Abstract
The purpose of this study was to compare a complex motor skill combining batting and running
(Batting and Running Condition: BRC) with a simple motor skill involving batting only (Batting Condition: BC), and to examine how the addition of running alters batting performance across 3 pitch locations (Inside, Middle, Outside). Thirteen right‐handed collegiate baseball players (height 170.9 ± 4.1 cm; weight 74.3 ± 4.4 kg) were analyzed from swing onset to ball impact. Three‐dimensional kinematic data and ground reaction force (GRF) data were collected using a motion‐capture system and force plates. The primary parameters analyzed were peak swing velocity, GRF, shoulder and hip angles and angular velocities, and center‐of‐mass position and velocity. Paired ttests revealed that for Inside pitches, peak swing velocity was significantly lower in BRC (32.2 ± 1.8 m/s) than in BC (33.2 ± 2.0 m/s; p <0.05). Composite GRF analysis showed that pivot‐side values in BRC were significantly lower than in BC during specific intervals for Inside pitches. Furthermore, shoulder and hip angular velocities as well as center‐of‐mass velocity exhibited intervals in which BRC values exceeded those of BC across all 3 pitch locations (Inside, Middle, Outside). These findings suggest that the complex motor skill involving combined batting and running can alter batting performance and has movement characteristics distinct from those of simple batting.
