I am sorry about missing last week. With post-season softball going on, it’s sometimes difficult to bring good content. However, today I had a little time to get one out. I am trying a couple of new things and would love your feedback. Today I am reviewing a 2013 article by Lehman et al. titled Correlation of Throwing Velocity to the Results of Lower-Body Field Tests in Male College Baseball Players. This study featured functional tests such as medicine ball throws and jumps and compared them to baseball pitchers’ mound velocity and pull-down velocity.
They found:
- Lateral to Medial Jumps (LMJ): The study found that lateral to medial jumps were consistently correlated with high throwing velocity across various throwing techniques. This suggests that movements mimicking the throwing stride, especially those involving lateral motion, are significant predictors of throwing performance.
- Predictive Variables: For right-handed throwers, the right-side lateral to medial jump (LMJR) and body weight were strong predictors of throwing velocity from the stretch position. For left-handed throwers, the left-side lateral to medial jump (LMJL) was a significant predictor. In shuffle throws, combinations of LMJ and medicine ball scoop toss performance were influential.
Implications: This study looked at how well baseball players throw and what parts of their body help them throw faster. The researchers found that strong legs and the ability to jump sideways really help with throwing speed. Just like how pitchers’ step to the side before they throw, doing jumps that move you sideways (called lateral to medial jumps) seemed to match that motion and were a good sign that someone could throw hard. So, if young athletes want to throw faster, they should practice not just throwing but also exercises that make their legs stronger and help them move quickly side to side. This is one of the tests that we performed with softball pitchers. I hope to drop those findings soon!
People to Follow
The post-season is the best time of the year to learn from the best of the best in college softball. A friend (@RogerickAT) always challenges, so our conversations are valuable. Last year at this time, I challenged him to watch the best pitchers and tell me what he noticed. This is the best time of the year to analyze softball pitchers and I challenge you all to do the same. Follow @HokiesSoftball on all the socials and let me know how we do!
