Comparison of Glenohumeral and Scapulothoracic Kinematics Between Fastballs and Curveballs During Baseball Pitching

The purpose of the study is to compare scapulothoracic and glenohumeral kinematics between fastballs and curveballs during baseball pitching. 14 Division III pitchers participated in this study. Subjects had motion capture markers attached to their trunk and upper extremity, and subjects threw five fastballs and five curveballs while being recorded with motion capture. After pitching, subjects used real-time visual feedback to statically recreate six arm postures achieved during their fastest pitch. Scapular orientation was palpated and recorded at these postures, and linear model algorithms were created that estimated scapular orientation throughout the entire pitch. Scapulothoracic and glenohumeral kinematics between fastballs and curveballs were compared using paired t-tests and Bonferroni corrections to check for significant differences (p < 0.05). Out of 34 kinematic parameters, only glenohumeral internal rotation at ball release was found to be significantly different between fastballs and curveballs (p = 0.015). These results agree with previous research that found few significant differences between humerothoracic kinematics between fastballs and curveballs. The results of this study also agree with previous literature that has found that curveballs may not be more harmful to collegiate pitchers than fastballs. This study could be the first to report scapulothoracic and glenohumeral kinematic differences between pitch types, and future research could help baseball teams identify injury risks, optimize performance, and improve injury rehabilitation strategies for their pitchers.

Files

Metadata

Work Title Comparison of Glenohumeral and Scapulothoracic Kinematics Between Fastballs and Curveballs During Baseball Pitching
Access
Penn State
Creators
  1. Benjamin Garrett Lerch
  2. Kristen Nichole Guarneschelli
  3. Grigorios Ioannis Papachristos
  4. R. Tyler Richardson
License In Copyright (Rights Reserved)
Work Type Poster
Publication Date 2022
DOI doi:10.26207/vqyr-xd90
Deposited May 23, 2023

Versions

Analytics

Collections

Work History

Version 1
published

  • Created
  • Updated
  • Updated Acknowledgments Show Changes
    Acknowledgments
    • Tyler Richardson
  • Added Creator Benjamin Garrett Lerch
  • Added Creator Kristen Nichole Guarneschelli
  • Added Creator Grigorios Ioannis Papachristos
  • Added Creator Emily Mross
  • Added Lerch, Guarneschelli, and Papachristos 2022 R_Benjamin Lerch.pdf
  • Updated License Show Changes
    License
    • https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/
  • Published
  • Updated

Version 2
published

  • Created
  • Deleted Creator Emily Mross
  • Published
  • Updated Acknowledgments Show Changes
    Acknowledgments
    • Tyler Richardson
  • Added Creator R. Tyler Richardson
  • Updated