If you’ve booked the HitTrax cage at Concord Sports Plex — or you’re thinking about it — you’ve probably seen the screen light up with numbers after every swing and wondered what they all mean. This guide breaks it down in plain English so you can turn that data into a better swing.
What is HitTrax?
HitTrax is a hitting simulator that combines a camera and radar to track the ball the instant it comes off your bat. From that, it calculates the key numbers that describe your contact — exit velocity, launch angle, distance, and where the ball would land — and shows them on a screen in real time. It can also simulate full games and run contests like Home Run Derby against real MLB ballpark dimensions.
In other words, it takes the guesswork out of hitting. Instead of feeling like you hit it well, you get an actual measurement you can compare swing to swing and week to week.
The numbers that matter
Exit velocity
Exit velocity is how fast the ball leaves your bat, measured in miles per hour. It’s the single best indicator of how hard you hit the ball, and it’s strongly tied to power and overall hitting potential. Hard contact gives the ball a better chance of finding a gap or leaving the yard.
The useful thing about exit velo is that it’s trainable and measurable. If your average exit velocity climbs over a few weeks of work, your swing is genuinely getting stronger and more efficient — not just feeling better.
Launch angle
Launch angle is the vertical angle the ball takes off the bat. Too low and you beat balls into the ground; too high and you pop up. There’s a productive window — generally somewhere in the 10–30 degree range — where balls become line drives and well-struck fly balls.
The goal isn’t to chase one magic number. It’s to understand your tendencies. If HitTrax shows you’re constantly hitting the ball at 40+ degrees, you’re getting under it. If everything is at 2 degrees, you’re on top of it. The data tells you which way to adjust.
Distance and spray chart
HitTrax projects how far each ball would travel and plots where it would land on a field — your spray chart. Over a session, the spray chart reveals patterns: Are you pulling everything? Going oppo when you’re late? Hitting the ball where it’s pitched? That picture is hard to see from inside the batter’s box but obvious on the screen.
How to actually use the data
Numbers only help if you train against them. A few practical ways to use HitTrax:
- Set a baseline. Hit a round early, note your average exit velo and launch angle, and you’ve got something to measure progress against.
- Pick one thing. Don’t chase every metric at once. Working on driving the ball? Watch launch angle. Building strength? Track exit velo.
- Compete. Home Run Derby mode and simulated games make reps fun, which means more quality swings.
- Bring a coach. During a lesson, a coach can connect what the numbers show to what your swing is doing — that’s where the real improvement happens.
Is HitTrax worth it?
If you just want to get loose and put bat on ball, a standard cage is perfect. But if you want to know whether you’re improving — and you like a challenge — HitTrax turns a cage session into measurable training. It’s especially valuable for travel-ball and high-school players preparing for a season, and for anyone who responds to clear feedback.
At Concord Sports Plex, the HitTrax cage runs $35 per half hour and $55 per hour, and you can reserve it online in under a minute. Bring a buddy, set a baseline, and start chasing numbers.
Ready to play? Concord Sports Plex is at 7993 Crile Rd, Concord Township, OH 44077, open seven days a week. Book a cage or court online or get in touch.