Ball tracking systems like radar and camera-based tools have transformed how baseball performance is measured, providing detailed data on velocity, spin, and trajectory. This article breaks down how each technology works, what they measure, and why there is growing interest in integrating ball tracking with biomechanics to better connect athlete movement to performance outcomes.

A 2025 study published in Acta of Bioengineering and Biomechanics compared markerless and marker-based motion capture systems during three basketball jump movements: standing vertical jump, standing long jump, and running vertical jump. The results show that markerless motion capture produced strong agreement with traditional marker-based systems for knee and ankle biomechanics, with only moderate differences at the hip joint. These findings suggest that markerless motion capture can reliably analyze lower-limb biomechanics in athletic jumping movements, opening the door to more scalable and realistic biomechanical analysis in sports settings.

Can markerless motion capture be trusted for repeated athlete screening and monitoring? A 2025 study published in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy evaluated the between-day reliability of markerless motion capture during single-leg squats and single-leg landing tasks. Using Theia3D, researchers found low measurement error and good-to-moderate reliability, with performance comparable to traditional marker-based motion capture, supporting its use for regular athlete monitoring and injury-risk screening.