Everything You Need to Know About Radar Guns

man with earpiece holding a radar gun
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Radar guns are extremely useful if one would like to improve their baseball performance. They use the same technology as police speed guns used to detect speeding cars. They can help you improve your sports performance by detecting which speed you are throwing the ball at. Here are some commonly asked questions that you might want answered about baseball radar guns:

What are radar guns used for in baseball?

The best way to learn good pitching mechanics in baseball is to constantly watch yourself play and critically analyze your strengths and weaknesses. A radar gun is useful as it helps you measure how fast you are pitching. By knowing your pitching velocity, you can constantly try to beat Major League pitching averages or try to best your own pitches. Radar guns are crucial to this process as they can be used in combination with videos recorded of yourself playing to figure out how to best improve your performance. A coach and mentor can take all this information and help you get better.

How do they work?

policeman holding and using a radar gun for speed

Speed guns use technology similar to other speed detectors such as police radar. They make use of Doppler technology. A radio signal is sent out by the radar in the form of a ray. This signal finds the target and reflects it off, moving or stationary. If the target is moving, then a different frequency signal reaches the gun from the one that has been sent out. From this, it is possible to calculate the speed of the moving object using a simple formula. When a speed gun hits the moving baseball or car, then the waves that reflect off are used to calculate the speed at which the pitcher is throwing the ball or the speed at which the driver is driving the car. This is all possible for the Doppler effect.

How much do they cost?

Radar guns can cost along a variable range. A basic one can cost a few hundred dollars, while a standard Stalker radar gun will cost you at least a thousand dollars. This is well worth the investment. A poor-quality gun will make various calculation mistakes and not last a long time. For a few thousand dollars, you can get an excellent, quality speed gun that will show you instant measurements, as well as various analytics. Some of these guns can be connected to your phone by an app so that you can get the performance data straight to your phone and monitor your progress.

 Who should get one?

Is a radar gun a good investment for me, you might be wondering. It is a good investment for any player aspiring to be a professional, or simply if you really love the game and would like to get better. Club and varsity athletes obviously use radar guns to improve their speeds.

Radar guns are a useful addition to your sports toolkit if you are serious about the game. They can vastly improve your performance. Their usefulness should not be underestimated.

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