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RELATIONSHIP OF COLLEGIATE SOFTBALL HITTING PERFORMANCE WITH SENSORIMOTOR ABILITIES

Abstract

Achieving high levels of softball batting success requires the precise coordination of sensorimotor skills and biomechanical movements. PURPOSE: To determine the relationships between sensorimotor abilities, bat swing mechanics, and on-field hitting performance. METHODS: NCAA Division III softball hitters (n=26; 19.9 years + 1.2, 83.3 kg + 15.5, 1.69 meters + 0.07) participated in this study. All participants reported to the lab for a testing session. Each participant completed tests on the sensorimotor station to assess 7 different perceptual abilities. The participants then completed a hitting session where 6 swing metrics were collected using an attached bat sensor across 20 hits. Hitting statistics from the previous competitive season were used to assess their on-field performance including walks (BB), batting average (BAVG), strikeouts (K) on-base percentage (OB%), slugging percentage (SLG%), and hits (H). Correlations were calculated to find relationships between the sensorimotor skills, swing metrics, and on-field performance. Linear regressions were then used to follow-up on moderate to strong correlations for predictive values. RESULTS: A strong correlation between BB and eye-hand coordination was shown (0.679). A Liner Regression analysis revealed that this pair demonstrated a significant predictive trend (R2 = 0.461; p = 0.02). Moderate correlations were calculated between BAVG with eye-hand coordination (0.475), near-far shift (0.457), and with dynamic vision (0.484), but no statistical significance with a linear regression. Another moderate correlation existed between OB% and eye-hand coordination (0.546) but no statistical significance with linear regression. Weak correlations were displayed between bat swing metrics and sensorimotor abilities and on-field performance. CONCLUSION: Specific metrics in sensorimotor abilities have correlations with on-field performance. While future research is recommended to continue to find the relationships between sensorimotor skills and on-field performance, it would be recommended that sports vision training be included to increase on-field performance.

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