The next evolution of baseball and softball coaching tools

Dartfish has an all-encompassing strategy to provide baseball and softball programs with a complete solution which provides coaches with the ability to scout upcoming opponents, develop a game plan and then execute a practice plan that simulates that game plan. We believe that coaches who use this integrated toolset will have a distinct advantage in developing their players and preparing them for competition during the regular season. As we move towards the Fall practice sessions, where the focus will be on player development, this blog will illustrate our practice tools and the new training methods that they will promote. The Dartfish practice toolset consists of two different tools. They are both unique and address the areas that are used to develop a players skills and prepare them for the regular season.

Dartfish Express app for visual coaching

The first part of the solution uses a mobile app called Dartfish Express. This, together with our myDartfish cloud service provides coaches with the ability to provide student athletes with instruction based on visual feedback for pitching, hitting, base running, and defensive skills. These tools are clip based and provide a very easy method for coaches to capture video on the field and provide immediate visual feedback to players. Use of the cloud service means that players’ assessments are automatically synchronized with all your mobile devices and can be sent to the player for them to view from their mobile device.

Dartfish practice session evaluation

The second part of the toolset offers up a new method to evaluate pitchers and hitters complete practice sessions, providing both player reports and integrated video for visual teaching sessions. What makes this powerful is the way coaches can quickly review a players performance in practice sessions and specifically know what the players needs to work on to improve. Coaches can review any player’s practice video with performance data and provide visual teaching sessions to the players. Here is the example of how this tool can be simply used to obtain performance reports and video.

STEP 1 : Chart the bullpen session

One of the reasons that coaching programs have not done this type of charting before is that there was no simple live charting method. Dartfish solved this problem last year with the invention of the Dartfish Note mobile app. This easy-to-use electronic charting tool provided the method for coaches or staff to chart practice sessions, live, simply by pushing buttons. This defines attributes of each swing or pitch that are used to cut up the practice video, making each action searchable and providing the data for performance reports. Although the tool is completely customizable, Dartfish provides diamond sports users with sport specific charting panels ready for use.

STEP 2 : Review performance reports

Here is an example of the interactive pitching report. Click it for a closer view.

The report shows coaching and pitching staff, performance data from a particular session or even across pitching sessions. These reports quickly provide coaches with the ability to determine important performance statistics and areas where players need to improve to become a better pitcher. Should it identify that there are mechanical issues, a coach can search and review video of the pitches where inconsistency is occurring. If it is a mental issue with pitch types, location or speed command, a pitching coach can quickly identify these areas of inconsistency.

STEP 3 : Review video and provide visual teaching resources

The stats come alive through video. It is very difficult to teach or provide feedback to players just through performance reports. That is where linked video comes in. The coach can extract a specific pitch or pitches and add feedback. It provides a method for the coaches to review pitching sessions without bringing the pitcher into the office. Equally, the pitching coach can review stats and video remotely if he/she was unable to attend the practice sessions.

We’ve also had great feedback

The Dartfish practice products were recently tested by the University of Georgia’s pitching coach, Fred Corral. Through the test period we obtained great feedback and many new features and report data were incorporated into the product based on Fred’s vision and years of coaching experience. For this we would like to acknowledge his contributions.

If you are interested in seeing, and sampling the output from the Dartfish baseball/softball practice toolset, please contact Chuck Wilmot, to arrange an online meeting at your convenience.