Pitching analysis system and pitching analysis method

Abstract

Provided is a pitching analysis system and pitching analysis method by which pressure applied to a ball or fingers during pitching can be detected. The pitching analysis system of the present invention comprises: pressure sensors 2 capable of detecting pressure applied to a ball or fingers of a hand in contact with the ball during pitching; a transmission unit 3 that transmits the pressure detected by the pressure sensor during pitching as a pressure signal; and a reception unit 4 that receives the pressure signal, and on the basis of the received pressure signal, displays or records changes over time of the pressure applied to the ball or fingers during pitching. Furthermore, the pressure sensors are preferably attached to at least one of the pad, tip, or side of the fingers.

Description

Pitching analysis system and pitching analysis method

[0001] The present invention relates to a pitching analysis system and a pitching analysis method capable of analyzing a pitching motion such as in baseball.

[0002] In baseball, the performance of the pitcher is critically important, and therefore the pitcher's pitching practice is very important. In recent years, a device called Rapsodo (registered trademark) has been commercially available for determining the pitch type of a pitcher using a simple ballistic measuring device equipped with a high-performance camera and a radar. With this device, the ball speed, rotation speed, effective rotation speed, effective rotation rate, and rotation axis can be analyzed, and the pitcher can easily grasp the quality of the ball he / she has thrown. However, for the analysis of the motion when throwing a good ball or a bad ball, especially the way of applying force at the release, only qualitative understanding such as rules of thumb and intuition is available. Therefore, the guidance from the manager and coach has also been qualitative. [[ID=)7]]

[0003] For this reason, conventionally, for example, in Patent Document 1, a wearable device is provided on the hand that throws the ball, a built-in detection device is provided in the ball, a wearable detection device is provided on the wearable device, the built-in detection device and the wearable detection device have the same type of motion detection sensor (geomagnetic sensor), and a control unit for analyzing the relative motion between the hand and the ball is provided based on the detection output from the motion detection sensor provided in the built-in detection device and the detection output from the motion detection sensor provided in the wearable detection device. A pitching analysis device has been proposed. The geomagnetic sensor is adopted as the motion detection sensor, and at least one of an acceleration sensor and an angular velocity sensor is provided in the wearable detection device. With this pitching analysis device, it becomes possible to grasp the relative relationship between the movement and rotation of the hand and the movement and rotation of the ball during the pitching motion, and to obtain the relationship between the movement of the hand and the rotation of the ball after release, the timing of release, etc.

[0004] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2019 - 63386

[0005] The above-mentioned conventional technologies still have the following problems. Specifically, the pitching analysis device in Patent Document 1 has acceleration sensors and angular velocity sensors in the attachment detection device installed on the hand attachment, but it has the disadvantage of not being able to detect the pressure actually applied to the ball or fingers during pitching. In addition, the pitching analysis device in Patent Document 1 has the disadvantage of not being able to analyze balls actually used in games because it requires the detection device to be installed in the ball. If the detection device is installed in a ball actually used in a game, there is a problem that the weight of the ball will change.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the aforementioned problems, and aims to provide a pitching analysis system and a pitching analysis method that can detect the pressure applied to the ball or fingers during pitching.

[0007] To solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following configuration. Specifically, the pitching analysis system according to the first invention is characterized by comprising: a pressure sensor capable of detecting the pressure applied to the ball or the fingers of the hand in contact with the ball during pitching; a transmitting unit that transmits the pressure detected by the pressure sensor during pitching as a pressure signal; and a receiving unit that receives the pressure signal and displays or records the time change of the pressure applied to the ball or the fingers during pitching based on the received pressure signal.

[0008] This pitching analysis system includes a pressure sensor capable of detecting the pressure applied to the ball or the fingers of the hand in contact with the ball during pitching, a transmitting unit that transmits the pressure detected by the pressure sensor as a pressure signal during pitching, and a receiving unit that receives the pressure signal and displays or records the time change of the pressure applied to the ball or fingers during pitching based on the received pressure signal. Therefore, the pitching motion and the amount of force applied to the ball or fingers until release can be measured as data. In other words, information on the change in pressure on the ball or fingers according to the speed and type of pitch (straight, curveball, etc.) of the thrown ball can be obtained, and it becomes possible to easily analyze the quality of the thrown ball from the obtained information. Consequently, it becomes easier to obtain and understand the motion analysis of a bad pitch, especially the way force is applied at release, as measured information rather than relying on empirical rules or intuition.

[0009] The pitching analysis system according to the second invention is characterized in that, in the first invention, the pressure sensor is attached to at least one of the fingertip, tip, and side of the finger. That is, in this pitching analysis system, since the pressure sensor is attached to at least one of the fingertip (opposite side of the nail), tip, and side (side between the nail and the fingertip), it is possible to measure the pressure at least one of the fingertip, tip, and side, which are areas where pressure is particularly applied during pitching, and to obtain a more direct understanding of the pressure changes on the finger. In particular, when pitching curveballs such as forkballs, where the pressure applied to the side of the finger is particularly large, it is preferable to attach the pressure sensor to the side of the finger.

[0010] The third pitching analysis system according to the invention is characterized in that, in the first invention, the pressure sensor is provided on the surface or inside the ball. That is, in this pitching analysis system, since the pressure sensor is provided on the surface or inside the ball, the pressure change applied to the ball during pitching can be obtained as information, and in particular, if the pressure sensor is provided on the surface of the ball, the pressure applied to the ball from the fingers can be directly detected.

[0011] The pitching analysis system according to the fourth invention is characterized in that, in the second or third invention, the pressure sensor is a film-type sensor. That is, in this pitching analysis system, since the pressure sensor is a film-type sensor, the sensor is thin and flexible, so there is little discomfort when it is attached to the finger and grips the ball, and even when it is attached to the surface of the ball, the surface irregularities are small, so there is little discomfort in the finger when gripping the ball.

[0012] The fifth pitching analysis system according to the fifth invention is characterized in that, in the fourth invention, the pressure sensor is attached to the tip of the index finger. That is, in this pitching analysis system, since the pressure sensor is attached to the tip of the index finger, by setting the data acquisition time interval to a short value such as 1 millisecond, it becomes possible to detect with high accuracy the instantaneous pressure applied to the fingertip of the index finger at the time of pitching release.

[0013] The pitching analysis system according to the sixth invention is characterized in that, in the first or second invention, it comprises a plurality of pressure sensors that can be installed at a plurality of locations on the ball or attached to a plurality of fingers, and the receiving unit has a function to superimpose and display the time changes of the pressure applied to a plurality of locations on the ball or a plurality of fingers during pitching, based on a plurality of pressure signals of the pressure detected by the plurality of pressure sensors. In other words, in this pitching analysis system, since the receiving unit has a function to superimpose and display the time changes of the pressure applied to a plurality of locations on the ball or a plurality of fingers during pitching, based on a plurality of pressure signals of the pressure detected by the plurality of pressure sensors, it becomes possible to relatively easily grasp what kind of pressure is applied to each of the different locations on the ball or different fingers during pitching.

[0014] The pitching analysis system according to the seventh invention is characterized in that, in the sixth invention, the pressure sensors are attached to the index finger and middle finger of the hand. That is, in this pitching analysis system, since the pressure sensors are attached to the index finger and middle finger of the hand, it becomes possible to display a comparative view of the pressure information of the index finger and middle finger, which are usually subjected to the most pressure during pitching. Therefore, for example, it is possible to easily understand, by comparing, which finger and which finger are subjected to what kind of pressure depending on the type of pitch.

[0015] The pitching analysis system according to the eighth invention is characterized in that, in the seventh invention, the pressure sensor is also attached to the thumb of the hand. That is, in this pitching analysis system, since the pressure sensor is also attached to the thumb of the hand, it becomes possible to display a comparative view of the pressure information of the three fingers that mainly grip the ball: the index finger, the middle finger, and the thumb.

[0016] The pitching analysis system according to the ninth invention is characterized in that, in the first or second invention, the receiving unit has a function to display a diagnostic result regarding the quality of the pitch by comparing the time change of pressure applied to the ball or fingers during an ideal pitch, which is stored in advance, with the time change of pressure applied to the ball or fingers that has been detected. In other words, in this pitching analysis system, the receiving unit has a function to display a diagnostic result regarding the quality of the pitch by comparing the time change of pressure applied to the ball or fingers during an ideal pitch, which is stored in advance, with the time change of pressure applied to the ball or fingers that has been detected, so that the quality of the pitch can be easily determined from the displayed diagnostic result.

[0017] The pitching analysis system according to the tenth invention is characterized in that, in the first or second invention, the transmitting unit transmits the pressure signal wirelessly and the receiving unit receives the pressure signal wirelessly. That is, in this pitching analysis system, since the transmitting unit transmits the pressure signal wirelessly and the receiving unit receives the pressure signal wirelessly, there is no need to connect the transmitting unit and the receiving unit with a wire, and the transmitting unit can be attached to the pitcher and the receiving unit can be installed at a location away from the pitcher. As a result, the number of devices to be attached to the pitcher can be reduced, and the burden and interference during pitching can be suppressed.

[0018] The pitching analysis method according to the eleventh invention is characterized by comprising: a detection step of detecting the pressure applied to the ball or the fingers of the hand in contact with the ball during pitching using a pressure sensor; a transmission step of transmitting the pressure detected by the pressure sensor during pitching as a pressure signal; and a reception step of receiving the pressure signal and displaying or recording the time change of the pressure applied to the ball or the fingers during pitching based on the received pressure signal.

[0019] The present invention provides the following effects. Specifically, the pitching analysis system and pitching analysis method according to the present invention include a pressure sensor capable of detecting the pressure applied to the ball or the fingers of the hand in contact with the ball, a transmitting unit that transmits the pressure detected by the pressure sensor as a pressure signal during pitching, and a receiving unit that receives the pressure signal and displays or records the time change of the pressure applied to the ball or fingers during pitching based on the received pressure signal. Therefore, the pitching motion and the amount of force applied to the ball or fingers until release can be measured as data. Accordingly, the pitching analysis system of the present invention makes it easy to acquire and understand motion analysis when throwing a bad ball, especially how force is applied at the time of release, as measured information rather than based on empirical rules or intuition, and it becomes possible to obtain hints for improvement methods when in a slump or experiencing the yips.

[0020] This is a simplified configuration diagram showing the first embodiment of the pitching analysis system and pitching analysis method according to the present invention. This is a simplified front view showing the state in which the ball is held in the hand to which a pressure sensor is attached in the first embodiment. This is a simplified front view showing the state at the moment when the ball is released from the hand to which the pressure sensor is attached during pitching in the first embodiment. This is a graph showing an example of pressure change over time when pressure sensors are attached to the tips of the index finger and middle finger in the first embodiment. This is a graph showing an example of pressure change over time when pressure sensors are attached to the tip of the index finger, the pad of the index finger, the pad of the middle finger, and the tip of the middle finger in Example 1 of the pitching analysis system and pitching analysis method according to the present invention. This is a graph for explaining the definition of parameters for the waveform of the pressure signal in Example 1 of the pitching analysis system and pitching analysis method according to the present invention. This is a graph showing the waveform of the pressure signal over time when the data acquisition time interval is 10 milliseconds (a) and when it is 1 millisecond (b) in Example 3 of the pitching analysis system and pitching analysis method according to the present invention. This is a simplified configuration diagram showing the second embodiment of the pitching analysis system and pitching analysis method according to the present invention.

[0021] Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the pitching analysis system and pitching analysis method according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4.

[0022] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the pitching analysis system 1 of this embodiment includes a pressure sensor 2 that can be attached to the fingers F of the hand H that contact the ball B during pitching, a transmitting unit 3 that transmits the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 2 as a pressure signal during pitching, and a receiving unit 4 that receives the pressure signal and displays or records the time change of the pressure applied to the fingers F during pitching based on the received pressure signal. The ball B can be any type of ball, such as a baseball, softball, rugby ball, or American football.

[0023] The pressure sensor 2 described above is attached to at least one of the pad, tip, and side of the finger F. The pitching analysis system 1 of this embodiment includes multiple pressure sensors 2 that can be attached to multiple fingers F, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Specifically, the pressure sensors 2 of this embodiment are attached, for example, to the index finger F1 and middle finger F2 of the hand H, and also to the thumb F0 of the hand H. In Figure 1, the pressure sensors 2 are attached to the pad of the thumb F0, the tip of the index finger F1, and the pad of the middle finger F2.

[0024] The receiving unit 4 has a function to display the time changes in the pressure applied to multiple fingers F during pitching, based on multiple pressure signals detected by multiple pressure sensors 2. In other words, the receiving unit 4 is equipped with a display unit 4a, such as a liquid crystal screen, that displays the time changes in the pressure. The display unit 4a can display the waveform of the pressure signal as a graph and can show the peak position and rising edge position of the pressure signal. The receiving unit 4 is, for example, a personal computer.

[0025] The receiving unit 4 has a function to display a diagnostic result regarding the quality of the throw by comparing the time change of pressure applied to the finger F during an ideal throw, which has been stored in advance, with the time change of pressure applied to the finger F that has been detected.

[0026] For example, if a straight pitch unintentionally turns into a slider, the receiver 4 compares the pressure change applied to finger F during an ideal straight pitch (which it has memorized) with the measured pressure change applied to finger F during a slider pitch and displays them together in a graph or similar. If the pressure applied to the middle finger F2 during the measurement is too high, the receiver 4 displays this as a diagnostic result. The following types of data can be used as the "time change of pressure applied to finger F during an ideal pitch": - Data created based on the pitcher's own past pitching data (for example, data from when the pitcher is in good form) (this can be for one pitch or the average of multiple pitches). - Pitching data from another person, such as a professional pitcher or coach (this can be for one pitch or the average of multiple pitches). - Ideal pitching data theoretically determined based on sports science, etc., without relying on measured values.

[0027] The transmitting unit 3 transmits a pressure signal wirelessly, and the receiving unit 4 receives the pressure signal wirelessly. For example, the transmitting unit 3 and the receiving unit 4 communicate wirelessly using Bluetooth® or Wi-Fi. Although wireless communication is preferred for communication between the transmitting unit 3 and the receiving unit 4 as described above, wired communication may also be used.

[0028] The pressure sensor 2 can be attached, for example, by wrapping tape or the like around a finger F while the sensor is placed on the finger F. Alternatively, the pressure sensor 2 may be attached to the inner surface of the finger portion of a thin glove, such as a thin nitrile glove, and then worn on the hand H. The pressure sensor 2 is preferably a small, thin, flexible, film-like sensor (film sensor), and existing pressure sensors such as resistive, capacitive, piezoelectric, or pressure-sensitive conductive elastomers can be used. Each pressure sensor 2 and the transmitting unit 3 are connected, for example, by a thin lead wire 2a. The film sensor can be, for example, a strip-shaped flexible substrate with a thickness of 0.7 mm and a width of 2.95 mm or 3.9 mm, with the sensor element of the pressure sensor 2 mounted on the tip and a terminal for connecting the lead wire 2a provided at the base end. The thickness of the sensor element can also be as thin as 0.3 to 0.7 mm, such as 0.334 mm or 0.643 mm. The sensor element can be a chip-shaped element, such as a rectangular or circular shape in plan view, and a chip width that is less than or slightly larger than the width of the strip-shaped flexible substrate is preferred.

[0029] The transmitting unit 3 is attached to the pitcher's body with a band or the like so as not to interfere with the pitcher's throw. Preferably, the transmitting unit 3 is attached to the pitcher's waist or the like so as not to interfere with the pitcher's throw. The receiving unit 4 may be installed at a distance from the pitcher, or it may be attached to the pitcher's body (e.g., waist) as long as it does not interfere with the pitcher's throw. When attached to the pitcher's body, the receiving unit 4 only receives and records pressure signals, and the display unit 4a is provided separately, which makes it possible to miniaturize the unit.

[0030] The pitching analysis method of this embodiment includes a detection step in which a pressure sensor 2 detects the pressure applied to the fingers F of the hand H that contact the ball B during pitching; a transmission step in which the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 2 during pitching is transmitted as a pressure signal; and a reception step in which the pressure signal is received and the time change of the pressure applied to the fingers F during pitching is displayed or recorded based on the received pressure signal.

[0031] In the pitching analysis system 1 of this embodiment, for example, as shown in Figure 2, when pressure sensors 2 are attached to the tip of the index finger F1, the pad of the middle finger F2, and the pad of the thumb F0, the pressure signal waveforms of the index finger F1 and middle finger F2 when pitching are displayed as shown in Figure 4. For example, as shown in Figure 3, the pressure applied to the index finger F1 and middle finger F2 at the moment the ball B is released during pitching reaches a peak as shown in Figure 4.

[0032] As described above, the pitching analysis system 1 and pitching analysis method of this embodiment include a pressure sensor 2 that can be attached to the fingers F of the hand H that contact the ball B during pitching, a transmitting unit 3 that transmits the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 2 as a pressure signal during pitching, and a receiving unit 4 that receives the pressure signal and displays or records the time change of the pressure applied to the fingers F during pitching based on the received pressure signal. Therefore, the pitching motion and the amount of force applied to the fingers F until release during pitching can be measured as data.

[0033] In other words, information can be obtained regarding the change in pressure on finger F according to the speed and type of ball B thrown (such as a fastball or curveball), and it becomes possible to easily analyze the quality of the thrown ball B from the obtained information. Therefore, it becomes easier to obtain and understand the motion analysis when throwing a bad ball B, especially the way force is applied at the time of release, not based on empirical rules or intuition, but as measured information.

[0034] Furthermore, since the pressure sensor 2 is attached to at least one of the finger pad (opposite the fingernail), tip, and side (the side between the fingernail and the pad) of the finger F, it is possible to measure the pressure at at least one of the finger pad, tip, and side, which are areas where pressure is particularly applied during pitching, and to obtain a more direct understanding of the pressure changes on the finger F. It is preferable to attach the pressure sensor 2 to the side of the finger F when pitching curveballs such as forkballs, where the pressure applied to the side of the finger F is particularly large.

[0035] Furthermore, the receiving unit 4 has a function to display the time changes in the pressure applied to multiple fingers F during pitching, based on multiple pressure signals detected by multiple pressure sensors 2. This makes it easy to relatively understand what kind of pressure is applied to each of the different fingers F during pitching.

[0036] In particular, since the pressure sensor 2 is attached to the index finger F1 and middle finger F2 of hand H, it becomes possible to display a comparative view of the pressure information of the index finger F1 and middle finger F2, which are usually subjected to the most pressure during pitching. Therefore, for example, it is possible to easily understand, by comparing, which finger (index finger F1 or middle finger F2) is subjected to what kind of pressure depending on the type of pitch. Furthermore, since the pressure sensor 2 is also attached to the thumb F0 of hand H, it becomes possible to display a comparative view of the pressure information of the three fingers that mainly grip the ball B: the index finger F1, the middle finger F2, and the thumb F0. In addition, by attaching the pressure sensor 2 to the tip of the index finger F1, it becomes possible to detect with high accuracy the instantaneous pressure applied to the fingertip of the index finger F1 at the time of release during pitching.

[0037] Furthermore, since the pressure sensor 2 is a film-type sensor, the sensor is thin and flexible, resulting in less discomfort when attached to the finger F and used to grip the ball B. In addition, the receiving unit 4 has a function to compare the time change of pressure applied to the finger during an ideal pitch, which is stored in advance, with the time change of pressure applied to the detected finger F, and to display a diagnostic result regarding the quality of the pitch. Therefore, it is easy to judge the quality of the pitch from the displayed diagnostic result.

[0038] Furthermore, since the transmitter 3 transmits the pressure signal wirelessly and the receiver 4 receives the pressure signal wirelessly, there is no need to connect the transmitter 3 and the receiver 4 with a wire. This makes it possible to attach the transmitter 3 to the pitcher and install the receiver 4 at a location away from the pitcher. This reduces the amount of equipment that needs to be attached to the pitcher, thereby minimizing the burden and interference during pitching.

[0039] Next, a second embodiment of the pitching analysis system and pitching analysis method according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 8. In the following descriptions of each embodiment, the same reference numerals will be used for the same components described in the above embodiment, and their descriptions will be omitted.

[0040] As shown in Figure 8, the pitching analysis system 21 of this embodiment includes pressure sensors 22 that are applied to multiple locations on the ball B during pitching, a transmitting unit 23 that transmits the pressure detected by the pressure sensors 22 as a pressure signal during pitching, and a receiving unit 4 that receives the pressure signal and displays or records the time change of the pressure applied to the ball B during pitching based on the received pressure signal. The pressure sensors 22 are film-type sensors as described above, and are attached to at least three locations on the surface of the ball B, for example. If the ball B is a baseball, it is preferable to place the pressure sensors 22 on the surface of the ball B at locations where the index finger, middle finger, and thumb make contact during pitching. Alternatively, the pressure sensors 22 may be installed inside the ball B. In this case, it is preferable to embed them as close to the surface as possible on the inside so that the pressure from the fingers in contact with the ball B can be detected.

[0041] The transmitting unit 23 transmits a pressure signal wirelessly, and the receiving unit 4 receives the pressure signal wirelessly. For example, the transmitting unit 23 and the receiving unit 4 communicate wirelessly using Bluetooth® or Wi-Fi. A battery (not shown) is also built into the sphere B and supplies power to the transmitting unit 23. Furthermore, it is preferable that the transmitting unit 23 and the battery be small and lightweight, positioned and built into the sphere B with balance in mind, so that the center of gravity of the sphere B is not as eccentric as possible from the center, and so that the weight is not much different from that of a normal sphere.

[0042] As described above, in this embodiment, since the pressure sensor 22 is provided on the surface or inside the ball B, the pressure change applied to the ball B during pitching can be obtained as information. In particular, if the pressure sensor 22 is provided on the surface of the ball B, the pressure applied to the ball B from the fingers can be directly detected. Furthermore, since the receiving unit 4 has a function to display the time change of pressure applied to multiple locations on the ball B during pitching based on multiple pressure signals of the pressure detected by the multiple pressure sensors 22, it becomes possible to relatively easily understand what kind of pressure is applied to each different location on the ball B during pitching.

[0043] Using the pitching analysis system and pitching analysis method of the first embodiment described above, the results of actually measuring the pressure applied to the fingers during a pitcher's pitch are shown in Table 1 as Example 1 of the present invention. In Example 1, pressure sensors (SF-3-LT, a sensor using a pressure-sensitive conductive elastomer manufactured by Inaba Rubber Co., Ltd.) were attached to a total of four locations: the belly and tip of the index finger and the belly and tip of the middle finger of the right-handed pitcher's right hand. Then, 5V was applied to each pressure sensor, and the pressure signal waveform during pitching was measured and analyzed by this system. An example of the pressure signal waveform measured by each pressure sensor at that time is shown in FIG. 5.

[0044] In this system, the maximum value (peak) in the pressure signal waveform of the belly of the index finger was defined as the ball release point, and the position of the valley immediately before that signal was defined as immediately before release. As shown in FIG. 6, the voltage value of the release point was defined as Vmax, the voltage difference between the release point and immediately before release was defined as ΔV, and the time from immediately before release to the release point was defined as t. Using the value of ΔV / t, the pitching was analyzed. Separately, the rotation speed during pitching was measured using Rapsodo (registered trademark) PITCHING 2.0. Also, in the above, when comparing the time change of pressure, ΔV / t was used as the evaluation function. However, as the evaluation function, it is also possible to appropriately use a function including at least one of ΔV, t, and Vmax.

[0045] In this example, since the pitcher aimed to throw a straight ball with a rotation speed of 1500 rpm or more, pitching was performed with 1500 rpm set as the threshold value on this system. Table 1 shows the pitching results and the rotation speed measured by Rapsodo (registered trademark).

[0046]

[0047] In the pitching results and diagnostic results in this Table ********** 1, when the rotation speed reached 1500 rpm or more, it was diagnosed as a good pitch that reached the target and "○" was displayed. In Table 1, when the rotation speed exceeded 1000 rpm and was less than 1500 rpm, it was diagnosed as a pitch that was a little more to the target and "△" was displayed. When the rotation speed was 1000 rpm or less, it was diagnosed as a pitch insufficient for the target and "×" was displayed.

[0048] As can be seen from the results in Table 1, when the rotational speed reaches 1500 rpm or more, it can be seen that the ΔV / t values of both the belly of the index finger and the belly of the middle finger exceed 12. Therefore, for example, when the ΔV / t values of both the belly of the index finger and the belly of the middle finger exceed 12, by presetting the receiving unit to diagnose that it is a good pitch that has reached the target, it becomes possible to diagnose whether the pitch exceeds the target rotational speed without simultaneously measuring the rotational speed.

[0049] Next, as Example 2 of the present invention, the setup is the same as in Example 1, but Table 2 shows the results of analyzing the problems of a pitcher whose straight line unintentionally causes the axis of rotation to wobble. In this Example 2, the ΔV between the index finger and the ΔV of the middle finger and their difference were analyzed by this system. In this example, the pitcher coach and Rapsodo (registered trademark) evaluated the quality of the ball with a wobbling axis of rotation as ○ or ×, and evaluated it together with this system. That is, when the axis of rotation did not wobble, it was displayed as "○" indicating a good pitch, and when the axis of rotation wobbled, it was displayed as "×" indicating a non-good pitch.

[0050]

[0051] As can be seen from Table 2 of this Example 2, although the cause of the axis of rotation wobbling for the pitcher in this example was unknown, according to the evaluation of this system, it was found that when the difference in the ΔV values between the index finger and the middle finger becomes positive, the axis of rotation wobbles (marked with "×" in Table 2). From this result, in this system, for the pitches of this pitcher, by presetting the receiving unit to display the case where the difference in the ΔV values is positive as a pitch with a wobbling axis of rotation as "×" and the case where the difference in the ΔV values is negative as a good pitch with no wobbling axis of rotation as "○", it becomes possible for this system to diagnose whether the axis of rotation wobbles or not during pitching.

[0052] In other words, when the difference in ΔV value is negative, it is considered a good pitch where the axis of rotation did not wobble, and this is pre-stored in the receiving unit as the time change of pressure applied to the finger during an ideal pitch. By comparing this time change of pressure in the ideal case with the time change of pressure applied to the finger during an actual pitch (difference in ΔV value) (comparing whether the difference in ΔV value during an actual pitch is positive or negative), it becomes possible to display a diagnosis result regarding the quality of the pitch on the display unit.

[0053] Next, as an embodiment 3 of the present invention, the waveforms of the system with data acquisition intervals of 10 milliseconds and 1 millisecond are shown in Figures 7(a) and 7(b). The pitcher was the same person, and the ball speed was measured under almost identical conditions. Here, the signals obtained from the index finger and the pressure sensor attached to the tip of the index finger were used. The pitching result with an acquisition time of 1 millisecond was 110.5 km / h, and the pitching result with an acquisition time of 10 milliseconds was 110.7 km / h.

[0054] As a result of the above measurements, as shown in Figure 7(b), a sharp peak P1 was clearly detected in the data acquired from the pressure sensor attached to the tip of the index finger for pitching results with an acquisition time of 1 millisecond, whereas, as shown in Figure 7(a), no sharp peak was observed in the data acquired from the pressure sensor attached to the tip of the index finger for pitching results with an acquisition time of 10 milliseconds. Thus, by attaching a pressure sensor to the tip of the index finger and taking measurements with a short acquisition time of less than 10 milliseconds, preferably 1 millisecond or less, it becomes possible to analyze the pitcher's movements with higher accuracy, and in particular, to detect with high accuracy the instantaneous pressure applied to the fingertip of the index finger at the time of pitch release.

[0055] It should be noted that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and examples, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0056] 1, 21... Pitching analysis system, 2, 22... Pressure sensor, 3, 23... Transmitter, 4... Receiver, B... Ball, F... Finger, F1... Index finger, F2... Middle finger, F0... Thumb, H... Hand

Claims

1. A pitching analysis system comprising: a pressure sensor capable of detecting the pressure applied to the ball or the fingers of the hand in contact with the ball during pitching; a transmitting unit that transmits the pressure detected by the pressure sensor as a pressure signal during pitching; and a receiving unit that receives the pressure signal and displays or records the time change of the pressure applied to the ball or the fingers during pitching based on the received pressure signal.

2. A pitching analysis system according to claim 1, characterized in that the pressure sensor is attached to at least one of the pad, tip, and side of the finger.

3. A pitching analysis system according to claim 1, characterized in that the pressure sensor is provided on the surface or inside the ball.

4. A pitching analysis system according to claim 2, characterized in that the pressure sensor is a film-type sensor.

5. A pitching analysis system according to claim 4, characterized in that the pressure sensor is attached to the tip of the index finger.

6. A pitching analysis system according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of pressure sensors that can be installed at a plurality of locations on the ball or attached to a plurality of fingers, wherein the receiving unit has a function of superimposing and displaying the time change of pressure applied to a plurality of locations on the ball or a plurality of fingers during pitching, based on a plurality of pressure signals of pressure detected by the plurality of pressure sensors.

7. A pitching analysis system according to claim 6, characterized in that the pressure sensor is attached to the index finger and middle finger of the hand.

8. A pitching analysis system according to claim 7, characterized in that the pressure sensor is further attached to the thumb of the hand.

9. A pitching analysis system according to claim 1, characterized in that the receiving unit has a function to display a diagnostic result regarding the quality of the pitch by comparing the time change of pressure applied to the ball or finger during an ideal pitch, which is stored in advance, with the time change of pressure applied to the ball or finger that has been detected.

10. A pitching analysis system according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmitting unit transmits the pressure signal wirelessly, and the receiving unit receives the pressure signal wirelessly.

11. A pitching analysis method characterized by comprising: a detection step of detecting the pressure applied to the ball or the fingers of the hand in contact with the ball during pitching using a pressure sensor; a transmission step of transmitting the pressure detected by the pressure sensor during pitching as a pressure signal; and a reception step of receiving the pressure signal and displaying or recording the time change of the pressure applied to the ball or the fingers during pitching based on the received pressure signal.

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