Abstract details
| Abstract-ID: | 1891 |
| Title of the paper: | Characterizing Windmill Pitching Coordination Using Principal Component Analysis |
| Authors: | HSU, Y., Liu, Y-T |
| Institution: | National Taiwan Normal University |
| Department: | Department of Sport and Kinesiolkgy |
| Country: | Taiwan |
| Abstract text | INTRODUCTION: In softball, pitchers play a crucial role in controlling game tempo and defensive performance. The windmill pitch is the most common pitching technique in fastpitch softball. Due to the high complexity and specific form of softball pitching, pitcher development presents a major challenge in both training and talent identification. Complex motor skills are often learned through simplified movements, and the 3-step pitch is the most common simplified form of the windmill pitch, providing a longer preparatory phase while preserving the movement structure. Because softball pitching coordination has not been studied extensively, this study investigated the coordination patterns of the windmill and the 3-step pitch using principal component analysis (PCA). METHODS: 6 collegiate Division I softball pitchers with more than 5 years of experience performed 5 windmill pitches and 5 3-step pitches and were videotaped using 2 high-speed cameras. The best pitch from each pitching type was selected for analysis. 3-dimensional kinematic data from the takeoff of the stride foot to ball release were digitized using SIMI Motion, including 16 points: wrists, elbows, shoulders, hips, knees, ankles, toe tips, glove endpoint, and the ball. 12 joint angles were extracted for PCA. The component scores of the 1st component from both pitching types were then time-normalized for another PCA to examine coordination patterns. Variables with absolute loadings = 0.7 were considered to contribute substantially to a principal component. RESULTS: For both pitching types, 3 to 4 principal components accounted for more than 75% of the explained variance across all pitchers. The 1st principal component included at least one of the following joint movements: the throwing-side elbow, shoulder, or stride-leg knee. In the windmill pitch, 2 pitchers exhibited all 3 segments in the 1st principal component, whereas in the 3-step pitch, this pattern was observed in 3 pitchers. PCA of the integrated first principal component scores from all 12 pitches revealed 2 components explaining 96.8% of the variance. 3 pitchers showed both pitching styles loading on the same component, whereas the remaining 3 loaded on different components. CONCLUSION: The windmill pitch is primarily characterized by coordination among the throwing-side shoulder, elbow, and stride-leg knee, which may be considered the main coordination structure in softball pitching. 3 pitchers demonstrated similar coordination patterns between the windmill and three-step pitches, whereas 3 developed distinct patterns. This suggests that for expert pitchers, the windmill pitch may no longer be a highly complex task, thereby allowing different coordination strategies to emerge during the simplified 3-step pitch. Future research should examine coordination differences between these pitching types in novice pitchers to evaluate the suitability of the 3-step pitch as a training method. |
| Topic: | Motor Learning and Motor control |
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