Tuesday, November 28, 2023

Head movement in experienced vs novice batters

This study measured head movement in experienced batters (~age 28, ~12 years experience) compared to novices (had not played baseball) while hitting soft toss.

Findings & practical applications:

1.) Experienced batters started their timing earlier than novices - they demonstrated more head movement in the X-direction (from home plate toward pitcher)

2.) Despite earlier and more head movement, experienced batters stopped head movement near contact whereas novices did not

3.) Experienced batters had less variability of head movement in the Z-direction (up and down) 



Summary:

The study aimed to investigate the differences in head movement patterns during baseball batting between skilled players and novices. Eight skilled players and nine unskilled novices were analyzed using a high-speed video camera. The researchers compared peak latency, peak value, distance, and data variability in head movement between the two groups on the X-axis (from home plate to pitcher's plate) and the Z-axis (vertical downward). The results showed that skilled players had significantly earlier peak latency on the X-axis compared to novices. Skilled players also had a larger difference between the minimum peak and impact, while novices had larger variability in peak latency on the X-axis and peak value on the Z-axis. The findings suggest that these differences in head movement could be applied to improve performance and enhance coaching for batting in baseball.



 

Link to article


Nakata, Hiroki; Miura, Akito; Yoshie, Michiko; Kudo, Kazutoshi. Differences in the Head Movement During Baseball Batting between Skilled Players and Novices. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 26(10):p 2632-2640, October 2012. | DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3182429c38

 

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