New York Yankees pitcher James Paxton has used Motus sensors to manage his workload. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
A recent study published in The American Journal of Sports Medicine reinforces the value of pitch-tracking technology by showing how difficult it is for players to estimate their effort level.
Coaches and trainers commonly instruct pitchers to throw at 50% or 75% of their top speed. But the latest research showed that 60 high school and college pitchers—all of them wearing Motus sensors in compression sleeves—greatly exceeded their targets on the radar gun. For every perceived 25% reduction in effort, pitchers only reduced elbow torque by 7% and velocity by 11%.