Coach Rader
Founder, SwingDino
Chris “Coach” Rader has spent more than ten years in Southern California dugouts. He's coached his daughter from age eight through high school, both of his sons since their tee-ball days, and teams across North Mission Viejo Little League, Rancho Trabuco, and Placentia. Dad first, coach second, hitter somewhere after that.
By day he runs the marketing team at a software company, where eleven years in SaaS taught him how to take a hard problem and make it simple enough for a six-year-old to use.
He started SwingDino after watching pro hitters flash exit-velocity numbers off thousand-dollar machines, and figuring the iPhone in his pocket could do the same job for free. The real reason it exists is smaller than that. His son was bored on the tee until one good swing lit him up: “Dad, can I hit again?” SwingDino is built to bottle that moment. Get your reps in, watch your numbers climb, and have a little fun doing the boring work that actually makes you better.
Articles by Coach Rader
Softball Hitting Drills That Real Coaches Teach, by Age
Fastpitch hitting drills from named college coaches and Olympians: tee and front toss staples, the two-plate timing drill, slap footwork, and what improvement looks like in the numbers.
July 11, 2026
Exit velocityExit Velocity Drills by Age: What Actually Works from Tee Ball to Varsity
Age-banded exit velocity drills for 6-8, 9-11, 12-14, and high school hitters. Each drill includes setup, reps, and what improvement looks like in the numbers, plus how to tell a drill is working.
July 4, 2026
Swing analysisAI Baseball Swing Analysis: What It Can and Can't See (2026)
An honest look at AI baseball swing analysis. What an AI pose model reads well from a phone video (head, posture, balance), what it cannot see (bat speed, exit velocity, rotation), and how to try an AI swing analyzer free.
June 20, 2026
Swing analysisHow to Film a Baseball Swing for Analysis (Angle, Distance, and Phone Settings)
A plain, practical guide to filming a baseball or softball swing for analysis: the right side-on angle, distance, height, light, and phone settings, plus an honest explainer of 2D vs 3D vs LiDAR on a phone.
June 18, 2026
Exit velocityFastpitch Exit Velocity by Age: A Softball Benchmark Chart
Fastpitch exit velocity runs from roughly 30-40 mph at 8U up to 60-72+ mph for a strong high schooler. Here's a softball-specific by-age chart, why the numbers run lower than baseball, and how to read them for a slapper vs a power hitter.
June 16, 2026
Swing analysisBest Free Baseball Swing Analysis App in 2026 (Honest Youth Guide)
An honest free-app buyer's guide to the best free baseball swing analysis app for youth, with what free really means and the right pick for each kid.
June 16, 2026
Exit velocityHow to Increase Exit Velocity: Drills That Actually Work
Exit velocity comes from bat speed and squared-up contact. Here are the drills and habits that raise it, tee work, strength, and on-time contact, plus how to track the gains so you know what's working.
June 11, 2026
Exit velocityHow to Measure Exit Velocity at Home (No Radar Gun Needed)
You can measure exit velocity at home off a tee with a pocket radar, a launch monitor, or just an iPhone app. Here's how each method works, how accurate they are, and how to get a repeatable number.
June 11, 2026
Exit velocityAverage Exit Velocity by Age: A Youth Baseball Benchmark Chart
Average exit velocity runs from roughly 45-55 mph for an 8-10 year old up to 75-85+ mph by high school. Here's a by-age chart, what counts as a 'good' exit velo, and how it's measured.
June 11, 2026
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