Sports Product Review

What if we told you we’d found a product designed for parents who want to improve their golf game while also perfecting their child’s baseball (or softball) swing? While it is difficult to imagine anything so multi-dimensional, the Swing Speed Radar, (www.swingspeedradar.com) is just that.

This lightweight, affordable and portable device utilizes true Doppler radar to measure club head or bat speed, providing instant digital feedback, swing after swing. As the folks at Sport Sensors, Inc. (manufacturer of the Swing Speed Radar and many other great radar products for sports), like to say, “It’s not how hard you swing, but how well you swing.”

I set it up for my sons in the garage and tossed them wiffle balls. It was fun to see them take a cut, then instantly glance back at the LED screen to get their radar reading. The three of them were arguing over who got to go next. Having the Swing Speed made them want to take more hacks, because it provided a new component of entertainment for them. But more than just an amusement, what was truly amazing was watching them make adjustments in their swings, evaluate the impact those adjustments made on their bat speed, and process that information as they continued swinging and improving their readings.

Since Little League, my oldest son has always been a kid who goes out and attacks the pitch. And while he’s a good hitter, the downside is that he often lunges and hits the ball after his weight has shifted. The coaches are trying to teach him to be more patient and keep his weight back to generate more power and bat torque. So I made him hit to the opposite field while tracking his speed with radar. Suddenly, his readings improved by 5-10 mph. What was the difference? Instead of opening up too soon and letting the body drag and slow down the bat speed, he had no choice but to generate the bat speed from the hips, at the last possible second, thus forcing him to get the barrel into the hitting zone with more velocity. He’s been struggling with this concept of staying back for a long time. Now, thanks to Swing Speed, I think he might get it. I’m sure many golfers can benefit from the same concept.

My son’s friends thought the Swing Speed Radar was “cool,” and I admit we had a lot of fun with it. But don’t think of it as a gimmick; this is a serious training tool, utilized by baseball and golf teaching professionals everywhere. Buy it for your kids to improve their hitting, and then, when they’re not looking, slip it into your golf bag and take it out to the driving range. But if you let someone else try it don’t be surprised if there’s a line of people behind you arguing over who gets to go next.

Source: Sport Sensors