The Hard 90: A Core Feature of Baseball and a Metaphor for Life

The “Hard 90” is a foundational aspect of baseball, symbolizing both a physical skill and a mental approach. It refers to running the 90 feet between home plate and first base at full speed—the first 25% of a potential trip around the bases. Regardless of the outcome of a hit, players are coached to sprint to first base as fast as possible. This mindset, ingrained in baseball culture, represents the importance of giving your all in the early stages of any challenge.

The Hard 90 as a Measure of Speed

Straight-Line Speed in Baseball

Beyond its symbolic value, the Hard 90 is an essential metric for evaluating a player’s straight-line speed. Similar to the Pop Time drill ([insert link]), this drill has traditionally been timed with a stopwatch. However, human error in manually starting and stopping the timer introduces inconsistencies, making the results less reliable.

Limitations of Manual Timing

Manual timing doesn’t just measure the player’s speed—it also indirectly factors in the reaction time of the person timing the drill. This dual assessment can skew the results, making it difficult to gain accurate insights into a player’s true abilities.

Pison’s Solution for Accurate Hard 90 Measurement

Eliminating Human Error

Pison’s innovative devices revolutionize the Hard 90 drill by removing the potential for human error.

• How It Works:
  • The drill starts when the batter/runner makes their first movement, detected by a device on their wrist.
  • The timer ends when the signal from a device attached to first base is registered.
  • The coach simply initiates the drill in the Pison BASEBALL Pro app and ends it after completion to ensure the data is seamlessly transferred.

Tracking Progress with the BASEBALL Pro App

Player Insights and Benchmarking

Players with a Pison device and BASEBALL Pro subscription can track their Hard 90 drill scores alongside other metrics. Features include:

• Comparisons: See how scores measure up against teammates, competitors, and players at higher levels.
• Benchmarks: Gain insight into average scores for next-level players to set performance goals.

Continuous Improvement with Training Sessions

The app allows players to initiate training sessions, providing a comprehensive view of progress over time. Features include:

• Personal Database: Upload and monitor scores for long-term performance tracking.
• Verification: Teams and organizations can verify training sessions with “trusted” users to maintain the integrity of drill results.