Baseball training group 108 Performance has launched online courses for both hitting and pitching development. The courses aim to deliver the same instructional methods followed at the firm’s two Southern Californian locations.
Founded by Eugene Bleecker, 108 Performance applies technologies such as K-Motion wearables, Blast Motion bat sensors and HitTrax and Rapsodo ball trackers to evaluate players. The company also aims to teach coaches to understand player movement and biomechanics.
While hitters have long been taught to open their hips while swinging, 108’s research has offered a more nuanced view. Data from K-Motion’s four-sensor vest has shown that pro hitters stop their hips after a 70-degree turn, compared to the average amateur who rotates 90 degrees.
“In reality, you don’t need to focus on opening them or making them spin, you need to focus on stopping them,” Bleecker told SportTechie in July. “The sooner you decelerate or stop your hips, the faster you accelerate your trunk.”
MLB teams such as the New York Mets, L.A. Dodgers, Miami Marlins and Houston Astros have worked with 108 Performance. The company is currently offering lifetime access to either of the hitting or pitching courses for $397, or $597 for both. Courses are intended for players of all ages.
