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Video Guidelines for the 3P Biomechanical Analysis

The quality of the analysis will only be as good as the quality of the video you submit. Therefore please follow these instructions closely for recording your 3P video. Capturing quality video is easy when you follow these instructions.

Quick Tips

• Proper camera placement is critical
• Try to video when the sun is high in sky if possible, avoid low light conditions
• Use a tripod if possible
• Have the pitcher warm up before shooting the video, never throw without warming up
• The pitcher should state his name and height before throwing the first pitch
• Using a bat or a yard stick is important; if using a bat, please tell us the length of the bat after stating your name and height

• Equipment & Overview
• Camera Views & Positioning
• Indoor Filming
• Submission
• In Game Filming

Equipment & Overview
We can work with video from any camera. Use the “Sports Mode” if your camera has one. If not, try to use the highest shutter speed possible on your camera. Outdoor pitching in daylight is optimal. However if you must record indoors, avoid recording in low light situations.

The objective is to get video footage of 3-5 pitches, executed at game intensity, from two different angles. Be sure you have gone through a full stretch and warm-up prior to the filming session. Our recommendation is to wear tight fitting clothes (tight shirts and tight baseball pants or shorts) as illustrated in the adjacent picture. Under Armour™ brand is ideal but not required. Additionally, pitching in baseball spikes is recommended to achieve game-like performance.

Recording in-game is better left to video professionals. Most venues are not organized to support the needs of an amateur videographer. If you are hiring a videographer, these instructions will help the professional prepare for a quality session.

Indoor filming suggestions have a slight adjustment and are outlined below within these instructions.

3P Sports recommend the following items to help you capture the best video results during non-game filming:

• Video camera (plus a well charged battery)
• Tripod* (you can order one from Amazon or use a chair to steady your arms when filming)
• Baseball bat or yard stick (3 feet)
• Catcher (volunteer or friend)

The 3P Biomechanical Analysis is driven off two views of the pitcher. You can shoot these in any order, but once you are warmed up and the camera is set, film 3-5 pitches before moving the camera to the next view. You should throw a fastball each time.

After recording the first pitch, take a look at the footage and pause the image near the time of ball release. Ask yourself two questions:

• Is the image blurry? If so, adjust the camera shutter speed to be faster (a higher number) before continuing.
• Is the image too dark? If so, either adjust the camera’s light sensitivity (aperture) or increase the light on the pitcher. Again, the ideal lighting situation is daylight.

Camera Views & Positioning
View #1
This camera placement is dependent on your throwing arm. These instructions are for right hand pitchers. The reference locations are reversed when the pitcher throws with his left arm.

View from third base

• Once you are warm and on the mound, have a helper move the tripod so that it is on the field pointing at you just a few feet from the third base bag as shown to the right.
• Have your helper adjust the tripod height and camera zoom so the camera is level to the ground. You should be in the center of the frame filling roughly 80% of the viewer from top to bottom. Don’t worry about the left to right fill – it’s not as critical as the head to toe view.

Yard stick towards home plate

• Lay a bat or a yard stick on the ground so it touches the side of the rubber, and points toward home plate (left). Allow the camera to run for 10 seconds to record the bat/yard stick and the rubber.
• Continue filming and throw 3 – 5 fastball pitches with game speed pacing between each pitch.

If the camera must be stopped at any time during this view, rewind the tape to the View #1 starting point and repeat View #1 again.

• Assuming you are still warmed stand on the mound as if you were preparing to pitch to a batter.
• The camera and tripod should be located at the midpoint between you and the catcher, with the lens pointing at your arm as shown to the right. [If you are not using a tripod, we recommend the person shooting the video sit behind the catcher in the umpire’s position to film this View.]
• Adjust the tripod so the camera is lower than the travel path of the baseball. The ball should come directly over the lens.
• Lay the bat/yard stick on the ground so that it touches either the first base or third base side of the rubber pointing at the open side base. (The picture on the previous page shows the bat pointing at third base.)
• Have the person assisting you adjust the zoom so that your arm is in the center of the frame; your image should fill roughly 80% of the viewer from top to bottom at all times. Keep the bat/yard stick in the viewer.
• Allow the camera to run for 10 – 15 seconds to record the bat/yard stick. This is important for distance/measurement frame of reference.
• While the camera continues to run, you should stand tall on the mound without a baseball cap, and while facing the camera state your full name (matching your 3P registration) and your exact height in feet and inches and the length of the bat if a bat is used instead of a yardstick in the steps above.

These two steps (the bat/yard stick and your height) are important data points for the 3P Biomechanical Analysis. Once you start filming View #2, do not stop or move the camera. If the camera must be moved, please start the View #2 filming process from the beginning submitting only the final video.

Allow the camera to run without interruption. You should throw 3 – 5 quality fastball pitches with game speed pacing between each pitch.

Indoor Filming:
When filming indoors, we recommend using a location where the lighting allows for clear images on your camera’s video screen. The View #1 perspective will be the same as outlined on page 2. However, most indoor facilities will not have a first or third base location for reference. Therefore, we recommend placing the tripod (or chair) roughly 25 feet from the pitcher on an imaginary line between the indoor mound and first or third base locations if you were outdoors. You always want to be facing the pitchers open side in View #1, so right hand pitchers are filmed from a position to the catcher’s left. The opposite for left hand pitchers applies. Next, follow the steps as described in View #2 above.

Submission:
You have two options to submit your video. First, you can mail us your video tape to the address below. If you select this option, please include your full name (matching your 3P Sports Registration), email address used to register for 3P Sports and a contact phone number in the package. Videos should be sent to our Illinois Processing Center at the address below. Shipping must be prepaid by the sender for all submissions.

3P Sports
c/o StatDNA Labs
41 Washington Blvd
Oak Park, IL 60302

Alternatively, the video can be sent electronically via our FTP site. Prior to submitting your video to the FTP site, you should name the video following the 3P naming convention as shown below.

Zachary_Martin_9085451924
First name, underscore, last name, underscore, 10 position phone number.

The naming convention needs to match your 3P registration name and phone number. This alternative is only recommended when high speed connections are available. We suggest you do not use a dial up transmission because they have consistent failures when transferring video files.

To reach the FTP Server, you will need the following credentials:

Web Address: www.4shared.com
User Name: info@3PSports.com
Password: baseball61

Once you arrive at the site, find the “User” box on the far right side of the home page. It is shown above. Type the User Name we have provided in the first field and the Password in the second. You will then see the primary user page on your browser. It is also shown below:

To upload your 3P file, click on the Upload area to the right of the large red arrow. Use the Browse… button to find your 3P video file on your computer. Once selected and displayed, click on the Upload button on the lower right side to start the file transfer. It will take several minutes to upload your video to our site; the system will display a message when the process is complete.

Members will be notified via email when the Member’s 3P portal is live. Elapsed time is typically 5-7 business days following video receipt. If you have further questions, log on to our site at www.3PSports.com and select Subscriber Services from the left navigation panel to reach a 3P representative.

In Game Filming
If you are filming the pitcher during an in game situation, you should be set up behind the catcher or backstop facing the pitcher directly with second base directly behind the pitcher. If you are behind a backstop, be sure that the backstop does not interfere with the video quality.