2020 Volume 35 Issue 1 Pages 101-106
[Purpose] To clarify the effects of trunk proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) and relaxation on the pitching velocity and posture. [Participants and Methods] Twenty healthy university students received trunk PNF, had a rest, or performed a stretch pole (SP) exercise, and their pitching velocities and postures (trunk flexion and extension during the windup phase; and trunk lateroflection, shoulder abduction, and maximum shoulder external rotation during the early cocking/stride) when pitching with full effort were measured. [Results] The pitching velocity was the highest under the PNF condition, followed by the rest and SP conditions, in this order. The pitching posture did not vary among the 3 conditions. [Conclusion] The results revealed that trunk PNF increases the pitching velocity, whereas trunk relaxation decreases it, and variations in the pitching posture measured in the present study do not influence such increases/decreases.
