Firstly, Fortenbaugh (2011) found that there were a lot of
biomechanical differences seen in ‘the swings against various pitch locations’
(p. 6). Therefore, this blog will look at the swing when the ball is received
right down the middle (strike).
In a game of softball, hitting the ball is crucial for all
players to be able to get on base to score runs. Batters can place the ball
where ever they like within the field, preferably away from the fielders. Therefore,
being able to hit the ball as far as possible will be beneficial for the
attacking batting team. To experiment with the appropriate biomechanics for a
softball/baseball swing we need to look at the movement phases. These phases
include:
·
The stance
·
The wind up
·
Pre-swing
·
Swing
·
Follow-through
The stance is an important starting point as batters need good
balance, stability and base of support to potentially gain maximum force and
accuracy in their swing. When preparing for the swing the batter has a static
balance, however during the swing they have a dynamic balance as they are
moving. A batters stance is usually
about a shoulder’s width apart. This is so they can maintain balance whilst
stepping forward into the ball in the wind up phase. The wind up phase is the stride of the batter,
which ‘is a preparatory movement that allows the hitter to generate linear
momentum in the direction of the pitch’ (Lund & Heefner, 2005). Lund &
Heefner (2005), discuss that batters tend to move their arms then shoulder and
then the hips in the opposite direction of the swing in order to gain more
velocity in the bat when swinging. The stride needs to be complete before
moving onto the pre-swing phase. The
pre-swing phase occurs straight after the front foot hits the ground from the
wide-up phase to being in the launch position (position where the batter can
decide whether to swing or not to swing) (Lund & Heefner, 2005). Batters
need to have some sort of bat wrap (the degree of the bat pointing towards the
pitcher in the launch position) in order for the wrists to be abducted;
powerful hitters tend to have more bat wrap (Lund & Heefner, 2005). Adduction
of the abducted wrists happens right before the swing phase. The swing phase
involves the pelvis, hips and shoulder (upper body) to rotate clockwise,
shifting the weight onto the back foot (Lund & Heefner, 2005). This starts
the coiling process by stretching the truck muscles allowing the torso to
unwind with more power (Lund & Heefner, 2005; Welch, Banks, Cook, &
Draovitch, 1995). As the shoulder continue to rotate, as do the arms and the
bat creating a greater velocity in the head of the bat and ideally reaching a
maximum velocity right before the contact with the ball. To maximise the
angular acceleration of the bat through the hitting zone the arms need to begin
to slow right after contact with the ball. The follow-through occurs after the
ball has contacted the bat until the ‘lead shoulder is maximally abducted and
externally rotated’ (Lund & Heefner, 2005). The bat needs to be swung at
shoulder height to allow for maximum time the bat is in the hitting zone.
Image 1
Image 1 shows an example of a baseball/softball swing through
phases (Katsumata, 2007).
We can then look at the biomechanical principles that are
associated with these phases such as the range of motion, levers, balance and
stability, velocity, projectile motion and the kinetic chain. By analysing
these principals an answer can be developed on what the appropriate
biomechanics are to allow a batter to hit the ball the furthest. These
biomechanical principles will be looked at in terms of accuracy, power and
injury.
What are the
important biomechanical considerations for accuracy in making contact with the
ball during the softball/baseball swing?
When completing a softball swing, accuracy is vital to be able to hit the ball. Firstly, the batter should be scanning their eyes on the field with their head positioned facing the pitcher. Looking at where to hit the ball according to where the opposition are fielding and the speed and rotation of the ball coming towards them. To contain accuracy when swinging the batter needs to ‘be able to control both the amount and direction of force produced’ (Applying Biomechanics to Sports, 2010). Accuracy can be increased ‘through a concept known as flattening the arc’. The Applying Biomechanics to Sports (2010) document states that ‘by rotating the hips as the bat begins to swing and by flexing the wrists through the swing, the bat’s path is ‘flattened’ for a time, which gives the batter a greater chance at hitting the ball in the desired direction’(p. 95) The stride length of the batter in the wind-up phase can influence the batters reaction time and therefore, have an impact on the accuracy of being able to hit the ball (Lund & Heefner, 2005). In addition, a swing that allows a wider ‘range of motion’, will allow the batter to be able to hit a wider range of pitch locations and a desired trajectory.
Trajectory
To hit the ball the furthest, the trajectory of the ball
needs to be higher so it can land in the outfield or even go over the fence for
a home run. If the ball was hit at a low trajectory the ball would go along the
ground, which would not go as far and could easily be fielded by the
opposition. Blazevich (2012) states that hitting the ball at a projection angle
of 45 degrees maximises the distance because there is ‘an equal magnitude of
vertical and horizontal velocity’ (p. 26).
What are the important biomechanical considerations in increasing power of the softball/baseball swing?
‘Power is the amount of work performed in a given time, or
the rate of doing work’ (Blazevich, 2012, p.102). Power is the product of force
and velocity (Power = Force x Velocity or work/time), therefore ‘the greater
the force, or the faster the velocity the greater the power’ (Blazevich, 2012
p.102). In baseball and softball, the more force that is produced by the
kinetic chain combined with a greater bat velocity, the more power will be
produced.
Kinetic Chain
The kinetic chain contains a push-like movement and a throw-like
movement. The baseball swing is a throw-like movement; therefore the joints of
the kinetic chain extend one after another (Blazevich, 2012). Batters use the kinetic
chain to transfer force from the lower body to the upper body and then to the bat,
potentially transferring the most amount of force into the ball (force
summation) (Fortenbaugh, 2011). Momentum is produced by large muscle forces of
the legs, hips and torso are transferred to the arms and continues to the bat
and then to the ball, increasing their velocity (Blazevich, 2012). The
efficiency of the throw-like pattern for gaining distance is the result of
using tissues that have the fastest shortening speeds, the tendons. A tendon
has high kinetic energy and stores elastic potential energy, so when it is
released it recoils very quickly (at high speed) (Blazevich, 2012). The high
speed and power generated through the bat allows the batter to hit the ball
further (Blazevich, 2012).
The rotation of the body occurs before the arm swing and
wrist rotation. This video shows that you need to snap the hips and wrists
together at contact of the ball to hit the ball further.
VIDEO - Softball Hitting Hit 50 Feet Further by Snapping the
Hips n Wrists in Sync.
This video contradicts the effect of the kinetic chain by
moving major body parts is a sequential order to snapping the hips and the
wrists at the same time. But, batters can utilise the kinetic chain and when it
comes to connecting the bat to the ball, they snap their hips and their wrists
at the same time, producing more power at the point of contact.
Bat Velocity and
Quickness
‘Bat velocity is the speed at which the bat head is travelling
at the moment of contact (Lund & Heefner, 2005). The greater bat velocity at the point of contact
increases the distance the ball travels when hit because a greater amount of
force can then be transferred to the ball. The quickness (the time, in seconds,
it takes for the bat to travel from the launch position to the hitting the
ball) of the bat is important when creating more power production (Lund &
Heefner, 2005). Players that have high bat velocities tend to
have poor bat quickness (Lund & Heefner, 2005). Players need to understand that they need to
have a combination of velocity and quickness to maximise the effectiveness of
the swing.
Levers
Our body creates many levers via our bones and muscles that
act in a way to increase skill performance. By adding the length of a bat to
the arms of a batter, acts as a lever. There are three different types of
levers that all work in different ways; first class, second class and third
class levers (Applying Biomechanics to Sports, 2010). The one that mostly
applies to the baseball/softball swing is the third-class levers (see image 2).
Image 2
Image 2 shows the three types of levers. R= Resistance, E= Effort,
F= Fulcrum. http://www.spiritsd.ca/teachers/jon.yellowlees/wq/machine/levers.gif
The use of the baseball bat as a third-class lever increases
the speed at which the bat can be swung due to the velocity being greater at
the end of the bat. The angular velocity of the bat equals the angular
displacement divided by the time (Applying Biomechanics to Sports, 2010). This
suggests that the end of the bat will move faster than any other part of the
part. The length of the bat increases the range of motion which increases the speed
at which the bat is swung, hitting the ball with more force. Batters need to keep
in mind that using a bat too long or heavy may have a negative effect on the
ability of the batter to swing the bat fast.
What are the
typical injuries that are associated with the softball/baseball swing? What are
the important biomechanical considerations in minimising these injuries and
avoiding the specific movements that they are associated with?
Abdominal muscle activation during swinging is important for producing maximum ball velocity and bat speed, however if it is not done appropriately the batter may cause themselves injury (Conte, Thompson, Marks & Dines, 2012). Injuries within baseball/softball can be categorised into cumulative (overuse) or acute (traumatic) injuries (Jenda, 2003). In a baseball/softball swing overuse injuries can occur by having a poor technique or not warming up properly (Jenda, 2003). Common injuries when batting are muscle strain of the calves, hamstring or back; hand and wrists injuries (sprain, fracture); or meniscus tears inside the knee joint (Jenda, 2003; Conte, etal., 2012). Therefore, it is important that batters have the correct technique that will prevent them from injuries, particularly back injuries. To do so batters need to absorb some of the force and vibrations that occur when the bat collides with the ball (Applying Biomechanics to Sport, 2010). In baseball batting, bending your knees and having a good balanced stance (feet about shoulder width apart) helps keep your centre of gravity low over the base of support for a greater stability. When using the kinetic chain it is important to rotate the knees, hips and torso sequentially to prevent injury to the knees and back. If the knees are locked into place when rotating the hips and torso, there is potential for meniscus tear to occur. Similarly if the muscles are not flexible enough to rotate and allow the batter to follow through then muscle strains can occur. Strengthening the major muscle groups involved in the swing will help prevent injury and could potentially allow a greater power production to hit the ball further.
The Answer
For batters to hit the ball as far as they can they need to be accurate, produce maximum power and have a technique that is not going to cause any major injuries, particular in their back and knees when they rotate. Controlling the amount of force and direction of force produced in the swing will allow batter to be more accurate along with producing a flattened arc in their swing at the point of contact. Now that the batter is able to hit the ball, power needs to be increased in order to transfer to force to the ball to make it travel further, hitting it at a high trajectory.
Power is increased when we do a given amount of work in less
time or we do more work in a given time. The faster we rotate the body via the
use of the throw-like movement in the kinetic chain and the faster we swing the
bat, the more power will be produced. The more power, the further the ball can
be hit as the velocity of the bat is increased and the more kinetic energy it
will contain. An appropriate length and velocity of a bat (lever) for the
particular batter will allow the batter to swing the bat faster. Hitting the
ball at a 45 degree angle will also allow the batter to hit the ball further.
How else can
we use this information?
Understanding the biomechanics behind an important skill within a particular sport is beneficial for athletes of all levels to increase their performance. It helps produce a technique that is effective without the risk of developing injuries. The biomechanics that are involved in the softball/baseball swing can be directly transferred to any bat and ball type sports such as cricket, tennis and badminton. Particular biomechanics can also be transferred into other sports skills. For example, here we have used the kinetic chain to produce force and velocity to have a greater power in the baseball swing, however the kinetic chain can also be used in skills such as the shoulder pass or the javelin throw to produce more power and potentially throw the object further. Developing technology allows us to analyse the techniques of particular athletes so see where the skill can be changed to improve performance. Biomechanical principles can be applied to all skills to gain maximum performance.
References
Applying Biomechanics to Sport. (2010) (1st ed.). Retrieved from https://www.oup.com.au/titles/...and.../03_RUS_QSPE_3pp.pdf
Blazevich, A. (2012). Sports Biomechanics the Basics: Optimising Human Performance (2nd ed., p. 43). London: A. & C. Black Publishers Ltd.
Bogaert,
K.,Youtube: Softball Hitting Hit 50 Feet Further by Snapping the Hips n Wrists
in Sync. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5iyO9HARw0
Conte, S.,
Thompson, M., Marks, M., & Dines, J. (2012). Abdominal Muscle Strains in
Professional Baseball. The American
Journal of Sports Medicine, 40(3), 650-656.
Fortenbaugh,
D. (2011). The biomechanics of the baseball swing (Ph.D., Industrial
Engineering). University of Miami.
Janda, D.
(2003). The Prevention of Baseball and Softball Injuries. Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, 409(1), 20-28.
Katsumata, H.
(2007). A functional modulation for timing a movement: A coordinative structure
in baseball hitting. Human Movement Science, 26(1), 27-47.
Lund, R.,
& Heefner, D. (2005). Training the Baseball Hitter: What Does Research
Say?. Journal of Physical Education,
Recreation & Dance, 76(3), 27-33.
Welch, C. M.,
Banks, S. A., Cook, F. F., & Draovitch, P. (1995). Hitting a Baseball: a Biomechanical
Description. Journal of Orthopaedic &
Sports Physical Therapy, 22(5), 193-201.
