(14) COLLEGIATE BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL PLAYERS HITTING PERFORMANCE CORRELATION WITH JUMP AND STATIC STRENGTH METRICS

The ability to consistently hit baseballs/softballs with high speed increases the chances of base hits and more importantly, extra base hits. What leads to high batted-ball speed, also known as “exit velocity,” is a combination of skill/technique, sensorimotor abilities, as well as neuromuscular characteristics.

Purpose: To determine if specific metrics from the countermovement jump (CMJ) and isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP) could be predictors to competitive baseball and softball hitting performance.

Methods: NCAA Division III baseball and softball hitters (n = 31) participated in this study, reporting to the lab on two, non-consecutive days. On day one, each participant completed three maximal CMJ and IMTP attempts on force plates (Hawkin Dynamics, Westbrook, ME) Six specific metrics were analyzed for the CMJ, while five were used in analysis from the IMTP. On day two, hitting metrics were collected during team batting practice using a radar-based technology (Trackman, Scottsdale, AZ) with the primary metrics collected being average and maximum batted-ball exit velocity (AEV and MEV). Pearson product moment correlations and linear regressions were utilized to examine the relationships between neuromuscular characteristics and batted-ball performance.

Results: Analyses displayed significant predictive values between all neuromuscular metrics and both MEV and AEV (p < 0.001). Out of all the metrics, the qualities that displayed the highest r² values to MEV and AEV were PPP (0.83), MPF (0.77), and RFD0-50 (0.70).

Conclusion: Specific kinematic and kinetic metrics from the CMJ and IMTP were significant predictors to hitting performance in collegiate softball and baseball players. Future research is warranted to extend the kinetic metrics examined for predicting hitting performance, as well as using data from more game-like performance, such as live scrimmages and games as successful hitting is highly cognitive and not purely technical and neuromuscular. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: It is important for sports performance professionals to train hitters to increase neuromuscular force and power, specifically rate of force production.

Acknowledgements: None