Launch Angle and Exit Velocity are certainly hot topics in todays Baseball community. Why is there so much of a negative connotation about Launch Angle? Is there such a thing as a Launch Angle swing? I believe these are both very misunderstood metrics and I hope to shed some light on the subject with this blog entry.
LAUNCH ANGLE
Launch angle is the vertical angle at which the ball leaves a players bat after contact. Launch angle is measured in degrees. Every batted ball has a launch angle whether the ball was bunted or hit for a Home Run.
Why are people so obsessed with the supposed "Launch Angle Swing"? I started to hear about a launch angle swing roughly about 5 years ago. Coaches and parents were opposed to this uppercut swing that MLB players were identified as now having. I never quite understood what people were seeing that was new. The countless hours of video of elite hitters that I watched from Babe Ruth to Ted Williams to the players today all showed me very similar characteristics within the swing. I see elite players getting their bat on plane with an incoming pitch. A swing that is initially is down, flattens out a bit and goes up through the ball. I train my hitters to get behind and through the ball. I never talk to my hitters about the swing being up, down or level unless needed. I believe the swing is actually made up of all three. I still have not met a coach that teaches this so called "Launch Angle Swing". It just doesn't exist in my experience. I have worked with hitters that had a very steep swing that need to think up. I have worked with hitters that swung with such an uppercut they need to think down. It all matters who the hitter is and what their need is.
Launch Angles and their typical outcomes:
Ground Balls below 10 degrees
Line Drives between 10 - 25 degrees
Fly Balls between 25 - 50 degrees
Pop Ups 51 degrees and more
Launch Angle averages:
Professional/ Minor Leagues - 9.4 degrees
College - 11.3 degrees
High School Varsity - 10.7 degrees
High School JV - 12.3 degrees
Middle School - 11.8 degrees
Youth - 15.6 degrees
EXIT VELOCITY
Exit velocity is the speed of the baseball as it comes off the bat immediately after contact. Exit velocity is measured in mph.
Exit Velocity averages:
Professional/ Minor Leagues - 83.4 mph
College - 73.7 mph
High School Varsity - 71.3 mph
High School JV - 68.6 mph
Middle School - 62.2 mph
Youth - 51.2 mph
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