progress over time and identify performance trends. Players have the opportunity to compare their statistics against a national database of players at similar skill levels, from Little Leaguers to the professional ranks.

Dan Kopitzke of the K-Zone Baseball Academy has been a strong supporter (and contributor) to HitTrax Analytics since the system was installed this past April. Using the HitTrax Entertainment Module, he has also been hosting one-day tournaments and hitting leagues for his diverse clientele. These events have been a major source of revenue for K-Zone as players and teams are charged an entry fee for participation.

In their first hitting league, K-Zone played host to a 6-week league consisting of six teams with 3-5 players each. The games are set-up to move quickly as they utilize a Hack Attack pitching machine and limit the games to six innings. "Having 3-5 players per team is ideal as it keeps everyone in the action and ready to hit", Kopitzke comments.

"The HitTrax System has definitely provided a spark to our training environment and has opened a whole new revenue stream - hitting leagues and tournaments," Kopitzke continues. "We have 30+ players and family members in our facility every Wednesday night cheering on the teams. The players love the immediate feedback and the opportunity to hit live in the stadiums."

Dan and his team at K-Zone further stated that their activity over the past few months will definitely pave the way to higher returns during the upcoming fall and winter seasons. Everyone that sees the system first hand is impressed and awed.

"We are definitely gaining traction on the market place using creative ideas to bring people in the doors to see the HitTrax system including free open houses to league fee reductions for bringing in new players on your roster. Once they see the system in action, they are hooked. It's not been difficult to convert new customers. The challenge has always been and will continue to be getting new people into the door. The HitTrax provides the people in our market just another fantastic reason to come and see us."