SnocatzDad wrote:Sam wrote:The standard clocking process:
Runner has trailing foot on the back point of the plate. The runner goes when they are ready. Clock starts when the back foot leaves the ground. Its how the colleges do it....so they can easily compare speeds of players they recruit.
I'm not disputing the above is standard, from an at practice, human error, standpoint I like my method better because the timer can see the ball approaching the bat and anticipate the start the same way they can anticipate the finish. If your trying to run a stop watch and starting when the back foot leaves then I'm really timing the timer's reaction time as well as the kids speed and will probably tend to have faster times.
If it's at a combine and they have some mechanism at the plate and bag for timing that's obivously superior.
Here's the deal, fellas....you can have all the wonderful methods for timing a player's speed that you want...if you are doing it at tryouts.....IF you are doing it to put on their Players Profile Sheet and hand this document to college coaches at showcases...you need to time them the way I mentioned.
If you are timing at contact, you are turning a 2.8 runner into a 3.1 runner and you are treating RH hitters differently from LH hitters. Home to 1B is only 1/4 of the base path. She also has to play the other part of the game...defense.



























