Category
Athletics
Document Type
Paper
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to implement an induced acceleration analysis (IAA) to estimate the contributions of multi-segment motion to the forward velocity of the ball in collegiate baseball pitchers. Marker-based motion capture and ground reaction force data were collected from a sample of 17 pitchers throwing off an instrumented mound. Kinematic and kinetic data were extracted to drive the IAA model to calculate the muscular and non-muscular contributions to ball velocity. The shoulder joint torque and velocity-dependent torque collectively made up the largest contribution to the total induced velocity of the ball at 61% and 37%, respectively. The model underestimated ball speed by 16%, owing to limitations in distal segment definitions. Although this IAA showed that the proximal segments make a small, direct contribution to forward ball velocity, decomposition of the velocity-dependent torque could further clarify the extent to which the legs, pelvis, and trunk indirectly contributes to ball velocity.
Recommended Citation
Aguinaldo, Arnel; Nicholson, Kristen; Alderink, Gordon; and Kepple, Thomas
(2020)
"MULTI-SEGMENT CONTRIBUTIONS TO INDUCED BALL VELOCITY IN COLLEGIATE BASEBALL PITCHERS,"
ISBS Proceedings Archive: Vol. 38:
Iss.
1, Article 199.
Available at:
https://commons.nmu.edu/isbs/vol38/iss1/199