The objective of the study was to examine the relationship between balance and pitching error in college baseball pitchers. Sixteen college baseball pitchers, 9 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and 7 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III, participated in the study. Balance ability, expressed as average sway velocity (deg.s(-1)), during dominant leg unilateral stance with eyes open and eyes closed was quantified for each subject utilizing the Balance Master System 7.04 (long force plate). Additionally, each subject underwent sensory organization testing on the SMART EquiTest System providing information regarding the effective use of the somatosensory, visual, and vestibular inputs. Pitching error was assessed with a high-speed video camera recorder during spring practice. A JUGS radar gun measured pitch velocity. The mean pitching error was 37.50 cm with a mean pitch velocity of 78 miles.h(-1) (35 m.s(-1)). No significant correlation was demonstrated between unilateral stance eyes open and pitching error (r = -0.24; p = 0.36) or unilateral stance eyes closed and pitching error (r = -0.29; p = 0.27). A significant negative correlation was demonstrated between sensory organization test 5 and pitching error (r = -0.50; p = 0.05) and between sensory organization test 5/1 and pitching error (r = -0.50; p = 0.05). Additionally, unilateral stance eyes closed demonstrated a positive correlation with pitch velocity (r = 0.52; p = 0.04). The results reveal that low levels of vestibular input utilization may lead to high levels of pitching error in college baseball pitchers.
The purpose of this study was to examine variables that may contribute to shot accuracy in women's college lacrosse. A convenience sample of 15 healthy women's National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III College lacrosse players aged 18-23 (mean+/-SD, 20.27+/-1.67) participated in the study. Four experimental variables were examined: balance, visual search, hand grip strength, and shoulder joint position sense. Balance was measured by the Biodex Stability System (BSS), and visual search was measured by the Trail-Making Test Part A (TMTA) and Trail-Making Test Part B (TMTB). Hand-grip strength was measured by a standard hand dynamometer, and shoulder joint position sense was measured using a modified inclinometer. All measures were taken in an indoor setting. These experimental variables were then compared with lacrosse-shot error that was measured indoors using a high-speed video camera recorder and a specialized L-shaped apparatus. A Stalker radar gun measured lacrosse-shot velocity. The mean lacrosse-shot error was 15.17 cm with a mean lacrosse-shot velocity of 17.14 m.s (38.35 mph). Lower scores on the BSS level 8 eyes open (BSS L8 E/O) test and TMTB were positively related to less lacrosse-shot error (r=0.760, p=0.011) and (r=0.519, p=0.048), respectively. Relations were not significant between lacrosse-shot error and grip strength (r=0.191, p = 0.496), lacrosse-shot error and BSS level 8 eyes closed (BSS L8 E/C) (r=0.501, p=0.102), lacrosse-shot error and BSS level 4 eyes open (BSS L4 E/O) (r=0.313, p=0.378), lacrosse-shot error and BSS level 4 eyes closed (BSS L4 E/C) (r=-0.029, p=0.936) lacrosse-shot error and shoulder joint position sense (r=-0.509, p=0.055) and between lacrosse-shot error and TMTA (r=0.375, p=0.168). The results reveal that greater levels of shot accuracy may be related to greater levels of visual search and balance ability in women college lacrosse athletes.
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