Background
The internet hosts countless swing video clips, providing a wealth of information about swing dynamics. For instance, we can easily discern whether a batter or pitcher is right- or left-handed, identify different pitch types, and see if a batter makes contact with the ball. Additionally, it’s possible to estimate swing speed and hitting angles.
Among all these potential insights, the hitting angle stands out as the most informative. It reveals a batter’s swing habits and helps establish the connection between the hitting angle and overall hitting quality. This information is invaluable for training and analysis, which is why our project focuses primarily on analyzing the hitting angle.
Goal
Our goal is to accurately estimate the bat’s hitting angle from both broadcast and amateur videos.
Definition
- The hitting angle is defined as the angle between the projection of the bat within the strike zone and the horizontal line at the keyframe.
- The keyframe is identified as the frame in which the bat begins to make contact with the baseball, or, in cases where the batter misses the ball, it is the frame where both the bat and the ball are concurrently positioned within the strike zone.
Applications
- Performance Improvement: Identify and correct batting habits to enhance player performance
- Strategic Planning: Use opponent hitting statistics to develop more effective pitching strategies
- Talent Identification: Discover and recruit promising baseball talent from amateur videos