This is the step that stops most coaches before analysis ever starts. The unit tracked every pitch, the data exists — but it is not on your computer, and nobody explained where it went. Here is the whole process.
Where your data actually goes
A Trackman unit does not save a file locally for you to grab. After a game, it uploads the session data to an FTP server associated with your facility or organization. Getting your CSV means connecting to that server and downloading it — a two-minute job once it is set up, and a brick wall until someone shows you.
Step 1: Get your FTP credentials
You need three things: a host address (something like ftp.trackmanbaseball.com), a username, and a password. These belong to your facility, not to you personally, so ask whoever runs the unit — your Trackman operator, facility director, or the staff member who set the system up. If your program has a Trackman account manager, they can also provide them.
If your school or facility has had Trackman for a while, these credentials almost certainly already exist and someone on staff has them. Ask before assuming you need new ones.
Step 2: Install an FTP client
FileZilla is free, works on Mac and Windows, and is what most programs use. Download the client (not the server) from filezilla-project.org and install it normally.
Step 3: Connect
Open FileZilla and use the Quickconnect bar across the top:
- Host: the FTP address you were given
- Username and Password: your facility credentials
- Port: leave blank unless you were told otherwise
Click Quickconnect. The right-hand pane is the remote server; the left-hand pane is your computer.
Step 4: Find your game
Files are organized by date, and folder structures vary by setup, but you are generally drilling down through year, then month, then day. Look for a folder matching your game date, and inside it a .csv file — often with the date and teams in the filename.
If you see multiple files for one date, you likely have both a raw/unverified export and a verified one. Either will work for reports; the verified file has had pitch tagging reviewed.
Step 5: Download
Drag the CSV from the right pane to a folder on the left — or just double-click it. It is now on your laptop and ready to use.
If you do not have FTP access
You do not strictly need it. Ask your Trackman operator to email you the game CSV directly — it is a small file and this is a routine request. Many programs run this way, with one person pulling files and sending them out after games. It is slower than having your own credentials, but it works.
What to do with the file
A Trackman game CSV contains every pitch with velocity, spin rate, induced vertical and horizontal break, extension, release point, and plate location — plus game context like counts, batters, and umpire calls. That single file is enough to build a full pitching report, hitting breakdowns for every batter, a catcher framing report, and an umpire scorecard.
The one thing worth checking before you analyze: pitch tagging. Auto-tagging often logs sinkers as fastballs and sweepers as sliders, especially when the operator is busy running a game. Correcting those before generating reports keeps your usage rates and movement profiles honest.
Once the CSV is on your laptop, PitchFilthy turns it into a print-ready report in under 8 seconds — and lets you fix pitch tags before generating.
See Trackman reports →