Hitting a baseball: a biomechanical description

Abstract

A tremendous amount of time and energy has been dedicated to the development of conditioning programs, mechanics drills, and rehabilitation protocols for the throwing athlete. In comparison, a significantly smaller amount has been spent on the needs of the hitting athlete. Before these needs can be addressed, an understanding of mechanics and the demands placed on the body during the swing must be developed. This study uses three-dimensional kinematic and kinetic data to define and quantify biomechanics during the baseball swing. The results show that a hitter starts the swing with a weight shift toward the rear foot and the generation of trunk coil. As the hitter strides forward, force applied by the front foot equal to 123% of body weight promotes segment acceleration around the axis of the trunk. The hip segment rotates to a maximum speed of 714 degrees/sec followed by a maximum shoulder segment velocity of 937 degrees/sec. The product of this kinetic link is a maximum linear bat velocity of 31 m/sec. By quantifying the hitting motion, a more educated approach can be made in developing rehabilitation, strength, and conditioning programs for the hitting athlete.