Machine Learning Approach for Pitch Type Classification Based on Pelvis and Trunk Kinematics Captured with Wearable Sensors

The large stream of data from wearable devices integrated with sports routines has changed the traditional approach to athletes’ training and performance monitoring. However, one of the challenges of data-driven training is to provide actionable insights tailored to individual training optimization. In baseball, the pitching mechanics and pitch...

Fastball pitching performance only slightly decreases after mobility impediment of the pelvis and trunk—Do (catch-up) compensation strategies come into play?

Background: Baseball pitching performance can be mechanically explained by the summation of speed principle and the principle of optimal coordination of partial momenta. Impeding optimal energy generation or transfer by or between the pelvis and trunk segments could provide valuable insight into possible compensation or catch-up mechanisms...

Individualised Ball Speed Prediction in Baseball Pitching Based on IMU Data

Ball velocity is considered an important performance measure in baseball pitching. Proper pitching mechanics play an important role in both maximising ball velocity and injury-free participation of baseball pitchers. However, an individual pitcher’s characteristics display individuality and may contribute to velocity imparted to the ball. The...

Establishing the Role of Elbow Muscles by Evaluating Muscle Activation and Co-contraction Levels at Maximal External Rotation in Fastball Pitching

Background: Baseball pitching is associated with a high prevalence of ulnar collateral ligament injuries, potentially due to the high external valgus load on the medial side of the elbow at the instant of maximal shoulder external rotation (MER). In-vitro studies show that external valgus torque is resisted by the ulnar collateral ligament but...

Effects of a Disturbed Kinetic Chain in the Fastball Pitch on Elbow Kinetics and Ball Speed

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of an experimentally imposed kinetic chain disturbance in baseball pitching on ball speed and elbow kinetics. The experimental design consisted of two (within-subject) conditions. In one condition there was no manipulation (control condition). The other condition involved a...

Are UCL Injuries a Matter of Bad Luck?: The Role of Variability and Fatigue Quantified

Upper extremity injuries are common in baseball. One of these is the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injury. In the field of sports injuries, most research focuses on average kinematics and kinetics between subjects, whereas focusing on within-subject variability appears to be more relevant for determining injury risk. We constructed a simple...

Asymmetry and evolution over a one-year period of the upward rotation of the scapula in youth baseball pitchers

The pitching motion is an asymmetric action by which coordination of scapular rotation in the dominant arm might be affected in time and in comparison with the non-dominant arm. The study aimed to compare asymmetry and the evolution of scapular upward rotation over a one-year period. Data were collected twice, before and after a one-year...

Longitudinal changes in shoulder ROM and strength in association with ball-throwing speed in elite youth baseball pitchers

The purpose of this prospective study was to examine the longitudinal changes in shoulder ER ROM and relative IR strength in elite youth baseball pitchers over one year and to determine their associations with changes in ball speed for throwing fastballs. One hundred and five Dutch elite youth baseball pitchers were measured three times over a...

Elite athlete motor and loading actions on the upper limb in baseball pitching

In baseball, pitchers are the players that are most prone to injury. Most injuries occur at the elbow and shoulder of the throwing upper limb. It is widely accepted that understanding the loading in the joints during pitching is a key factor to prevent injuries. To deepen the understanding of the joint actions this study proposes to split the...

Shoulder joint velocity during fastball pitching in baseball

The purpose of this study was to assess the rotation and translation velocity of the shoulder complex during fastball pitching in baseball. 8 pitchers from the Dutch AAA team performed each 3 fastball pitches. Their motion was recorded by an opto-electronic device. Kinematic computation was performed using the quaternion algebra. The results...