Baseball Athletic
Combine Test Protocol
An athletic combine has become common in all sports to provide a sport specific
set of purely objective athletic measurements. The following test protocol has been designed with the
Elite Performance Academy and Kanata Baseball Association. There are seven combine tests overall.
The first 5 of these tests will be done by EPA staff in the EPA facility. The two hitting measurements of
Batted Ball Velocity and Swing Speed will be measured during the indoor workouts. Additionally a
standing reach will be performed as an input to the vertical jump.
Test
Description
20 yrd Dash
Straight line sprint that measures acceleration and burst running speed.
Players start with shoulders perpendicular to the starting line with right foot
closest to it. All players benefit from speed, but is particularly important for
Outfielders and Baserunning.
Vertical Jump
Measure of leg power from a static start. Requires a reach measurement first
to calculate the jump height which removes any bias from how tall the player
is. Pitchers and catchers especially require strong legs for explosive throws.
Measure is the delta between the jump height and stand reach.
Rotational Power
Ball Throw
Measures core rotational strength. 3kg medicine ball thrown across the chest
in a batting stance for maximum distance. Hitters generate most of their
power from their core.
20 yrd Agility Shuttle
(5-10-5)
Lateral movement test to determine the agility of the athlete. Infielders in
particular require rapid starts and stops.
Hand Grip Strength
A handgrip dynamometer is used for measuring the maximum isometric
strength of the hand and forearm muscles. Throwing and hitting all require
strong hands and forearms.
Batted Ball Velocity
The batter hits a ball off a tee into a net. The the ball exit speed off the bat is
measured with a radar gun from behind the hitter.
Bat Speed
While the batted ball velocity is being measured, a swing speed sensor is
used to measure the maximum bat speed during the swing. A maple wood
bat and R100 baseballs will be used for consistency.
Standing Reach
With a tape measure against the wall, a player will stand with back against the
wall with heels on the ground and reach up to touch the tape measure. The
height will be measured and provided to EPA to allow for the vertical jump to
be calculated from the jump height. Measure in centimeters.