Velo vs Spin and Why 113 D1 Teams Hit Over .300 | Casey Roche, CEO of Pitch Logic

In 2024, 43 D1 softball teams hit above .300. This season, that number exploded to 113. So what's going on — and what can pitching do about it?

Casey Roche, CEO of Pitch Logic, joins Rob Crews for a deep dive into pitching analytics, smart ball technology, and the future of pitcher development. They break down spin rate, velocity measurement (at release vs. at the plate), the riseball debate, pitch tunneling, and why the coaches who evaluate themselves are the ones who get better.

Casey also shares how Pitch Logic expanded into softball the right way — consulting experts, testing relentlessly, and building a product the community actually asked for.

💬 "If you're the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room."

In This Episode:

• The D1 softball hitting explosion — 43 to 113 teams above .300 in two seasons

• Why velocity at the plate matters more than velocity at release

• The riseball debate — science, spin, and what coaches actually see

• How Pitch Logic puts a computer chip inside a ball for instant metrics

• Spin rate, spin efficiency, break, and arm path data

• Authenticity in coaching and the business of sports tech

• Why every pitcher should have data in their bag

🔥 Special offer: Use code RC10 for $10 off at pitchlogic.com

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Connect with Rob Crews & Complete Game:

🌐 Website: https://complete.game

📱 Instagram: @completegame

🐦 X/Twitter: @CompleteGame

📘 Facebook: @cgmindset

📺 YouTube: youtube.com/completegame

🎵 TikTok: @rob_crews

About Casey Roche:

CEO of Pitch Logic — a sports technology company that embeds sensors inside baseballs and softballs to provide instant pitching metrics including spin rate, velocity, break, spin efficiency, arm path, and more.

🌐 pitchlogic.com

📱 Instagram: @pitchlogicsoftball

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Transcending Sport is a unique audio experience with the world's most intriguing sports personalities. Hosted by Rob Crews, founder of Complete Game — dedicated to See · Think · Move methodology and skill acquisition.

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Episode 94: Real Talk with Iver McDonald

Iver McDonald—former Oklahoma Sooner, founder of McDonald Fastpitch Camps, and co-founder of Transfer U—joins Rob Crews for a conversation that covers everything from playing for Patty Gasso to the current state of college softball.

Iver shares what it was like growing up in South Houston's softball scene, learning more in one year at Oklahoma than in 13 years of travel ball, and why the transfer portal is creating as many problems as it solves.

They go deep on:

→ The gap between high school standouts and college-ready players→ Why players need to know what kind of coach they can play for→ How teams are bringing in portal players who were the problem at their last school→ World Series predictions for 2026 (Tennessee, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and more)→ Why travel ball culture has become college softball's culture→ The IQ vs. athleticism debate—and why Rob will always choose IQ→ How regional styles of play expose gaps in player development→ Florida State's zero-transfer culture and what it says about recruiting→ Representation, trailblazing, and Iver's message to Black and Brown athletes

This is a real conversation between two people who have been in the trenches of player development for decades. No hot takes—just honest observations about what's working, what's broken, and what needs to change.

Connect with Iver:McDonald Fastpitch Camps: mcdonaldfastpitchcamps.comTransfer U (with Christina Wiley)

Show Notes: complete.game/podcast/94

Episode 93: Stop Coaching Swings, Start Coaching HittersEye Dominance, Confidence Building & In-Game Adjustments

In this episode, Rob Crews shares an exclusive coaching session with a group of high school coaches from New York City, breaking down his philosophy on vision training, the invisible mechanics, and why swings are not hitting.

Rob talks about:

• How to identify eye dominance with a simple test—and why it matters
• The Big 3: zoning down, front foot timing, and contact space
• Why he doesn't believe in open stances
• The three timings every hitter needs to sync
• Head stability as a "camera on a tripod"—and how to train it
• Why anticipation beats reaction in less than four-tenths of a second
• Teaching in the positive: why "don't chase" is the wrong cue
• Building confidence at 8, 9, 10, 11, 12—before it's too late
• How your coaching cues become their self-talk
• Non-verbal communication and developing a language with your hitters
• Feel the game: situational hitting without overthinking
• The Swing Dynamics bat system and pregame warmup philosophy

This is real coaching talk—unfiltered, practical, and rooted in 25+ years of player development.

Shownotes: https://www.complete.game/podcast-shownotes

Episode 92: Why I Don't Believe in Tee WorkPregame Philosophy, Heavy Balls & Teaching in the Positive

In this episode, Rob Crews shares an exclusive coaching session with a group of high school coaches from New York City, breaking down his philosophy on pregame warmups, tee work, and the psychology of in-game communication.

Rob talks about:

• Why he doesn't believe tee work makes hitters better—and when it still has value
• The Big 3: chasing high, front foot timing, and contact depth
• Why heavy balls are the only thing he'd use if he could only pick one pregame tool
• How to develop non-verbal communication with your hitters
• Teaching in the positive—why "don't chase high" is the wrong cue
• Understanding that every kid speaks a different language
• Lineup psychology: why some kids hit .900 in the 6-hole and .150 in the 3-hole
• How to handle riseball pitchers by adjusting box position

This is real coaching talk—unfiltered, practical, and rooted in 25+ years of player development.

Shownotes: https://www.complete.game/podcast-shownotes

Rob Crews talks about:

• Why most slappers aren't actually fast—they just play against slow defenders
• The coaches who sacrifice a kid's development to win local games
• Regional differences in softball and why Northeast kids get exposed when they travel
• Why your 14U playing 18U isn't a flex—it's sad
• The honest conversation he had with an 11-year-old her first time in the cage
• Why families who can't handle the truth at 11 won't handle it at 16 either
• Players who come back years later just to take one more lesson
• How the game becomes a support system that's bigger than softball

Shownotes: https://www.complete.game/podcast-shownotes

Jenny D returns to Transcending Sport for a powerful conversation about what it really takes to develop the mental side of athletic performance.

In this episode, Rob and Jenny dive deep into the psychology of peak performance, using compelling clips from coaching legend Gino Auriemma and the vulnerable testimony of basketball star Hailey Van Lith to explore why the mental game is often 80% of the battle.

Topics covered:

• Why elite coaches train athletes beyond their comfort zone (the Gino Auriemma philosophy)
• Hailey Van Lith's powerful story of struggle, self-reflection, and asking "Who are you?"
• The difference between being "teamy" vs. self-absorbed in team sports
• Why elite athletes have elite parents—and what that really means
• The danger of caring too much about what others think (FOPO)
• Jenny's 8-session mindset program and the tools athletes need to execute under pressure
• Process over outcome: Why focusing on results is killing your performance
• The importance of pre-game mental routines (and why most athletes skip them)
• How coaches can build authentic connections that make athletes run through walls
• Core values and self-discovery exercises every athlete needs

Jenny D shares insights from her Certified Sports Psychology practice and introduces her new online course, "The Game Changer Playbook," created with her childhood best friend Gina from Beyond the Scoreboards.

If you're a coach, parent, or athlete looking to strengthen the mental side of performance, this conversation will give you practical tools and a fresh perspective on what separates good from great.

Connect with Jenny D:

• Website: jennydmindset.com
• Instagram: @jennydmindset
• Email: [email protected]
• New Online Course: gamechangerplaybook.com

Episode 93: Stop Coaching Swings, Start Coaching Hitters: Eye Dominance, Confidence Building & In-Game Adjustments

In this episode, Rob Crews shares an exclusive coaching session with a group of high school coaches from New York City, breaking down his philosophy on vision training, the invisible mechanics, and why swings are not hitting.

Rob talks about:

• How to identify eye dominance with a simple test—and why it matters
• The Big 3: zoning down, front foot timing, and contact space
• Why he doesn't believe in open stances
• The three timings every hitter needs to sync
• Head stability as a "camera on a tripod"—and how to train it
• Why anticipation beats reaction in less than four-tenths of a second
• Teaching in the positive: why "don't chase" is the wrong cue
• Building confidence at 8, 9, 10, 11, 12—before it's too late
• How your coaching cues become their self-talk
• Non-verbal communication and developing a language with your hitters
• Feel the game: situational hitting without overthinking
• The Swing Dynamics bat system and pregame warmup philosophy

This is real coaching talk—unfiltered, practical, and rooted in 25+ years of player development.

Shownotes: https://www.complete.game/podcast-shownotes

Episode Summary

In this landmark episode of Transcending Sport, Rob Crews sits down with Bertrand Théraulaz, co-founder of ActionTypes and one of the originators of motor signature profiling.

For over 35 years, Bertrand and his partner Ralph Hippolyte have developed a comprehensive approach to understanding human movement — connecting brain, body, and behavior in ways that transform how we coach athletes.

This conversation traces the complete evolution of ActionTypes: from Bertrand's early days coaching volleyball in Switzerland, through his breakthrough discovery in 1998, to the launch of the first-ever U.S. Hybrid Training Program bringing this methodology to American coaches.

This isn't a simplified binary system — this is the complete methodology, directly from one of its creators.

Key Takeaways

🎯 You Have FOUR Motor Skills, Not One

Everyone has four motor skills available — not just one fixed profile. Your "comfort zone" is used about 70% of the time, but your second motor skill is your recovery zone. Training only one leads to overuse and injury.

🎯 Two Profiles That Interact

You have a motor profile (voluntary motor system for technique execution) AND a motivational profile (autonomous nervous system for preparation and recovery). Understanding both prevents coaching errors.

🎯 "Listen to Your Body, Not Anybody"

The body always has a solution. Your brain is a coordination device designed for movement. Trust your natural patterns instead of forcing external "one size fits all" solutions.

🎯 Coach the Intention, Not the Action

The HOW belongs to the athlete. Coaches should focus on intention and context — not prescriptive technique. "Recognize WHO they are first, not WHAT they do."

🎯 Vision Strategies Matter

Some athletes use central vision first → then peripheral. Others start peripheral → then central. You cannot teach one person the opposite strategy — it must match their profile.

🎯 The Danger of Oversimplification

Reducing motor preferences to simple binary categories is dangerous. Without understanding both profiles and all four motor skills, coaches risk causing injuries and harming athletes.

What's Covered in This Episode

• The origin story of ActionTypes (dating back to 1989-1998)
• Bertrand's breakthrough discovery in Canberra, Australia (1998)
• Why "one size fits all" coaching fails athletes
• The four motor skills and how they coordinate together
• Motor profiles vs. motivational profiles — and why both matter
• Vision strategies: central-to-peripheral vs. peripheral-to-central
• Applications beyond sports: therapy, autism spectrum, education
• The U.S. Hybrid Training Program launching in 2026
• Ethical responsibilities when profiling athletes
• The 800-page ActionTypes reference book

About the Guest

Bertrand Théraulaz is the co-founder of ActionTypes, alongside Ralph Hippolyte. A former elite volleyball coach, Swiss national team coach, and director of coaching education for Swiss Olympic for 17 years, Bertrand has spent 35+ years developing the science of motor signatures. His work spans 30+ sports disciplines and has influenced elite athletes, Olympic teams (including the French handball team — Tokyo Olympics gold medalists), therapists, and educators worldwide.

Links & Resources

ActionTypes Official

• Website: actiontypes.com
• Website (US): actiontypes.org
• Motor Signatures Research: motorsignatures.com
• Instagram: @actiontypes_off
• Email: [email protected]

U.S. Hybrid Training Program

• Registration: actiontypesonline.com/application-form
• Free 3-hour introductory session
• Online hybrid sessions + self-paced course
• In-person intensive weekend in Philadelphia (June 2026)
• 800-page reference book included
• Certification as "Detect Type" practitioner

"I'm not seeing the ball well."

Every coach has heard it. But what if the problem isn't your eyes—it's the disconnect between what you see and what you do?

In this episode of Transcending Sport, I break down why players think they can't see the ball when they actually can, how this same visual disconnect affects baserunners reading pickoff moves, and why infield masks tell us everything about visual processing at different competition levels.

I also introduce the 3 critical timings every hitter needs to understand:

• Hitter's body to pitcher's body
• Eyes to point of collision
• Body-bat to ball

This is perception-action training at its core.

🔥 TIMESTAMPS:0:00 - Introduction0:45 - "I'm not seeing the ball" - The lie hitters tell themselves2:30 - Baserunner reads and pickoff misreads4:15 - Why lower-level infielders wear masks5:30 - The 3 timings of hitting7:00 - Putting it all together

Rick Pauly returns for a no-holds-barred breakdown of the 2025 NFCA Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada—the largest in convention history.

As both attendees and presenters, Rob and Rick share their unfiltered observations about what they saw, what surprised them, and what concerns them about the current state of softball coaching and player development.

Topics covered:

• The record-setting attendance and what it reveals about travel ball coaching
• New technology and products showcased by exhibitors
• The tension between education and product endorsement in presentations
• Whether technology is becoming prohibitively expensive for smaller schools and programs
• Should travel ball coaches have a voice in college recruiting calendar decisions?
• Rob introduces his new concept: "egosystem" and its implications for competitive sports
• Does softball genuinely want to embrace data-driven coaching, or is it performative?
• Their favorite speakers and sessions from the convention

If you're a coach, administrator, or parent trying to navigate the evolving landscape of softball, this conversation will challenge your assumptions and give you plenty to think about.