Background: There is a paucity of research regarding the relationship between fastpitch softball pitching mechanics and reported pain. Thus, understanding the pitching mechanics of athletes pitching with upper extremity pain and those pain free is paramount. Purpose: To examine lower extremity pitching mechanics, upper extremity kinetics, and upper extremity pain in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I female softball pitchers. Study Design: Descriptive laboratory study. Methods: A total of 37 NCAA Division I female softball pitchers (mean age, 19.84 ± 1.28 years; mean height, 173.67 ± 7.77 cm; mean weight, 78.98 ± 12.40 kg) from across the United States were recruited to participate. Participants were divided into 2 groups: upper extremity pain (n = 13; mean age, 19.69 ± 1.18 years; mean height, 172.60 ± 11.49 cm; mean weight, 86.75 ± 13.02 kg) and pain free (n = 24; mean age, 19.91 ± 1.35 years; mean height, 174.26 ± 4.96 cm; mean weight, 74.78 ± 9.97 kg). An electromagnetic tracking system was used to obtain kinematic and kinetic data during the riseball softball pitch. Results: At foot contact ( F 3,33 = 7.01, P = .001), backward elimination regression revealed that stride length, trunk rotation, and center of mass (COM) significantly explained about 33% of variance with softball pitchers experiencing upper extremity pain (adjusted R 2 = 0.33). Conclusion: At foot contact, the kinematic variables of increased trunk rotation toward the pitching arm side, increased stride length, and a posteriorly shifted COM were associated with upper extremity pain in collegiate softball pitchers. Variables early in the pitching motion that do not set a working and constructive proximal kinetic chain foundation for the rest of the pitch to follow could be associated with breakdowns more distal in the kinetic chain, possibly increasing the susceptibility to upper extremity pain. Clinical Relevance: The identification of pitching mechanics associated with pain allows clinicians to develop exercises to avoid such mechanics. Avoiding mechanics associated with pain may help reduce the prevalence of pain in windmill softball pitchers as well as help coaches incorporate quantitative biomechanics into their instruction.
The purpose of this study was to determine whether glove arm kinematics during a windmill softball pitch impact pelvic and trunk kinematics as well as pitching arm shoulder kinetics. Thirty-Nine college softball pitchers (20.0±1.4 yrs.; 174.7±6.1 cm; 82.0±13.0 kg; 10.7±2.7 yrs. of experience) threw 3 pitches to a catcher while kinematic and kinetic data were collected. Pearson product moment correlations were run, and significant correlations found with glove arm kinematics, occurring before pelvis kinematics, trunk kinematics, and shoulder kinetics, were then put through a linear regression to identify whether there was any potential cause and effect. Results revealed that glove arm elbow flexion during phase 1 significantly predicted normalized shoulder rotation moment during phase 4 (t=2.60, p=0.013). Additionally, glove arm shoulder horizontal abduction during phase 1 significantly predicted normalized shoulder moment in phase 3 (t=− 2.40, p=0.021) and pelvic angular velocity during phase 3 (t=− 3.20, p=0.003). In conclusion, an active glove arm was predictive of a more efficient kinetic chain later in the windmill pitching motion and could possibly play a role in preventing injury by lessening pitching shoulder joint loads.
Background:While the kinematics of the pitching arm, trunk, and pelvis have been described and studied, glove arm kinematics remain an understudied portion of the pitching motion. Baseball pitchers seek to achieve maximum ball velocity in a fashion that does not place the arm at risk of injury.Purpose:To assess the relationship between glove arm shoulder horizontal abduction and elbow flexion and pitching arm kinematics and kinetics among youth pitchers to determine whether recommendations can be made toward a safer pitching motion.Study Design:Descriptive laboratory study.Methods:Thirty-three right-handed youth male baseball pitchers (mean ± SD: age, 13.6 ± 2.0 years; height, 169.4 ± 14.3 cm; weight, 63.5 ± 13.0 kg; experience, 7.3 ± 3.0 years) threw 3 fastballs to a catcher while kinematic data were collected with an electromagnetic tracking system. The Spearman rank-order test was used to identify relationships between glove arm horizontal abduction and glove arm elbow flexion and various kinematics and kinetics found at maximum shoulder external rotation (MER) and ball release for the fastest fastball delivered by each participant.Results:At MER, there were significant relationships found between a more flexed glove arm elbow and increased pitching arm elbow valgus force (rs[31] = –0.52, P = .002), increased pitching arm shoulder anterior force (rs = –0.39, P = .024), and decreased hip velocity (rs[31] = –0.45, P = .009). Additionally, there were significant relationships between greater glove arm horizontal abduction at MER and increased pitching arm humeral velocity (rs[31] = 0.52, P = .002) and increased trunk rotational velocity (rs[31] = 0.40, P = .022) at MER.Conclusion:A more extended glove arm elbow and more horizontally abducted glove arm shoulder at MER could prove to be more advantageous for performance and possibly be a safer motion for the baseball thrower.Clinical Relevance:The orthopaedic community can dictate safer biomechanics when communicating with pitchers, trainers, and pitching coaches.
Oliver, GD, Washington, JK, Barfield, JW, Gascon, SS, and Gilmer, G. Quantitative analysis of proximal and distal kinetic chain musculature during dynamic exercises. J Strength Cond Res 32(6): 1545-1553, 2018-Proximal to distal sequencing for the dynamic movement of throwing is dependent on the movement and stability of the lumbopelvic-hip complex (LPHC) and scapula. Although the need for proximal stability for distal mobility has been vastly documented, pre-throwing programs tend to focus on the traditional rotator cuff activation exercises before long toss. Thus, it was the purpose of this study to describe muscle activations of LPHC stabilizing musculature (bilateral gluteus medius and maximus) and scapular stabilizing musculature (dominant side latissimus dorsi, lower trapezius, upper trapezius, and serratus anterior) during 5 kinetic chain exercises that could be implemented in a throwing program. It was hypothesized that both the LPHC and the scapular stabilizing musculature would exhibit moderate to high activation during all the selected kinetic chain exercises. Nineteen healthy college students (23.2 ± 7.2 years; 176.7 ± 17.9 cm; 78.0 ± 28.6 kg) participated. Surface electromyography was used to measure muscle activity in the LPHC and scapular stabilizing musculature during 5 kinetic chain exercises. A nonparametric Friedman test revealed significantly different muscle activations as a factor of exercise for each muscle, χ(18) = 417.220, p < 0.001. The 5 kinetic chain exercises successfully elicited moderate to high muscle activation in all musculature, except the upper trapezius. Because greater muscle activation of the LPHC and scapular stabilizers are crucial during a throwing task, these exercises are recommended for pre-throwing program implementation because they efficiently prepare the stabilizing musculature for lengthy or strenuous throwing tasks, resulting in a potential decrease in injury susceptibility.
The association of upper-body kinematics and earned run average of national collegiate athletic association Division I softball pitchers. J Strength Cond Res 35(11): 3145-3150, 2021-Although recent literature has increased examination of the association of injury and biomechanics, there remains a lack of evidence supporting optimal windmill pitch mechanics. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate trunk and pitching arm kinematics and their association with performance outcome: earned run average (ERA), in collegiate softball pitchers. Twentythree NCAA Division I collegiate softball pitchers (20.14 6 1.07 years; 173.93 6 6.68 cm; and 85.79 6 11.06 kg) performed 3 maximal effort rise ball pitches to a catcher located at a distance of 43 ft. (13.11 m). Kinematic data of the trunk and pitching arm were collected using an electromagnetic tracking system. A multiple regression analysis was performed at each pitch event: top of backswing, foot contact, ball release, and follow-through. The multiple regression at foot contact showed an overall statistically significant regression equation (F 6, 16 5 3.7, p 5 0.017) and explained approximately 42% of the variance in ERA (R 5 0.579, Adj. R 2 5 0.421). Results revealed that those pitchers who had greater trunk (SE 5 0.018, t 5 22.5, p 5 0.023) and elbow flexion (SE 5 0.006, t 5 24.2, p 5 0.001) at the event of foot contact had lower ERAs. This study supported previous research on the importance of trunk and elbow angle at front foot contact on rise ball pitch performance. These key technique points and the importance of elbow flexors should be explored in future research and potentially visually attended to by coaches and strength professionals.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.