Dynamics analysis on the coordination of velocity and accuracy in baseball pitching.

Abstract

Speed and accuracy are both critical to sports performance but remains poorly understood. In baseball pitching, both ball speed and accuracy must be constrained by human body and ball dynamics. This study examines the dynamics of pitching control ability that coordinates ball speed and control using the center of curvature of trajectories of ball and shoulder joint. Dynamics analysis based on a variable-length pendulum model with the center of curvature of the ball and shoulder joint trajectories reveals that the control of shoulder acceleration affects the coordination of ball speed and pitch control.