Display options
Cite
van Trigt B, Schallig W, van der Graaff E, et al. Knee Angle and Stride Length in Association with Ball Speed in Youth Baseball Pitchers. Sports (Basel). 2018;6(2)doi: 10.3390/sports6020051.
van Trigt, B., Schallig, W., van der Graaff, E., Hoozemans, M. J. M., & Veeger, D. (2018). Knee Angle and Stride Length in Association with Ball Speed in Youth Baseball Pitchers. Sports (Basel, Switzerland), 6(2), . https://doi.org/10.3390/sports6020051
van Trigt, Bart, et al. "Knee Angle and Stride Length in Association with Ball Speed in Youth Baseball Pitchers." Sports (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 6,2 (2018). doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/sports6020051
van Trigt B, Schallig W, van der Graaff E, Hoozemans MJM, Veeger D. Knee Angle and Stride Length in Association with Ball Speed in Youth Baseball Pitchers. Sports (Basel). 2018 May 29;6(2). doi: 10.3390/sports6020051. PMID: 29910355; PMCID: PMC6026789.
Copy Download .nbib Format: NLM
Share it on

Sports (Basel). 2018 May 29;6(2). doi: 10.3390/sports6020051.

Knee Angle and Stride Length in Association with Ball Speed in Youth Baseball Pitchers.

Sports (Basel, Switzerland)

Bart van Trigt, Wouter Schallig, Erik van der Graaff, Marco J M Hoozemans, Dirkjan Veeger

Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Movement Sciences, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands. [email protected].
  2. Department of Human Movement Sciences, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands. [email protected].
  3. Department of Human Movement Sciences, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands. [email protected].
  4. Department of Human Movement Sciences, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands. [email protected].
  5. Department of Human Movement Sciences, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands. [email protected].
  6. Department of Biomechanical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, 2828 CE Delft, The Netherlands. [email protected].

PMID: 29910355 PMCID: PMC6026789 DOI: 10.3390/sports6020051

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether stride length and knee angle of the leading leg at foot contact, at the instant of maximal external rotation of the shoulder, and at ball release are associated with ball speed in elite youth baseball pitchers. In this study, fifty-two elite youth baseball pitchers (mean age 15.2 SD (standard deviation) 1.7 years) pitched ten fastballs. Data were collected with three high-speed video cameras at a frequency of 240 Hz. Stride length and knee angle of the leading leg were calculated at foot contact, maximal external rotation, and ball release. The associations between these kinematic variables and ball speed were separately determined using generalized estimating equations. Stride length as percentage of body height and knee angle at foot contact were not significantly associated with ball speed. However, knee angles at maximal external rotation and ball release were significantly associated with ball speed. Ball speed increased by 0.45 m/s (1 mph) with an increase in knee extension of 18 degrees at maximal external rotation and 19.5 degrees at ball release. In conclusion, more knee extension of the leading leg at maximal external rotation and ball release is associated with higher ball speeds in elite youth baseball pitchers.

Keywords: biomechanics; fastball; kinematics; sports

References

  1. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2011 May;41(5):296-303 - PubMed
  2. Am J Sports Med. 2017 Apr;45(5):1179-1186 - PubMed
  3. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2013 Oct;8(5):652-60 - PubMed
  4. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2014 Mar;46(3):565-71 - PubMed
  5. Hum Mov Sci. 2014 Dec;38:185-96 - PubMed
  6. Annu Rev Public Health. 1993;14:43-68 - PubMed
  7. Hum Mov Sci. 2016 Apr;46:30-8 - PubMed
  8. Am J Sports Med. 2008 Jan;36(1):80-4 - PubMed
  9. Res Q Exerc Sport. 2006 Dec;77(4):428-36 - PubMed
  10. Am J Sports Med. 2008 Apr;36(4):686-92 - PubMed
  11. J Sports Sci Med. 2015 May 08;14(2):246-55 - PubMed
  12. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2004 May;91(5-6):555-62 - PubMed
  13. Sports Health. 2017 May/Jun;9(3):210-215 - PubMed
  14. J Sports Sci Med. 2007 Mar 01;6(1):1-20 - PubMed
  15. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2008 Nov-Dec;17(6):905-8 - PubMed
  16. Sports Biomech. 2002 Jul;1(2):213-28 - PubMed
  17. Arthroscopy. 2003 Jul-Aug;19(6):641-61 - PubMed
  18. Sports Health. 2010 Mar;2(2):135-46 - PubMed
  19. J Appl Biomech. 2012 Nov;28(5):491-501 - PubMed
  20. Res Q. 1978 May;49(2):197-205 - PubMed
  21. Sports Health. 2013 Nov;5(6):530-6 - PubMed
  22. Br J Sports Med. 2015 Jul;49(13):852-9 - PubMed
  23. Res Q Exerc Sport. 2006 Dec;77(4):417-27 - PubMed
  24. J Biomech. 1999 Dec;32(12):1371-5 - PubMed
  25. Clin Sports Med. 1995 Jan;14(1):79-85 - PubMed

Publication Types