Attack angle (AA), also known as “swing plane”, is the vertical angle of the bat’s path as it impacts the baseball.
A positive angle indicates the barrel of the bat is swinging upwards at the point of impact, while a negative angle indicates the barrel is swinging downwards at impact. A neutral angle means the swing path is perfectly level at impact (parallel to the ground).
Your Attack Angle may vary depending on what pitch is being thrown. The best hitters in the world adapt their swing based on velocity, location, and movement to create an optimal swing path in order to maximize their results. To achieve this Major League players will consistently exhibit a positive Attack Angle in their swing.
Measurement
The way to measure Attack Angle is by attaching a bat sensor to the knob of the bat. Attack Angle is measured in degrees and is calculated by comparing the position of the barrel relative to a perfect horizontal line, parallel to the ground.
For example, a player who hit a home run was measured to have an Attack Angle of positive 15 degrees. This tells us that the hitter impacted the ball out in front of the plate and by swinging upward he was able to launch the ball in the air with enough backspin to carry out of the ballpark.
Applications
Now that you understand how Attack Angle works, you can combine it with other hitting metrics such as Exit Velocity and Launch Angle to better analyze your swing.
For power hitters, increasing one’s Attack Angle may have a positive effect on their launch angle, which can increase the frequency of extra-base hits.
Conversely, decreasing one Attack Angle can benefit players who average lower exit velocities and launch angles who are attempting to limit pop-ups or fly balls.
Summary
Attack Angle is one of the many metrics used when evaluating and training hitters. Understanding your Attack Angle can provide you further insight into producing the batted ball outcomes that maximize your success at the plate.
Related Links
https://www.drivelinebaseball.com/2018/05/using-swing-plane-coach-hitters-deeper-look/
https://rocklandpeakperformance.com/attack-angle-baseball-step-child-metric/
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