Kinetic Performance Institute is a baseball/softball training facility located in Morgan Hill, California. Their training programs, player assessments, nutrition and arm care programs are designed to prepare players with the tools they need to play their best. They also ensure that they are equipped with the same technology that the pros use. KPI has been a customer of HitTrax for over four years and utilizes the system mainly for hitting but also for catching.  

We recently had the privilege of sitting down with Coach Daniel Cabuling to discuss how their facility used HitTrax, specifically on the softball side. 

When a new softball player wants to train at your facility, take us through the initial steps. 

“When a player comes in, they immediately start with a physical assessment. After testing the mobility/stability of their joints, then we use our incredible technology to take a deep dive into each athlete. Using HitTrax, we capture video analysis and identify and confirm players’ strengths and weaknesses with the data with a baseline assessment. “

What does the process look like once a player has done the initial assessments? 

“Because we want our athletes participate in their own player development, we take the time to show them how to set up their accounts and assign a coach to help them during their first session. We check back in with them periodically to ensure the best possible experience. 

Let’s get into your programming, what does the KPI athlete development experience look like? 

“Each athlete at KPI receives a unique and dedicated experience. After we analyze their initial assessments, we create an individual plan specific to them. Each athlete receives four weeks of programming, once that is completed, they receive a different set of programming. Often this plan includes mental and mindset training, individual workouts for hitting, pitching, and catching, arm care, hip mobility and stability training, and acceleration training.” 

How does HitTrax play a role in KPI’s player development training? 

“We use HitTrax every time a player comes in for training. We take their analytics such as exit velocity, launch angle, distance, hard hit average (HHA), and live drive percentage and make sure the drills and workouts we are giving them are improving their data over time. We also compare videos from their initial assessment to their most recent sessions to make sure their swing is also mechanically improving. 

Additionally, our coaching staff has the experience to use technical data and turn it into an actionable tool for the ultimate development experience. Players don’t just get insight into their form and mechanics. They’re shown how to make changes and improvements that directly impact their play on the field.

We also break down some of our small groups by using the HitTrax data instead of age, which is different. There is a coach for every three players that collect notes with each session. The coaches then put these notes in the athlete’s daily planner so they can both review them after.” 

What are some other HitTrax features that you use for training? 

“We have three cages that are used: cage one is used for their bat drills, two is for movement drills, and three is for competition drills. Whether that means live at bats, home run challenges, situational hitting, or other training games. We want the girls to get used to game play, different pitch locations and speeds, and that is the best way to do so.”